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| Michele Greene and William Katt |
In a story line you probably wouldn't have seen back in the fifties and sixties, Sister Margaret (Michele Greene) is not only suspected of having an affair with Father O'Neal (Timothy Bottoms) but of murdering him! Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) goes undercover at a hospital, pretending to be sick, because O'Neal was investigating possible financial improprieties in the archdiocese, including at St. Martin's hospital. A bogus priest has actually murdered O'Neal, but as in Perry Mason Returns Perry has to ferret out who hired him. Suspects include Dr. Lattimore (Jon Cypher of Cinderella ); his associate and paramour, Ellen Cartwright (Barbara Parkins of Asylum); shifty-eyed Monsignor Kyser (Gerald S. O'Loughlin); and businessmen Jonathan Eastman (Edward Winter) and Thomas Shea (Steven Hill); among others. Barbara Hale returns as Della Street and William Katt as Paul Drake Jr. This is an average "episode" of Perry Mason, below the level of the TV series, but it does boast an excellent performance from Michele Greene as the embattled nun.
Verdict: Fun to watch Perry accuse a Monsignor of wrong-doing! **1/2.
I remember this one - nice cast. Whatever became of Michele Green?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Parkins, I just bought myself The Mephisto Waltz from 1971...one of Parkins's best roles after Valley of the Dolls and Peyton Place.
-C
Wow, I haven't thought of "Mephisto Waltz" in years but I saw it on TV. I believe it was based on a novel and I believe Alan Alda was in the cast. It's most startling scene had a dog with a human head -- it was actually a mask, unlike a similar scene in the remake of 'Body Snatchers.|
ReplyDeleteOops. Just checked, and I reviewed this on the blog ten years ago. Didn't much like it.
As for Michele Greene, she left "LA Law" because her character was going to be made gay and she wouldn't go for it. She's been doing TV appearances since.