Perry Mason Returns: The New TV-Movies

So who killed Arthur Gordon and why? As usual there's no shortage of suspects. There's Gordon's wife, his two daughters, his son, and his son-in-law. The actual murderer turns out to be a hired handhe meets his demise halfway through the story. The real search is for the person who paid for Gordon's murder.

Keeping in the eighties swing of things, the investigation brings Perry to a very modern gymnasium, complete with coed aerobic workouts. Young Paul finds himself questioning a born-again Christian. And the prosecutor is a woman who's thrilled to take the case, saying: "This is going to be fun. He may be rusty but he's still Perry Mason."

He sure is. When the story moves to the courtroom, Perry brings his bag of tricks with him. This includes an actor dressed in drag. Perry cross-examines witness after witness, but true to form, he's just stalling for time until Paullike father, like sonshows up at the last minute with the vital evidence. Now Perry can pull a gut-wrenching confession from the killer. (One clue: The guilty party was featured on the old show.)

Once free, Della embraces Perry (they never got this close in black and white) before they ride off into the sunset in Paul's dune buggy. Perry's complaint: "I thought you said you had a car."

This first Mason TV movie was very well received by critics and viewers alike. As proof that the fire hadn't gone out of the Mason saga, "Perry Mason Returns" was the Number 1 show in the Nielsen ratings the week it was broadcast.

Also starring were Holland Taylor, Richard Anderson, Kerrie Keane, Al Freeman, Jr., David McIlwraith, Roberta Weiss, Cassie Yates, and Patrick O'Neal as Arthur Gordon.

Music by Dick Benedictis, based on original theme by Fred Steiner
Story by Dean Hargrove
Directed by Ron Satlof

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