Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

Unlike some of the Perry TV movies, this episode stands out because it is well-populated by motion picture actors like David Warner, Tippi Hedren, and Polly Bergen who can make any script into something magic. The story is not particularly engaging but for the superb acting. The end result is very good and it is nice to see these faces from the silver screen.

The owner of a cosmetics company (Morgan Fairchild) is unveiling a new cream which she claims she's been using. She's been keeping her age a secret and now reveals that she's 60 and owes her appearance to the cream. She's later killed and the formula missing. Her husband (Patrick Neal) is arrested and Perry defends him.

Morgan Fairchild ramps it up, chewing the scenery as a queen bee, and rubbing people the wrong way, and that obviously that means she becomes the victim. She has a fair share of people wanting to do her in, such as David Warner. The usual incident occurs - it's fun, but the first half featuring Morgan is the best part.

After her office safe is broken into and she takes the papers home, Morgan Fairchild announces she is marketing a new face cream and she is 62. That night, she is murdered after an apparent break-in. However, the police soon conclude that her husband, Patrick O'Neal did it. Unfortunately for them, Raymond Burr, aka Perry Mason is his old friend. So we know that there will be many red herrings dragged across the trail and the real killer will confess on the witness stand.

Although the question of whodunnit is not as obscure as better entries into the TV Movie series, the red herrings are top notch, including Polly Bergen, Tippi Hendren and a surprisingly funny turn by David Warner. The chief red herring, however, is played by Lauren Lane as a slippery woman who seems have been a private investigator working for Miss Fairchild. It's pleasant to see some good acting, even if the mystery is not what it might have been.

Head of a large cosmetics firm, Alana Westbrook calls a press conference to announce her new anti-aging cream and to prove it's effectiveness presents a birth certificate proving she is really 62. After a break in at her offices Alana takes her formula to her home safe, but after a party at her house Alana is confronted and killed and the formula stolen. The police suspect Alana's husband but Mason takes on her case and defends Mr Westbrook. Malansky meanwhile goes after Lauren Kent who was seen snooping around and is known to have done dirty tricks work for Alana.

After watching a couple of the `Perry Mason Mysteries' series made after Burr was dead I was ready to return to the films that actually had the title character in the role. The plot here is the normal Mason fare and works well if that's what you're happy with, which I usually am. Malanksy's investigation is good because it has some strong twists that genuinely make you question what's going on. The story has more teeth than usual at times and it is quite dramatic occasionally. The only down side is that at one point the film looks like it's going to be a earth-shattering twist before it falls into the normal `court room confession' ending and is a little disappointing.

Burr is a breath of fresh air after the stand-ins and he goes for it during the courtroom scenes. He is in his element and does well. Moses and Hale are both OK but Hale has little to do as always. The support cast is relatively `all-star', normally we have only one famous face but here we have a good handful. Morgan Freechild is the victim of the piece and the (once) great Tippi Hedren (The Birds) is OK. Other faces that you'll recognise are David Warner and Jonathon Banks (making his second Mason movie appearance).

Overall this is a good entry in the Mason series and appears stronger after watching all the `Mason Mystery' series! However it could have been much better if the ending had gone the way I expected it to but despite this it is still entertaining.

Patrick O'Neal makes his second appearance in a Perry Mason mystery movie in The Case Of The Skin-Deep Scandal. In the first Perry Mason film, O'Neal was the victim for which Barbara Hale was arrested and Raymond Burr resigned from the bench to get back into private practice to defend his old girl Friday.

But in The Case Of The Skin-Deep Scandal O'Neal is in fact the defendant who is charged with the murder of his wife Morgan Fairchild. Fairchild is a beautiful and ruthless cosmetics Queen who built her empire on O'Neal's money. Now she's got all kinds of people who've been trampled on the way up and they're out for blood. O'Neal looks good for it because Fairchild's been keeping a boy toy played by Scott Thompson Baker on the side. But there are a host of other suspects as is always the case.

The Case Of The Skin Deep Scandal also marked the farewell performance of Patrick O'Neal who never failed to be good in a variety of roles he was cast in. My personal favorite with him has always been Alvarez Kelly where his performance of the unctuous Union Major stole the film from stars William Holden and Richard Widmark.

I think I can safely say that the murder involves two other members of the cast, one of whom kills the other in order to not risk exposure on the Fairchild murder. Billy Moses is also nearly killed by the same person and of course they both don't reckon with the research and deductive powers of ace defense attorney Perry Mason.

Some of the plot elements are borrowed from the Billy Wilder film, Fedora. This is one of the better Perry Mason mysteries, devoted fans will love it.