PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE NOTORIOUS NUN

Michele Greene and William Katt

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE NOTORIOUS NUN (1986). Director: Ron Satlof.

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.

PERRY MASON RETURNS

Della (Hale) is comforted by Perry (Burr)

PERRY MASON RETURNS (1985). Director: Ron Satlof.

Twenty years after Perry Mason went off the air, Raymond Burr returned as the character in what would turn out to be the first of many telefilms. Della Street (Barbara Hale) is now a private secretary to a difficult wealthy man named Gordon (Patrick O'Neal). In what would become a typical development in these movies, Gordon is killed by a hit man (dressed as a woman) in order to frame Della, who goes on trial for murder with Perry as her defense lawyer. Mason, who is now a judge, quits the bench to come to Della's rescue. The many suspects include members of the dead man's family as well as assorted business rivals and personal enemies. There are good performances from Kerrie Keane [Incubus], Holland Taylor, Richard Anderson, James Kidnie, and William Katt [Carrie], Barbara Hale's real life son who plays the son of investigator Paul Drake. Frankly, there's a little too much of Drake Jr. running around hither and thither, probably to pad the running time, but this still emerges as an entertaining TV flick.

Verdict: It's good to have Perry back. ***.