Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991) (TV)

Director:

Christian I. Nyby II

Writers:

Robert Janes (written by)
Erle Stanley Gardner (characters creator)

Release Date:

24 September 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Dyan Draper, an editor of a well known fashion magazine, is infamous for writing columns that destroy other people's career...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Courtroom | Perry Mason | Detective | Character Name In Title

Cast

Raymond Burr	...	Perry Mason
Barbara Hale	...	Della Street
William R. Moses	...	Ken Malansky
Valerie Harper	...	Dyan Draper
Diana Muldaur	...	Lauren Jeffreys
Scott Baio	...	Asst. D.A. Peter Whelan
Robert Clohessy	...	Tony Loomis
George DiCenzo	...	Albert Nardone (as George Di Cenzo)
Bruce Kirby	...	Det. Lt. Brennan
Robert Knepper	...	Kim Weatherly
Gianni Russo	...	Marco Sabatini
Ally Walker	...	Julia Collier
Claire Yarlett	...	Tanya Sloane
Deborah Brown	...	Secretary (as Debra-Jayne Brown)
Gil Colon	...	Bailiff

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:PG

Company:

Dean Hargrove Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dyan Draper is typing her column at home she is using an IBM-style PC with the monitor turned slightly toward camera. Later, when Perry Mason is inspecting the desk the computer has transformed into an Apple Mac.

Quotes:

Julia Collier: Because I hate her. I hated her when I was five, I hated her when I was twenty-five, and I hate her now.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993) (TV)

Foolish Boy

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion finds Perry and Della Street in New York getting an award from the American Bar Association. An undefeated trial record ought to get some recognition I would think. Anyway a friend of Della's, fashion editor Diana Muldaur gets herself arrested for the murder of a rival, Valerie Harper and in fact Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale witness a confrontation between the two at a posh eatery.

These two rivals have a thing going that makes Hedda and Louella look like school girls. Of course Harper has a number of other people who loved her equally as much.

The same perpetrator also ran down a fashion designer who could have exposed the individual. This throws Perry with his trusty investigative lawyer, William Moses in an alliance with some mobsters. Seems that the designer was a cousin of a mob boss who wants also to mete out some justice in their usual manner.

One thing I could not get is when Moses and mobster Robert Clohessy track down the perpetrator I cannot believe that the police were also not vigorously pursuing the case. Of course Clohessy has some access to sources that the cops just don't have.

But the best part of this particular Mason entry is Scott Baio as the young rather full of himself Assistant District Attorney introducing himself to Raymond Burr saying how he studied all of his cases and looked forward to beating him. Foolish Boy.

In fact my favorite scene is Burr and Baio at a sidebar with the judge. Baio was wanting to reopen his case and add a witness and came ready and prepared with precedents. Burr catches him off guard and says he has no objection to the new witness and then proceeds to demolish the witness on cross examination. Absolutely priceless.

Scott Baio is the best thing in this particular Perry Mason movie and it should be seen for him alone if nothing else.