Movies - TV
Why Perry Mason's Harley-Davidson Was Polarizing To Cast And Crew
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
HBO’s “Perry Mason” is set in the 1930s, but it combines the pulp and murky ethics of a late-40s noir with the glossy prestige of a 2010s premium cable show. As the series blends classic and modern together, it’s no wonder that Mason’s (Matthew Rhys) chosen form of transportation is a modified Harley Davidson; however, not everyone was happy with the motorcycle’s update.
Rhys revealed that the crew brought in a Harley from the era to use as-is but realized that wasn’t possible. The actor recalled, “The first day, they brought out that motorcycle and it was operating as a 1930s Harley-Davidson. They started it, and it took so many weird things and it made so much noise that they went, ‘Okay, forget using it as a real motorcycle.’”
The bike was refitted as an electric motorcycle, which mortified some of the Harley-Davidson fans on the crew. Rhys recalled, “Half of them would go, ‘Oh, my God, that’s amazing.’ And the other half would go, ‘They’ve turned it into an electric bike. It’s an abomination and a true crime that they’ve ripped out the guts of an original Harley-Davidson.’”