Talk:Hamilton Burger

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It is very unfair to portray Burger as inept, or incompetant. He or his trial deputies usually had good cases, which was part of the novel's charm - evidence pointing to one, but the culprit was another. His first appearnces showed him as a man who did NOT want to prosecute an innocent man, and was horrified that the evidence Mason provided exonerated Mason's client. Later, he became somewhat cynical, saying Mason's tactics did more harm than good, and went after Mason more so that his clients. Mason gave him a few good lessons in crossing him when it was all personal. In "The Case of the Careless Kitten" Burger went after Della Street (Mason's secretary) and after Mason provided the proof to get her aquitted, he let Burger solve the case on his own (he did give a clue to Detective Tragg, whom Mason respected as an upholder of the truth. They crossed swords a few times, but Tragg was always willing to admit he was wrong to get a killer).

alternative view:

Burger's character was great on TV, taken from the middle and later books: a sniveling, self-rightous prig whom we loved to see lose (sort of a grown-up Eddie from Leave it to Beaver). The TV's show's decline had everyone getting together palsey-walsey - no fun at all. Tragg might have been an upholder of the truth, but he was first of all a policeman and representative of Burger, frequently carrying his dirty laundry. But most of all he was probably the most sardonic character on mainstream TV for five years.