Did you know Raymond Burr was gay and gave TONS of money to charity?

[Bucky]

I was wasting my time on Wikipedia and stumbled across this factoid. Apparently he had a very happy family life for 35 years with fellow actor-turned-vintner Robert Benevides. Here's a picture of the two of them with a friend at the winery they ran.

According to his Wiki bio, "tough guy" Raymond gave his entire salaries from the very successful Perry Mason movies made in the 1980s away to charity. He also sponsored 27 foster children thru the years, volunteering to the Christian Children's Fund to help their children with the greatest medical needs.

To cover up his homosexuality, his Hollywood biographer invented two wives and a child--all of whom had supposedly "died" before him--from Burr's past.

[graywarrior]

1. Yes, it came out right after he died.

[pitohui]

4. no i didn't and good for him

he sounds like a wonderful person

"ironsides" gave me a lot of entertainment in younger days

[idgiehkt]

2. that is so awesome

wow.

I never knew, and I have watched way more than my share of Perry mason re-runs over the years.

[Floogeldy]

3. I knew about the "gay" part.

I didn't know about the charity.

Bless his soul.

[Redstone]

5. No, I didn't know that, and yes, I'm happy he gave the $$ to charities.

Redstone

[Bucky]

6. I don't even find the gay part all that interesting. But the charity--Wow

He didn't just give to a good cause or two. He gave BIG. Those Perry Mason reprisals had killer ratings and I'm sure the network was paying him millions for his work. Which he promptly turned over to charity. Even tho his health was rapidly failing in the early 90s, he kept cranking out those movies just to keep his 200+ production crew steadily employed. His last movie he finished days before he died and in it you can see that he couldn't even stand up for takes--he's seated or leaning in all his scenes. I'm sure the unlegendary Ironside show was made into a TV movie the year before specifically so Burr could keep acting while sitting in his wheelchair.

The man, frankly, was a saint.

[myrna minx]

7. This is so cool.

Perry Mason.

[AirmensMom]

8. Perry Mason was my hero!

I just loved Raymond Burr. I knew he was gay, but I did not know about the charitable giving.

[KamaAina]

9. Yes, but did you know he wasn't really in a wheelchair?

[BrotherBuzz]

10. Don't tell Della Street

She'd be crushed.

[Paladin]

11. Heard About It A Long Time Ago

Decades ago, when I was just a teenager---sometime in the late 1960's---my mother came home from an appointment with her gay hairdresser, bearing tales of Raymond Burr, Richard Chamberlain, Rock Hudson, and others. Word's been around on all of them for quite a while, not that it makes any difference.

Burr seems to have been a very admirable person.

[meegbear]

12. I knew about that ...

bear of a man he was.

[AngryAmish]

13. Tom Thayer (former Bears Pro-Bowler)

He tells a story of Raymond Burr trying to pick him up to do "yard work" when he was in college.

[GalleryGod]

14. And one of the Great Drag Queens in Hollywood History

I know...I was at a New Year's Eve Party (1971-2) in the Hollywood Hills where he came in Total Drag.

[Patiod]

15. Man, GG, do you get around!!!

I'm thinking you have some pretty good stories, and not ALL about baseball!

[GalleryGod]

17. So True, My Dear.

So true.........

[Kat45]

16. No, I didn't know that.

[Lisa]

18. and he was Canadian!

(Just had to add that. Up here, somebody will chime in, if a particular celebrity was born in Canada -- or even married a Canadian. Guess it's my turn this time.)

[Dr Fate]

19. I remeber hearing that- he was a great villian in "Rear Window." n/t

n/t

[johnnie]

20. Yes, I knew he was gay

Don't you remember that episode of Perry Mason when he broke out in a song and dance from "My fair lady"? Lol, kidding.

Yeah, I knew he was gay, but didn't know about his charity work.

[colditalianpizza]

21. Anacin commercials too?

Or Bayer?

[mitchum]

22. Ron Ashton of The Stooges claimed that Burr tried to pick him up...

in a bar