Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

TEXAS JUSTICE

Peter Strauss
TEXAS JUSTICE (1995 telefilm). Director: Dick Lowry.

Wealthy Thomas Cullen Davis (Peter Strauss) has a messy divorce from his wife, Priscilla (Heather Locklear), who is no angel herself. But when a gunmen enters the Davis mansion where she now resides, her boyfriend and daughter are shot to death, and she escapes with her life. During a trial Priscilla swears that Thomas was the perpetrator, and when he gets off, she's afraid that he's not quite through with her yet ... Texas Justice is based on a true story, and the developments are appalling. Strauss makes a compelling leading man, and there's nice work from Locklear [Looney Tunes: Back in Action] as well, with excellent support from Dennis Franz as Davis' lawyer "Racehorse" Haynes, The second half of the movie/mini-series is not as good as the first, and could have been been truncated, but this basically makes an entertaining true-crime story, and it certainly shows how the legal system can be very cleverly manipulated by highly skilled defense attorneys. Strauss did the narration for a new release of the classic French children's film White Mane.

Verdict: Apparently the rich can get away with murder. **1/2.

2 comments:

angelman66 said...

This one looks good. I have liked Strauss ever since he starred opposite Nick Nolte in the 1970s miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. He is a fellow alum of Northwestern U, my alma mater, so has always been one to watch for me. I must have missed this one though, it looks memorable and now I need to see it!
- C

William said...

It's on youtube. I remember "Rich Man" was big stuff in the day, possibly the very first major mini-series. Strauss never quite had the film career that Nolte had, but he certainly did not disappear.

Chris -- thanks for your comments!