A very common practice in the 50s and 60s, where shows didn’t bother with continuity.
It’s still done in the UK.
My favorite is COLUMBO episodes from the ‘70s, because (a) during, what, a mere forty-five of them, sparking so many Emmys, (b) they’d make a big deal about someone getting murdered in one episode before having that actor show right back up to alibi someone else — who, in turn, would kill a guy who’d later show back up to get framed for another murder, and so on. (Of course, they’d also have an actor repeat as a killer, and have an actor repeat as someone getting framed for a killing; you name it.)
It’s still done on Law and Order. There’s a whole group of what are known as “repeat offenders”, playing different charcters on different episodes, even across the franchise.
L&O reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode with Dennis Weaver, where he has the recurring dream where he is on trial, but the “characters” are “played” by different people each time.
L&O also tries out future replacement actors befoire hiring them full time… S. Epatha, Jerry Orbach, Jeremy Sisto, Annie Parisse and probably more I forgot all were one time guest stars before they became regulars.
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We watched a NYC-set movie, The Interpreter, recently, and it was surprising how many L&O actors were in there!
We get Broadway road shows up here and L&O shows up in the bio of at least one or two actors in every cast. I’ve even seen bios that say “No Law & Order!” proudly.
IMDB doesn’t show any role for him on this program except Tragg, and his first appearance in that role was in the very first episode, The Case of the Restless Redhead, Sept. 21, 1957.
Collins was in an episode on The Joseph Cotten Show in 1956, which apparently involved a trial, perhaps that is what you are thinking of.
What’s the stigma? It was a good show. It probably payed for Bruce McVittie’s house, car, boat… well…maybe. 
Though I’d say, outside of Nero Wolf it has the most repetition of cast anywhere. Third most might be the Donald Bellisario Players, who show up in every show he made, usually (but not always!) once in each show.
No stigma. It’s meant ironically.
Does anyone know why they used such an unprofessional, cheap-looking desk for Perry? Looks like they attached a painted pegboard surround to a table and called it good.
Hm, never noticed that before but that’s exactly what it looks like.
And I’ve seen that wall treatment (we call it “hand-painted, but really sloppily”) in a number of old TV shows. From Perry to noir detectives (we had a thread on that) to comedies (the Petries had some weird ‘faux moldy driftwood’ wallpaper).
Anyone see any of that in person? Or grow up with it? Was it paper? Wood?
When you watch the series “stripped” (five nights a week, back-to-back), you notice they kept using the same interior sets over and over again, each time with different guest stars. Once you see it, it’s obvious.
CBS, which was helping fund the series, must have been really cheap back then!
Maybe a coincidence, but I don’t remember ever seeing Perry actually get paid by any of his clients.
I’ve seen episodes where he was holding a check from his client at the end.
I recently watched the four Perry Mason films starring Warren William made in the 1930s. Mr. Mason’s desk and office décor seemed about right.
What was a little more surprising is that Mason spends maybe 5-10 minutes in a courtroom in just one of the four movies and none in any of the others; they are detective-oriented stories. Mason is completely unethical throughout, even acknowledging in one of them that the client he just cleared is actually guilty! The first two, The Case of the Howling Dog (1934) and The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) were pretty entertaining; the latter two, The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935) and The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936), less so.
I believe the paneling to be birch (my parents lined their basement rumpus room with it).
The reeded spherical urn, the desk like a hi-fi console, the Miro-esque painting: all hallmarks of 1957 sophistication. I’m surprised they never sent Gertie for elocution lessons.
That looks rather like the “modern” furniture from the 1960s whose sole function was to allow its designers to back themselves on the back over how trendy and fashionable they were.
Ha ha, yes the 60’s included a lot of bad as well as good design. As a designer myself I imagine they could have been up against a deadline, but really?