Perry Mason: Ein gewissenloser Lump

Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel finds the famous defense attorney almost a victim himself here of blackmail. The blackmailer in question is the scandalous scoundrel in this case played by Robert Guillaume.

Guillaume is the publisher of the National Informer one of the more notorious supermarket rags who's got himself a blackmail racket and the means to make good for threats of exposure.

When Perry gets retained by a potential victim, Guillaume actually goes to try and get dirt on him and Della Street. I mean, come on people, we are talking about two very consenting adults who are way past the age of consent. That part I found just a tad too ridiculous so this particular entry in the Mason film series.

But this turns to murder when Guillaume is killed with a blunt object and of course given his profession there are a lot of suspects. The police of course focus in on Susan Wilder a disgruntled former employee of the Informer and she retains Raymond Burr as all innocent folks do.

The three leading blackmail candidates seem to be General Yaphett Kotto, international banker Rene Enriquez and cheating wife Morgan Brittany and her older husband George Grizzard and all give a good account of themselves.

David Ogden Stiers is the worthy successor as DA Michael Reston to the famous Hamilton Burger. But strangely enough James McEachin who appeared in a few Mason films is cast as a caterer here. He has a key role in the homicide in fact though he's not aware of it. I think I can safely say he wasn't the culprit. I guess the writers thought he had not firmly established his presence as Lt. Brock yet.

It's one of the weaker entries in the Mason series, but still enjoyable for the devoted fans of Erle Stanley Gardner's famous lawyer/sleuth.