Perry Mason is back in court to defend an actress called Roxanne Shields (Amy Steel) whom is accused of killing controversial chat show host Ted Mayne (Geraldo Rivera), her former lover. Mayne had just published his 'kiss and tell' autobiography in which he detailed his numerous affairs with women - many of whom are prominent figures in public life. Perry finds no shortage of suspects whom had a motive other than Roxanne for killing Mayne including Nora Turner (Anjanette Corner), the widow of a respected Congressman, who was planning to stand for election in her late husband's constituency. But the revelations in Mayne's book scuppered any chance of that happening. Nora's devoted teenage daughter, Sandra (Robin Tunney), could have done it since she was furious with Mayne and she lied about her whereabouts on the night of the murder. In addition, there is the fashion photographer Mary Singer (Leslie Wing) who is proving to be a very elusive person since no one in her profession has ever heard of her and she has gone missing. Who is she and why is she and others determined to keep her whereabouts and true identity a secret? And is the chief sponsor of Mayne's show and his latest conquest, Laura Rand (Mary Margaret Humes), as relaxed about being exposed in his book and the fact that he had many other lovers besides her as she appears to be?
Another routine courtroom thriller from the long running series of revival TVM's based upon Raymond Burr's well-loved 1950's-60's series, Perry Mason. There is very little to set it apart from the others and there are not really any outstanding merits to commend it. The way Perry's case unfolds isn't very convincing here since the ace attorney could have easily won a dismissal for his client on the grounds of reasonable doubt. It is revealed early on that Ted Mayne's killer wore a perfume called 'Roxanne' that the accused sponsors as part of her disguise; but overlooked the fact that she could never have worn it because she is badly allergic to any perfumes. You will wonder why it took so long for that to come out because surely anybody standing trial for their life would have brought that up straight away if it was sure to get them acquitted. The courtroom scenes carry very little suspense and Raymond Burr appears to have been simply going through the motions in this one. William R Moses' Ken Malansky gets the best scenes in this film and, as usual, he finds himself reluctantly teamed up with another female sidekick; this time a young TV reporter called Charley Adams (Tracy Nelson). Initially, she irritates Perry and Ken because she is forever pestering them for an interview for her news channel and is planning to run a parallel investigation to that of Mason's with the intention of handing over any evidence she gets to her employers before them. Yet, she becomes friends with Perry and Ken and provides a vital clue that helps win their case and get Roxanne off. This allows for some pleasant light comedy and the mystery and intrigue behind their hunt for the missing fashion photographer is moderately suspenseful. Yet, overall, this one is for fans of the series only. In the acting stakes, Robin Tunney, Anjanette Corner and Mary Margaret Humes offer the best performances.
Another routine courtroom thriller from the long running series of revival TVM's based upon Raymond Burr's well-loved 1950's-60's series, Perry Mason. There is very little to set it apart from the others and there are not really any outstanding merits to commend it. The way Perry's case unfolds isn't very convincing here since the ace attorney could have easily won a dismissal for his client on the grounds of reasonable doubt. It is revealed early on that Ted Mayne's killer wore a perfume called 'Roxanne' that the accused sponsors as part of her disguise; but overlooked the fact that she could never have worn it because she is badly allergic to any perfumes. You will wonder why it took so long for that to come out because surely anybody standing trial for their life would have brought that up straight away if it was sure to get them acquitted. The courtroom scenes carry very little suspense and Raymond Burr appears to have been simply going through the motions in this one. William R Moses' Ken Malansky gets the best scenes in this film and, as usual, he finds himself reluctantly teamed up with another female sidekick; this time a young TV reporter called Charley Adams (Tracy Nelson). Initially, she irritates Perry and Ken because she is forever pestering them for an interview for her news channel and is planning to run a parallel investigation to that of Mason's with the intention of handing over any evidence she gets to her employers before them. Yet, she becomes friends with Perry and Ken and provides a vital clue that helps win their case and get Roxanne off. This allows for some pleasant light comedy and the mystery and intrigue behind their hunt for the missing fashion photographer is moderately suspenseful. Yet, overall, this one is for fans of the series only. In the acting stakes, Robin Tunney, Anjanette Corner and Mary Margaret Humes offer the best performances.