Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

Raymond Burr returns as Perry Mason, this time defending young law student Ken Malansky of the murder of a fellow student.

This episode introduces William R. Moses as Malansky, who in future stories would take over the job of Mason's law associate and investigative legman.

Alexandra Paul also debuts, for a much shorter stay as Ken's "fiance", Amy Hastings.

The story follows the same tried and true formula as all Mason stories tend to do with the guilty party exposed in court at the end. In this case the histrionics were exceedingly effective when the guilty party was revealed.

I have always had the feeling the producers had planned to make Amy and Ken a sort of younger version of Mason and Della Street, but upping the romance angle. Sadly, Alexandra Paul made the decision to leave before the plan could come to fruition.

All in all an above average entry in the series and well worth your time.

Raymond Burr is in Denver, working on "the court of the future" with law students, when one of his students, William Moses, is put on trial for murdering a fellow student. Since that student is the son of Burr's old law-school buddy, Brian Keith, he is reluctant. He is, however, Perry Mason, and just as all his clients are innocent, when Moses asks for him to defend him, we know he is innocent, so apparently Burr has no choice but to do so, with the attendant confession by a random witness on the stand.

As usual, there are many false trails in this TV movie about Erle Stanley Gardner's lawyer-sleuth. It's well done, but the most interesting bit about it is the fact that Moses (as Malansky) would serve the remainder of the series as Burr's investigator.

As a big fan of Billy Moses, I would have to say his entrance into the series was awesome and believable! This movie captivated me with it's romance and suspence. Also the humor aspect of it all. It was just a good natured film!

If you like Perry Mason stories (and I once owned 86 PM books), you will be happy to see these resurrection stories. They do have one missing element: the tag at the end, when all the characters discuss the mystery and how it was solved.

One thing I do not like AT ALL in these new stories: Ken Malansky is the most incompetent, stupid, bumbling, and ridiculous investigator imaginable. In every show he goes into dark interiors alone, in every show he gets beat up at least once, in every show he gets information and then decides to NOT call police or share with anyone, but just go off half-cocked on some chase.

This is the first movie with William R. Moses ("Falcon Crest") starring as Ken Malansky (nobody can remember this name !) supporting lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and Della Street (Barbara Hale) during murder cases.

He enters the series by being accused of murder. But we know, Perry will defend him and proof his innocence ! This is interesting and nice enough for an evening in front of your TV at home.

Of course we will miss William Katt as Perry's assistant, but you will like William R. Moses, too.