Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion

Influential fashion magazine editor Dyan Draper delighted in exposing the slips and secrets of her peers and rivals - but was that enough to kill her? As well as defendingthe prime suspect, Perry Mason finds himself as a witness for the prosecution.

This time Perry defends Della Street's friend, a fashion editor, and the backdrop of the cutthroat world of fashion, mob as well as Ken ending up being assisted by a mobster, who is a fashion designer, to find the murderer of his cousin and a prosecutor, played by Scott Baio, intention to put Mason on the stand, so he can beat him, make this formulaic entry watchable.

Fashion magazine editor Valerie Harper annoys several people, including competing publisher Diana Muldar. When Miss Harper turns up dead, Miss Muldar finds herself on trial for murder. Perry Mason does not wish to take the case, since it's New York, but Della Street talks him into it. His competition in court is young Scott Baio, who admires Mason and looks forward to beating him. Foolish boy! Doesn't he know that all of Mason's clients are innocent and the murderer will confess on the witness stand?

It's one of the TV movies starring Raymond Burr as Erle Stanley Gardner's lawyer-sleuth, produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with Barbara Hale as his secretary. It's an amusing entry, with investigator William Moses dealing with mafiosi and New York City traffic. The mystery isn't as difficult as some others in the series, but Robert Janes' script plays fair with the rules of mystery writing.

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion finds Perry and Della Street in New York getting an award from the American Bar Association. An undefeated trial record ought to get some recognition I would think. Anyway a friend of Della's, fashion editor Diana Muldaur gets herself arrested for the murder of a rival, Valerie Harper and in fact Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale witness a confrontation between the two at a posh eatery.

These two rivals have a thing going that makes Hedda and Louella look like school girls. Of course Harper has a number of other people who loved her equally as much.

The same perpetrator also ran down a fashion designer who could have exposed the individual. This throws Perry with his trusty investigative lawyer, William Moses in an alliance with some mobsters. Seems that the designer was a cousin of a mob boss who wants also to mete out some justice in their usual manner.

One thing I could not get is when Moses and mobster Robert Clohessy track down the perpetrator I cannot believe that the police were also not vigorously pursuing the case. Of course Clohessy has some access to sources that the cops just don't have.

But the best part of this particular Mason entry is Scott Baio as the young rather full of himself Assistant District Attorney introducing himself to Raymond Burr saying how he studied all of his cases and looked forward to beating him. Foolish Boy.

In fact my favorite scene is Burr and Baio at a sidebar with the judge. Baio was wanting to reopen his case and add a witness and came ready and prepared with precedents. Burr catches him off guard and says he has no objection to the new witness and then proceeds to demolish the witness on cross examination. Absolutely priceless.

Scott Baio is the best thing in this particular Perry Mason movie and it should be seen for him alone if nothing else.

Excellent Perry Mason show with the theme in the end that hell hath no fury as a daughter scorned.

Valerie Harper briefly appears in a memorable portrayal. She plays a miserable fashion editor who digs up dirt on all those around her orbit. Of course, Harper, with her blond hair, is soon killed off. Suspicion immediately falls on Diana Muldaur, a rival editor, who had words with the Harper character right before the latter's demise.

The person playing Tony Loomis steals the show here. As an underworld hood, Loomis is jealous of college boy attorney Ken Melansky (Robert R. Moses) and lets him know it. You think that they're reaching some kind of bond, but when the they apprehend the guy they think knocked off the head gangster's cousin, Loomis shows his true colors.

Scott Baio appears as a young, sure-of-himself- D.A.- ready to lock horns with Mason. He tells him at the beginning that he looks forward to beating him in the case. We all know how this turns out.

Fashion newspaper editor Dyan Draper has a habit of exposing those in the fashion world in her column. It's only a matter of time before she in bumped off by someone. Lauren Jeffreys is the main suspect as she had a public fight with Draper and was seen entering her building shortly before her death. Lauren is a friend of Della's so Perry takes the case despite also being a witness for the prosecution. Meanwhile Ken hooks up with a minor-Mafia hood to hunt down the real killer.

If you've seen one of these things then you've seen them all. The legal realism of these shows are always very doubtful but the drama is still enjoyable. Here for Mason is a witness but is still allowed to prosecute - also they do an unusual and unfair line up in the courtroom itself! Mason does his usual ripping into the witness stuff which is good and this time it isn't as straightforward as it usually is with a view twists making the climax different from usual (slightly). Ken's investigation is better than usual here and is enjoyable thanks to the presence of mobster Loomis as his partner - makes a change from Alexander Paul or some other dippy girl.

Burr is as good as ever in a role that he could do in his sleep with no real difficulty. Hale is as underused as always but seems happy to be there. Moses does his usual stuff and gets help from Clohessy (best known for Oz)who is quite enjoyable, despite being a bit of a caricature (`hey! Gone on get outta here' etc). Muldaur is solid and is an unusually famous defendant having been in Star Trek. DiCenzo is fun in a small role as a dressmaking mobster!

Overall this doesn't really stand out from the majority of the Mason movies but if you like them then you'll like this. It isn't the best of the series but it's as good as the rest. Worth watching if you liked any of the other ones.