THE CASE OF
THE MUSICAL MURDER(1989):

Dwight Schultz, Debbie Reynolds & Jerry Orbach
co-star in this who-dun-it!! Dwight(TVs A-Team,
Star Trek: The Next Generation) plays a stage
manager who gets offed, and there are a host of
people who had a reason! It's always a pleasure
to see Debbie Reynolds, and Jerry Orbach(Law
and Order) does his usual excellence!! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

Back in the original series for the most part Perry
Mason took clients on retainer like any other lawyer.
The filmed series had him more often than not having
some kind of personal relationship that gets him
involved with the case.

However in Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical
Murder, Raymond Burr is in the hospital for some
arthroscopic surgery and after he's taken a sedative
he happens to see the accused murderer, three sheets
to the wind. But because of the sedative, his alibi
testimony at the arraignment hearing is impeached.

Whatever else he is Perry Mason is a man with a
conscience. Since he can't get defendant Jim
Metzler off with his own testimony, Burr donates
his services as defense lawyer.

Metzler is the stage manager of a musical that is
in out of town tryouts before reaching Broadway.
He has a nasty fight with director Dwight Schultz
and Schultz winds up shot to death.

Dwight Schultz in my humble opinion is one of
the best actors around today. For those of you
who remember him best as Murdock in The A-Team,
Schultz has gone on to play an astonishing range
of characters. I marvel at the man's versatility.
His character as the director might be somewhat
based on the late Bob Fosse.

Anyway Schultz as per usual in Mason films is
one nasty skunk of a human being and more
than Jim Metzler would have liked to kill him.
It's up to Perry Mason, Della Street and now
his new young associate Ken Malansky to find
out the who, why and how.

After getting Billy Moses off in the previous film,
Raymond Burr signs him on as an associate. When
William Katt as Paul Drake, Jr. was in the series
he was in fact a licensed private investigator.
Ken Malansky is in fact now a member of the
bar. Did he know it wasn't going to be the law
library where he'd be spending most of his time
when he went to work for Raymond Burr?

This TV film involves the musical stage and
we're fortunate enough to have Debbie Reynolds
in the cast doing a number. That's always a treat.

I was less impressed though with this Mason
than with others. The perpetrator had a good
reason for doing in Dwight Schultz. But that
this person was willing to frame Metzler for
the crime, lessens the audience sympathy
for this individual.

Still all the elements for a good Perry Mason
story are in The Case of the Musical Murder.
And a musical number from Debbie Reynolds.
How can you go wrong? - bkoganbing

By all-star, the inference is to the athletes that
a rich Pernell Roberts(Bonanza) owns through
his sports teams! He is a very mean spirited
dude who is of course offed shortly after we
get to know him! Sheri Belafonte also guests
here. Too bad that Pernell's appearance was
so short, as I really like him! This is pretty
good, but I don't care that they are making
Ken as bumbling as they had Paul Drake Jr.!!
Still, a good Perry Mason! A-

From an IMDb.com customer:

In Perry Mason: The Case Of The All Star Assassin,
America's number one defense attorney gets
involved in defending Jason Beghe, a star hockey
player who is accused of shooting down Pernell
Roberts, a George Steinbrenner like owner of both
a hockey and basketball team in Denver. He's also
got an interest in tennis in the person of tennis
pro, Shari Belafonte.

I'm sure there are any number of folks who wouldn't
mind seeing Mr. Steinbrenner done in and it's the
same with Pernell Roberts. The reason that Beghe
is zeroed in on as a suspect is because the murder
weapon is found in his car and after Beghe storms
out of deposition with his attorney Ken Malansky
yelling threats against Roberts's person. Actually
the only thing Beghe did was go out on a terrific
drunk, the same as Jim Metzler did in the previous
Mason film.

It was nice if ever so briefly to see Billy Moses
actually doing lawyer like work if in fact he did
then turn the case over to Raymond Burr and
resume his sleuth role. This episode marked
the farewell appearance of Alexandra Paul as
Billy's girl Friday, Amy. I believe she started
in Baywatch the following year.

The Case of The All Star Assassin not a bad
entry in the Mason series. Burr gets a rather
colorless female ADA in Valerie Mahaffey as
an opponent here. As for the culprit, all I
can say that until the very end, this suspect
is probably the one least focused on during
the film. - bkoganbing

THE CASE OF
THE POISONED PEN(1990):

This is really pretty good!! It stars several almost
famous actors, including Cindy Williams(Laverne
and Shirley) and David Warner(the Star Trek movie
The Undiscovered Country, also Star Trek: TNG
episode Chain Of Command), who is only here
for a short time before he is killed, right in front
of Della and Ken!! Of course, one of Della's friends
is accused of the murder, and Perry comes to the
rescue!! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

Perry Mason: The Case of The Poisoned Pen
finds Perry, Della, and Ken at a mystery writer's
convention where David Warner is getting an
award. Warner is one piece of work, a lot of
the writers there have at one time or other
worked with him, in fact he used their efforts
to bolster his flagging creativity. Now he's
writing some memoirs about his life and they
promise to reveal a lot about his rivals, all
of whom are now successful mystery writers
in their own right.

When Warner winds up poisoned, though
plenty of these people could have done the
deed as Warner was poisoned at a cocktail
reception that everyone including Perry Mason
and his crew were attending, suspicion falls
on Barbara Babcock, who actually married
Warner at one time. But of course she didn't
do it.

This film was the farewell appearance of
actor Kiel Martin who is best known for
playing Detective J.D. LaRue in Hill Street
Blues. That show had one of the great
ensemble casts ever put together for a
series and Martin was always enjoyable.

What I like about The Case of the Poisoned
Pen was the portrayal of the individual who
is the killer. I can't say more, but as it turns
out the perpetrator is one evil individual.

Catch this film and see what I mean. - bkoganbing

Set in Paris, guest starring absolutely no one
recognizable, a military officer is accused of
murder, and a friend of Perry's asks him to
defend him! This is really very good, and
though the true culprit isn't hard to spot,
still a great Perry Mason! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

This is one of the best Perry Mason films ever made.
There is no question about it.

Who would ever think that the murderer turned
out to be a Simon Wiesenthal like character?

Even though, he has his usual girl-flirting William
R. Moses is excellent here. He certainly takes on
a more serious tone in a movie dealing with the
holocaust.

The constant twists in the plot are wonderfully
exercised. Teresa Wright gives a memorable
performance as a holocaust victim. Her chilling
experience at the Maidanek Concentration Camp
is excellently shown.

As always, there are so many people that you
can accuse of the murder here? There was
deception all around here but deception in this
film was never better. - edwagreen

THE CASE OF
THE SILENCED SINGER(1990):

Another great outing, this one guest stars Tim Reid
(The second WKRP In Cincinnati star to appear in
these movies, the first one being Gordon Jump in
The Case Of The Lost Love) and Vanessa Williams(Eraser,
the Star Trek: DS9 episode "Let He Who Is Without
Sin", singer), along with Kene Holliday(Matlock)!
Vanessa is killed and Tim is accused of the murder,
and of course Perry steps in to save the day, despite
the bumblings of Ken Malansky!!!! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

Off the bat I will say that Perry Mason: The Case Of
The Silenced Singer is one of the more unusual entries
in the Mason film series. It has a different twist to the
normal ending that we expect from a Mason film.

The Perry Mason team is defending another attorney
Tim Reid who is married to Dinah Ross like pop star
diva, Vanessa Williams. Things haven't been going so
good in the marriage of late, in fact Vanessa's
becoming one royal temperamental piece of work.
She's alienating a lot of her close friends. Which
makes for a lot of potential murder suspects besides
Reid when she winds up shot to death in their
hideaway apartment.

It's the 911 tape of an anonymous witness calling
in about a disturbance that sets Raymond Burr
to thinking the police have the wrong man. Of
course the discrepancies there might also have
invoked some interest even among the satisfied
homicide cop James McEachin. But then we
wouldn't have the film.

When Burr sends Billy Moses off to investigate
the discrepancies in the tape he has a very
nice and whimsically funny scene with Alice
Ghostley who's confronted the killer without
realizing it. It's the highlight of the movie. - bkoganbing

With Robert Culp(I Spy) and Robert Vaughn(Man
From U.N.C.L.E.), two of my favorite actors
from two of my favorite sixties tv shows!!!
Also guesting is Don Galloway, which re-unites
Raymond and him from their Ironsides days
and Kevin Tighe(Emergency!, Lost)! This is
one of the better movies! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

This Perry Mason movie has a closed ring of
suspects in who killed Robert Culp. All of
them John Posey, Jere Burns, Kevin Tighe,
Robert Vaughn, and Ken Kercheval have lots
of reasons to kill Culp, he was blackmailing
the lot of them.

Culp has a really clever scheme going, his
victims meet in Las Vegas every year give
him and $8000.00 check and declare it as
gambling losses as he declares a gambling
victory. It's made him a rich man, as rich
as the rest of these guys, all of whom he
has something on.

But when Posey breaks in waving a gun
threatening to kill Culp, he's tailor made
as a fall guy. One of them steals his gun
and shoots Culp.

The perpetrator has an accomplice steer
Posey away from the scene and then
disappear so he has no alibi. It's William
R. Moses's job to find that accomplice
Michelle Scarabelli. In fact Scarabelli
has quite a secret of her own.

In casting Burns, Tighe, Vaughn, and
Kercheval they got four people who've
done some pretty nasty things big screen
and small in several movies and programs.
You'll not figure out who the perpetrator is.

And that's the necessary ingredient for
any Perry Mason story because Raymond
Burr does not defend guilty clients. - bkoganbing

THE CASE OF
THE RUTHLESS REPORTER(1991):

Jerry Orbach(Law And Order) returns for another spin
here(he was also in "The Case Of The Musical Murder"),
along with Peter Jurasik(Babylon 5[Londo])! A great
movie here! Fun to try to figure out this one!!

From an IMDb.com customer:

This Perry Mason movie finds Raymond Burr defending
a television news reporter who had taped an interview
with him. Before airing the segment the arrogant anchor
of the show had it cut from broadcast, arousing the ire
of reporter Kerrie Keane.

But it turns out that anchor John James as per usual
in these films has a lot of enemies. But when someone
puts two slugs in him in a parking garage and Kerrie
Keane is arrested of course she sends for Perry Mason.

As we all know guilty people just don't hire Mason as
an attorney. So it's up to Burr, Barbara Hale as Della
Street, and young associate William R. Moses to
investigate and find the real culprit.

They don't teach you to be an action hero in law
school, but that's what Moses has to do to get a key
witness. Then again he sees more action outside
the courtroom than in as Burr traps the guilty party
with the fruits of the team investigation.

One thing about this particular episode, the guilty
party is a bit of a surprise since it's someone the
team got somewhat close to. That happens a few
times in the Perry Mason films as opposed to the
old hour long TV series. Then again, the two hour
format allows for more character development. - bkoganbing

The only recognizable guest star here is
Mason Adams(Lou Grant), with the returning
main cast!! Perry defends a former gangster
who is arrested for the murder of his wife!
Another great outing! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

Television has never seen a more ethical attorney
than Perry Mason, as is well known he never takes
on a really guilty client. But this particular Mason
television film really plays it close to the edge in
the realm of lawyer/client privilege.

If I'm wrong some lawyers or law student will no
doubt write and correct me, but in this particular
film Raymond Burr is defending mobster Michael
Nader who is charged with murdering his wife.
Nader is one of the darker characters that Mason
has ever defended either in the two hour films
or the one hour television series from the Ffities
and Sixties.

Nader's wife Gwynyth Walsh is killed when
someone fires a bullet into a speeding car
Walsh is driving causing her to lose control
and the car hurtle over a cliff. Of course there's
no lack of suspects as usual.

But in order to get at the truth, Burr actually
let's it come out that his client actually did
another murder some time earlier. The two
crimes are indirectly linked. Maybe I'm wrong
but the fact that he got his own client nailed
for another murder to acquit him of the one
he's defending him for seems to be stretching
the lawyer/client privilege issue out of shape.
I think the Bar Association might have had
something to say on the issue.

Still it ends as all Perry Mason stories do with
the guilty part unmasked. Not someone you
would have suspected given the kind of parts
this individual normally plays. -: bkoganbing

THE CASE OF
THE GLASS COFFIN(1991):

Only the three regulars, along with semi-regular
James McEachin(as Lt. Tragg wannabe, Lt. Ed
Broch) and with Peter Scolari(Bosom Buddies)!
Peter(a friend of Perry's) is a magician who is
accused of killing an assistant during a magic
trick! Of course Perry is hired to take the case! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

they decide to post a list of "special extras" -
I just wanted to inform IMDb that I was the
usher at the beginning of the movie. Pretty
silly to mention, but hey - that's just 10 seconds
of my 15 minutes of fame, and I'm not letting
it go unmentioned. I was in Denver when they
shot the earlier parts of the episode at the
Paramount Theater in Denver, Colorado. Peter
Scalari worked very hard on the magic
sequences and it was quite entertaining for
all who were lucky to be invited to "work"
as the audience. Although I never got to
see Raymond Burr in action that day (they
shot his parts a few days later), he returned
to shoot another of his movies I signed up
to work on but it never came to see the light
of television. I know this makes for quite
the biased commentary on my view of the
film, but I enjoyed watching every minute.
(even all the other ones that I wasn't in.)
Cheers! Tommy Sandman - Thomas Sandman

There's several good guest stars, including
Vallerie Harper(Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda)
Scott Baio(Happy Days, Charles In Charge,
Diagnosis Murder), and Diana Muldour(Star
Trek: TNG, Quincy, McCloud, and the Star
Trek episodes "Is There In Truth No Beauty"
and "Return To Tomorrow")!! Harper is
only here for a short time before she is
taken out of the picture! And of course
a friend of Della's(Diana) is accused!
Perry takes the case, and sorts it all out
even with "help" from the mob!! A

From an IMDb.com customer:

Excellent Perry Mason show with the theme
in the end that hell hath no fury as a daughter
scorned.

Valerie Harper briefly appears in a memorable
portrayal. She plays a miserable fashion editor
who digs up dirt on all those around her orbit.
Of course, Harper, with her blond hair, is soon
killed off. Suspicion immediately falls on Diana
Muldaur, a rival editor, who had words with
the Harper character right before the latter's
demise.

The person playing Tony Loomis steals the show
here. As an underworld hood, Loomis is jealous
of college boy attorney Ken Melansky (Robert R.
Moses) and lets him know it. You think that they're
reaching some kind of bond, but when the they
apprehend the guy they think knocked off the
head gangster's cousin, Loomis shows his true
colors.

Scott Baio appears as a young, sure-of-himself-
D.A.- ready to lock horns with Mason. He tells
him at the beginning that he looks forward to
beating him in the case. We all know how this
turns out. - edwagreen

COMPLETE LIST OF DVDs
LIST OF MOVIE DVDs
LIST OF ANIME/ANIMATION DVDs
LIST OF BOND DVDs
LIST OF DISNEY DVDs
LIST OF ELVIS DVDs
LIST OF MUSIC DVDs
LIST OF STAR TREK/STAR WARS DVDs
LIST OF SUPERHERO DVDs
LIST OF TELEVISION DVDs

TO PHOTO PAGES OF MOVIES:

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J-K
L
M
N
O
P-Q
R
S
T
U-V
W
X-Z

ANIME SUPERHERO
BOND
DISNEY
ELVIS
HOLIDAY
MUSIC
MUSICALS
OTHER
SERIALS
SETS #-M
SETS N-Z
STAR TREK/STAR WARS
SUPERHERO
TELEVISION A-B
TELEVISION C-D
TELEVISION E-F
TELEVISION G-H
TELEVISION I-K
TELEVISION L
TELEVISION M
TELEVISION N-O
TELEVISION P-Q
TELEVISION R
TELEVISION Gene Roddenberry
TELEVISION S
TELEVISION T
TELEVISION U-W
TELEVISION X-Z
TELEVISION STAR TREK/STAR WARS
TELEVISION SUPERHERO

Music Playing Is:
Theme to Perry Mason!