Perry Mason - Le retour de Perry Mason

I hesitate to write this, as I am not a huge fan of reviving classics. However, three factors - the chemistry amongst the cast members, the combination of devoted former viewers and their kids who became new viewers, and the age-old American moral story that the good guys always win in the end - ensured that the revival of the Perry Mason franchise in the guise of two-hour TV movies would be a ratings smash.

As with a few other revivals of older franchises - the first Star Trek movie is a prime example - this plodded along at times, but its main purpose was to re-acquaint former viewers with an updated cast and to introduce new viewers to the show and its format. Later Mason TV movies were better than this; but after 19 years off the air, I think die-hard fans would have looked at a filmstrip of old stills from the original series. Just having Mason back in the saddle again, with his old confidential secretary at his side (and on trial for murder, no less) along with the son of his old detective pal was enough to put a grin on my face. The premise was a bit of a stretch, in that a well-respected appellate-court justice will impulsively resign his court to defend his faithful old sidekick but Mason is a stand-up guy.

The plot in a nutshell is that someone has it in for Arthur Gordon, a wealthy businessman. Any number of people want him dead, including everyone in his family and undoubtedly some of his business competitors. Someone goes to extreme lengths to not only do him in, but to frame Della Street for the murder as well. Suffice it to say that by framing her, two birds will be killed with one stone. Mason has his work cut out for him to get to the bottom of the mess.

William Hopper, Bill Talman and Ray Collins all died between 1965 and 1970. It would have been a kick to have seen them, too, but two out of five ain't bad. All things considered, not a bad watch at all.

Rich business man Mr Gordon has many enemies and a family that wouldn't miss him if he dropped dead. Someone hires a hitman to kill him and it is carried out in such a way to frame Gordon's secretary Della Street. When Della is accused of the murder, Perry mason resigns his position as judge to defend her and employs the son of his old colleague, Paul Drake, the act as private investigator on the case.

This film is the first of the many Perry Mason TVM's that were made in the late 80's and early 90's. This is the one that set up the new characters and the formula for all the movies. I have never seen the original series so don't know if this is just a lift of that formula or not, but they are all the same thing in different clothes and settings!

The plot here is the same as all the other TVM's except it does feel better written and more worked. The main flaw with the plot is the whole idea of a man dressed up as a woman – it isn't that big a deal but you must wonder how seriously they expect us to take the plot when Mason sets up his usual courtroom antics that would get kicked out in any real court but are accepted here! The final twists aren't even as daft as usual but it does set up the usual big finish. Burr loves nothing more that getting to boom `isn't it true etc, isn't it also true etc' and it makes for a dramatic if slightly hammy climax.

Burr seems very happy to be back in his old role and works hard, compared to later TVM's where he almost appears to be going through the motions. Hale is good and it's good to see her getting more of a role than usual. Katt is also good and his haircut hasn't yet gone curly and his action scenes are reasonably tense. The rest of the cast are made up of the usual red herrings for Mason to chase around the courtroom until he gets the real killer. The `oh look it's…..' faces are Taylor who is OK and Anderson. Freeman is also amusing to see if you only know him as Elijah Mohammed from Malcolm X. The cast is also interesting when you look at it in terms of the mason series and note that one of the Gordon family (Kathryn) is actress Kerrie Keane who is in two later Mason movies playing different roles.

If you've enjoyed any of the Mason TVMs then this will please you as well. Because it is the first of the TVM run it feels better and that a lot more work has gone into it, as much as I enjoy the rest, some did feel like they were rushed out in a short time. Overall this is one of the better of the modern Mason series.

Della Street is set up as the fallguy for a murder. Of course, everybody knows that this sweet, motherly woman wouldn't swat a fly, much less off somebody. Mason pulls out all stops in unraveling the mystery and uncovers a plot to keep a multi-million dollar scam intact. The one phony part in this film is the reaction of a lawyer at the movie's end. No attorney would do what this man did.

Since William Talman, who played the game but always losing ADA in the original series died in 1966, a new ADA was needed for the first of 26 TV movies, and they settled on a woman. While only Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale survive from the original cast, you know as soon as Fred Steiner's memorable theme begins that Perry's client faces an unsinkable case, and that Perry will sink it.

And a good thing too, since his client is Barbara Hale. It seems that Perry has been spending some time as a judge -- he was probably appointed to give the Los Angeles DA's office a better win average -- but he resigns as soon as Della is arrested. With Della's son by investigator Paul Drake (played by Miss Hale's son, William Katt) we are treated to an investigation -- Katt providing some comedy -- in which there are more than half a dozen suspects, since we all know that Della didn't do the deed.

There are the usual trite "This Time It's Personal!" tropes, but it's a well-built and executed mystery. It's a pleasure to see Burr resume the signature role that changed him from a movie heavy to a TV star.

After a 20 year absence from the small screen Raymond Burr who is now, older, stouter, and grayer and with a beard returns to television in the first of several two hour made for television films. Burr had a legion of fans as Mason and his return was heralded with high ratings every time one of these films was broadcast.

In the interim like many good lawyers and some mediocre ones, Perry Mason became a judge and was now an appellate court jurist. But when a friend's in trouble, Perry quits it all and returns to active combat in the courtroom.

Back in the original series William Hopper as Paul Drake was a defendant in one episode. Here it's the only other living cast member at the time from the old series, Barbara Hale as Della Street.

Della's gone on with her life as well. She became a secretary and later executive assistant to the wealthy Patrick O'Neal. With the kids and second wife O'Neal's got, no wonder he began relying heavily on Della Street to run his business.

When O'Neal is stabbed to death by a killer in drag to make it look like Della broke in, she's arrested and of course she turns to Perry as her attorney. Biggest mistake the perpetrator made, didn't the individual realize just who Della worked for before. Definitely should have found another patsy.

But as the case developed it turns out that not only did O'Neal have to be killed, but that Della had to be framed in order to solve get out of the potential jackpot the killer was in.

This became a family reunion in another way as Barbara Hale's son William Katt came on as Paul Drake, Jr. The script had it written that Paul Drake was now retired and the Drake Detective Agency was in the hands of his son. But it's clear that Katt only considers it a part time gig. In fact when we first meet him he's doing another gig, playing a saxophone at a jazz club.

Perry takes him on, but doesn't quite take him seriously enough. Katt has to earn his respect and that's a running theme throughout the film.

Perry Mason Returns is a good start to eight years of Perry Mason films, all anticipated by the legion of fans Raymond Burr developed for Erle Stanley Gardner's famous defense attorney.