Editing Paul Drake (character)

{{Short description|Fictional private detective in the Perry Mason novels and TV series}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Paul Drake
| series = [[Perry Mason]]
| image = Bette Davis William Hopper Perry Mason 1963.jpg
| caption = [[William Hopper]] as Paul Drake in the CBS-TV series ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'', with guest star [[Bette Davis]] (1963)
| first =
| last =
| creator = [[Erle Stanley Gardner]]
| portrayer = [[Allen Jenkins]]<br>[[Eddie Acuff]]<br>[[Garry Owen (actor)|Garry Owen]]<br>[[Joseph Crehan]]<br>[[William Hopper]]<br>Albert Stratton<br>[[Chris Chalk]]
| gender = Male
| occupation = [[Private detective]]
| nationality = [[Americans|American]]
| children = Paul Drake Jr. (son)
}}

'''Paul Drake''' is a fictional private detective in the [[Perry Mason bibliography|''Perry Mason'' series]] of [[murder mystery]] novels by [[Erle Stanley Gardner]]. Drake is described as tall and slouching, nondescript (as suits his profession), and frequently wearing an expression of droll humor.  He often smoked cigarettes especially when he had a subject of interest under surveillance.  He is friend and right-hand man to [[Perry Mason|Mason]], a highly successful [[criminal defense lawyer]] in [[Los Angeles]].

==Novels==
Drake is frequently described as "lanky" and slightly "fish-faced" or "pop-eyed". In talking with Mason, he generally likes to slouch in an armchair with his back over one arm and his legs over the other. The conversations often include complaints about his indigestion from living on cheap hamburgers and bad coffee when working for Mason. His appearance and attitude are deceptive, however: he is personally dedicated, and physically tough in a fight.

==Films==
[[Allen Jenkins]] played a variation on the Paul Drake character, referred to as '''Spudsy Drake''', in two 1935 films based on Gardner novels, ''[[The Case of the Curious Bride]]'' and ''[[The Case of the Lucky Legs]]''.

[[Eddie Acuff]] took over the Spudsy role in the 1936 film ''[[The Case of the Velvet Claws]]''.

[[Garry Owen (actor)|Garry Owen]] played the investigator, now known simply as Paul Drake, in 1936's ''[[The Case of the Black Cat]]'', and [[Joseph Crehan]] took over in 1937's ''[[The Case of the Stuttering Bishop]]''.

==Television==
In 1957, the [[CBS]] [[television network]] launched [[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|a ''Perry Mason'' series]] based on Gardner's characters, which ran until 1966. [[William Hopper]] auditioned for both the Mason and Drake roles.{{efn|Kinescopes of Hopper's audition as Perry Mason, along with [[Raymond Burr]]'s auditions for [[Hamilton Burger]] and Mason, were included as special features on the 2008 "50th Anniversary Edition" ''Perry Mason'' DVD set.}}<ref name="50th">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/32898/perry-mason-50th-anniversary-edition/ |title=Perry Mason – 50th Anniversary Edition |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |date=April 10, 2008 |website=[[DVD Talk]] |access-date=2015-05-07}}</ref> "He was perfect as Drake, and we got him," recalled executive producer [[Gail Patrick|Gail Patrick Jackson]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.classicimages.com/films_of_the_golden_ages/article_39f84018-cfc0-11e3-b0b4-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Dream Factory Time: Gail Patrick |last=Bawden |first=James |date=April 29, 2014 |website=Classic Images |access-date=2015-05-07 |archive-date=2015-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726153835/http://www.classicimages.com/films_of_the_golden_ages/article_39f84018-cfc0-11e3-b0b4-001a4bcf887a.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

"Paul Drake in the Erle Stanley Gardner books was an entirely different character," Hopper said in 1962. "I play him my way. Now I'm amused to read Gardner's new books. Paul Drake now comes out like me!"<ref name="Bob Thomas">{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Thomas (reporter) |date=June 16, 1962 |title=Perry Mason's Aide Faces a Dilemma  |newspaper=Oakland Tribune (Associated Press) }}</ref>

"Just as Raymond Burr will ''always'' be Perry Mason, Bill Hopper will ''always'' be Paul Drake," wrote Brian Kelleher and Diana Merrill in their chronicle of the TV series. "He defined the role."<ref name="PM Book Hopper">{{cite book |last1=Kelleher |first1=Brian |last2=Merrill |first2=Diana |title=The Perry Mason TV Show Book |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |date=1987 |chapter=William Hopper as Paul Drake |chapter-url=http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c500.htm |pages=[https://archive.org/details/perrymasontvshow00kell/page/57 57–66] |isbn=9780312006693 |access-date=2015-04-07 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/perrymasontvshow00kell/page/57 }}</ref>{{Rp|65}}

A [[running gag]] on the series is that although Paul Drake is a "wolf" who dates every woman he can, the only woman he does not date is [[Della Street]] whom he always respectfully refers to as "Hi Beautiful" - in deference to the romantic chemistry displayed between Perry and Della.

In the short-lived 1973–74 revival, ''[[The New Perry Mason]]'', Paul Drake was played by Albert Stratton.

In the successful series of [[Perry Mason (TV film series)|''Perry Mason'' television films]] that began in 1985, the Paul Drake character was part of the [[back story]]: his son Paul Jr. served as Mason's private investigator in the first nine films. Drake's son was played by [[William Katt]], the real-life son of [[Barbara Hale]], who played [[Della Street]] both in the TV series and the TV movies.<ref name="CTVA Movies">{{cite web|url=http://ctva.biz/US/Legal/PerryMason_1985-93.htm |title=Perry Mason (1985–1993), The Perry Mason Mystery (1993–1995) |publisher=The Classic TV Archive |access-date=2015-05-07}}</ref>

In [[HBO]]'s 2020 ''[[Perry Mason (2020 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' [[reimagining]], Paul Drake is African-American, starting the series as an LAPD uniformed police officer. He is portrayed by actor [[Chris Chalk]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/perry-mason-chris-chalk-shea-whigham-nate-corddry-cast-hbo-limited-series-1202639489/ |title='Perry Mason': Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Nate Corddry Among Seven Cast In HBO Limited Series |first=Denise |last=Petski |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=June 28, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Perry Mason}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul Drake (detective)}}
[[Category:Characters of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction]]
[[Category:Erle Stanley Gardner characters]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1933]]
[[Category:Fictional private investigators|Drake, Paul]]
[[Category:Perry Mason characters|Drake, Paul]]