Featured TV on DVD Review: Perry Mason: Movie Collection: Volume 3

August 1, 2014

Perry Mason: Movie Collection: Volume 3 - Buy from Amazon

With this release, we are about halfway through the Perry Mason TV movies. So what movies are found on this collection? And is it worth picking up? The answer to that second question is no. If this is anything like the last time, these six movies will be released as two-movie double-features, which will cost less than this box set does. That said, will they be worth picking up when the single-disc releases come out?

The Case of the Poisoned Pen

Perry Mason and Ken Malansky are called by Bradley Thompson, an author, to his hotel room. When they get there, he is dead. We flash back four months and learn Bradley Thompson was a successful and award-winning author. He was also a plagiarist who stole most of his works. He made a lot of enemies as a result, so his death isn't a surprise. However, Della Street's friend, Martha Robertson, and Bradley Thompson's ex-wife, are the ones charged with murder.

The Case of the Desperate Deception

An American Marine, David Berman, is in Paris looking for a former SS officer, Dieter Krugman. He finds a witness, but shortly after talking to the witness, the witness was murdered. Shortly after that, he's kidnapped and told Krugman is alive and well and living under the name Felix Altmann. They want him to bring his mother to Paris, to be a witness. They give David Berman enough information to find Altmann, but when he gets to Altmann, Altmann is already dead and Berman has been framed.

The Case of the Silenced Singer

A singer, Terri Knight, is starting a string of concerts in Las Vegas when she has a fight with her manager / husband, Jack Barnett, the (former) record label executive, Alan Rachins, and well, nearly everyone else she comes in contact with. She leaves the sound check early and Jack chases her back to the hotel. They continue the fight, he leaves, and she's murdered. Of course, the police arrest him. He does have one advantage. His old college professor was Perry Mason.

The Case of the Defiant Daughter

David Benson's brother dies at the beginning of the episode and he knows who is responsible, Richard Stuart. Publically, Richard Stuart is a P.R. man, but in reality, he got rich by blackmailing his clients. Classy. David tries to shoot Richard during the latter's yearly poker game / money drop, but fails. When Richard Stuart is killed later, he's obviously the one the cops arrest. His daughter, Melanie, goes to Perry Mason for help.

The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

Perry Mason is supposed to be interviewed on TV about a recent win; however, his interview is canceled at the last minute by the insistence of Brett Huston, the anchor. Brett Huston is hated by everyone, so it should come as no surprise that he is murdered. There are a lot of suspects, including Gillian Pope, who is later arrested.

On a side note, this TV movie has some of the best guest appearances with Jerry Orbach showing up for the second time in a Perry Mason TV movie.

The Case of the Maligned Mobster

A friend of Ken Malansky's has a new business venture and his partner is Johnny Sorrento, a reputed mobster. While at the party, Johnny Sorrento gets into a fight with his wife, B'Etor, gets in a fight and when she is killed, by a professional, Johnny Sorrento is the most likely killer. Perry Mason knows Johnny Sorrento isn't exactly innocent, but he doesn't think he's guilty of this crime, so he takes the case.

Compared to Volume 1 and Volume 2, I think this set is better than the second volume, perhaps even better than the first. All of the movies had good mysteries that were intriguing to watch play out. There were also plenty of fun guest appearances, many of which I already mentioned, several more I can't because they turn out to be the murderer. All three discs are worth owning, but it is very likely the box set is not the cheaper way to go.

The Extras

There are no extras on the three-disc set.

The Verdict

While I think the Third Volume of the Perry Mason Movie Collection is worth owning, I think it is wise to wait and see how much the individual discs will cost. Odds are they will be less than the box set is.


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Filed under: Video Review, Raymond Burr, William R. Moses, Jerry Orbach, Tim Reid, David Warner, Vanessa Williams, John James, Alan Rachins, Barbara Babcock, Robert Culp, Kerrie Keane, Jenny Lewis, Gwynyth Walsh