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Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun

  • TV Movie
  • 1986
  • TV-PG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
663
YOUR RATING
Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986)
CrimeDramaMystery

A priest is murdered and the suspect is a nun. And it's been rumored that the two of them are having an affair.A priest is murdered and the suspect is a nun. And it's been rumored that the two of them are having an affair.A priest is murdered and the suspect is a nun. And it's been rumored that the two of them are having an affair.

  • Director
    • Ron Satlof
  • Writers
    • Joel Steiger
    • Erle Stanley Gardner
  • Stars
    • Raymond Burr
    • Barbara Hale
    • William Katt
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    663
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ron Satlof
    • Writers
      • Joel Steiger
      • Erle Stanley Gardner
    • Stars
      • Raymond Burr
      • Barbara Hale
      • William Katt
    • 13User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos5

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Raymond Burr
    Raymond Burr
    • Perry Mason
    Barbara Hale
    Barbara Hale
    • Della Street
    William Katt
    William Katt
    • Paul Drake Jr.
    Timothy Bottoms
    Timothy Bottoms
    • Father Thomas O'Neil
    Jon Cypher
    Jon Cypher
    • Dr. Peter Lattimore
    Michele Greene
    Michele Greene
    • Sister Margaret
    James McEachin
    James McEachin
    • Lt. Ed Brock
    Gerald S. O'Loughlin
    Gerald S. O'Loughlin
    • Monsignor Kyser
    William Prince
    William Prince
    • Archbishop Stefan Corro
    Edward Winter
    Edward Winter
    • Jonathan Eastman
    Barbara Parkins
    Barbara Parkins
    • Ellen Cartwright
    David Ogden Stiers
    David Ogden Stiers
    • D.A. Michael Reston
    Tom Bosley
    Tom Bosley
    • Father Chris DeLeon
    Arthur Hill
    Arthur Hill
    • Thomas Shea
    Hagan Beggs
    Hagan Beggs
    • Richard Logan
    • (as Hagen Beggs)
    Donna Cox
    Alex Diakun
    Alex Diakun
    • Oliver Lane
    Dennis Kelli
    • Director
      • Ron Satlof
    • Writers
      • Joel Steiger
      • Erle Stanley Gardner
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    7.1663
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    Featured reviews

    bob the moo

    Dated and less refined that later films but still worth seeing

    Father O'Neil and his assistant Sister Margaret are conducting a detailed audit of the church's financial dealings across the church and the local hospital. O'Neil quickly makes enemies among the management, who fear his cost-cutting measures will bring their gravy train to an end. With rumours of O'Neil and Margaret having an affair, a hired killer takes his chance to kill O'Neil and frame Margaret. The Archbishop calls his old friend Perry Mason to help defend Margaret and the Church.

    An early Mason in the TVM series of films, this is better in some ways than the later films but not as good in others. The plot is a little more interesting than usual and is different in that we see the hired killer doing the deed, although it still goes forward without us knowing who actually hired him. The film has the usual formula but it feels less polished than later films as well as having some elements that don't work as well. The action side of the film with Drake Jnr is less entertaining than usual, it lacks the rough humour although it does have the odd try - bringing Mason in toting a gun was a bad move and felt misjudged and ill-fitting to the character.

    The usual flirty bit of action between Drake and his female sidekick is kinda impossible this time with his sidekick being a nun and all! In place of this they have a melodramatic subplot where Margaret struggles with her faith; however this is a little too heavily done and the music swells up too often - it doesn't sit well with the Mason formula. In fact the wider score also felt a little bit too worthy and it didn't work that well, although it did give the impression that the film had aspirations above TVM standards.

    The cast is not that great and only has a few well-known faces in there that aren't used that well. Burr is assured in the courtroom scenes but is less comfortable with the gun or having to do all the melodramatic close ups required. Hale has barely a line to say and Katt doesn't have as much fun as he does in later films (before he bowed out for Moses to replace him - frightening how similar they look!). However this film contains two good performances in reasonably important roles: the DA and the regular Detective Brock. Stiers is one of the most distinctive DA's of the series, you do feel like he could beat Mason, even if he never does. McEachin is a series regular but his role has a little bit more than the usual dialogue to it here. Greene overdoes her role while the big name in the support cast is Tom Bosley - wow!

    Overall this is worth seeing as all the usual formula are here; some elements are not as refined as they would later become and don't sit very well within the film. It's isn't great for this reason but fans of the series will enjoy it nonetheless.
    8Xjayhawker

    A new different Perry..now he's armed..and still dangerous..

    Some people claim this one isn't up to the series standards..and although I don't know who comes up with the ratings that show up on television..this episode gets 3 out of 4 stars..so that makes this one pretty good..as with most Mason movies..this one also has faces that are familiar to most everyone..one face and voice that always stands out is William Prince who played corruption and evil perfectly in Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlent..and in this he plays above reproach..it's always been special to look upon the faces of the guilty as they are exposed and this no exception..stunned looks all around..this was still early in Paul Drake juniors turn as in-house Mason detective before he let his hair go from normal to over-the-top..there are enough sub-plots to satisfy and Mason with a gun in his hand is startling and somewhat amusing to see..but back in the 90's the Church was still held in high esteem..but there has always been dealings within the Church that looks better under a rug..swept away and not talked about..in this case an audit uncovers corruption and the guilty must cover up all they are involved in..hence..murder and scape goats..actually a nice entry in the series..
    10uniqraph

    Top-notch crime drama; well worth watching.

    Like all of the Perry Mason series, this episode keeps you watching until the last scene. I have seen all of the Perry Mason shows at least once. I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys courtroom dramas. They are well written and and all the actors fit their parts to a 'tee'.
    6boblipton

    A Nun's Story

    Father Timothy Bottoms is investigating possible corruption in the archdiocese at the order of the Archbishop. Novice Michele Greene has been assisting him. As he finds disturbing signs of corruption, rumors about a sexual relationship between the two swirl. When she is called to his hotel room, she finds an unknown priest there. He gives her a drink of sherry and she falls asleep. When she wakes, Bottoms' corpse is found, and she finds herself on trial for the priest's murder. Good thing that Raymond Burr is at hand when she is taken into custody and that he is Perry Mason.

    Of course there are several other suspects, mostly having to do with the corruption issues, and when they're on the witness stand, you know that the least likely one will confess. In the meantime, there's the story of Miss Greene's character and her uncertainty about whether to take her final vows. It's a bit reminiscent of the movie A NUN'S STORY and makes the TV movie seem derivative. Still, there's always the fun of watching Raymond Burr in his signature role.
    1Kevin-94

    Disposable Time Filler

    This made for TV mystery was dull and lifeless. There wasn't anything notable or well crafted about any aspect of it. The dialogue was flat. The cinematography was uninspired. Scenes are poorly staged with actors standing around awkwardly, and the pace in individual scenes frequently lagged. The acting was bland. The energy is low and the whole film lacks any real style or strong point of view. There are no interesting relationships here or memorable scenes.

    The film features a dull mystery regarding the death of a priest. A nun he had been working with is charged with the crime. There's the usual collection of random, interchangeable suspects. Those used to smart and energetic legal dramas like "Law and Order" will be underwhelmed by the staid courtroom scenes. And the revelation of the killer falls flat, because really any of them could have done it. There's no real specificity or cleverness to the mystery's resolution.

    Raymond Burr brings his trademark gravity to the Mason role, but the writers have not given him much to work with. Mason is a mostly expository character with little personality. He has no interests, quirks, passions or seemingly any personal life to speak of. He also doesn't seem to form even the slightest emotional bond with anyone else in the story. He's utterly disengaged. Follow his example and disengage from the film yourself.

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    Related interests

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    Crime
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    Mystery

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First and only Perry Mason TV movie to have been filmed in Raymond Burr's province of birth - British Columbia. With that, it is the second Perry Mason TV movie filmed in Canada; the first and third were filmed in Toronto, Ontario.
    • Goofs
      While drinking coffee with other nuns in the hospital cafeteria, a mole on Sister Margaret's chin appears on the wrong side.
    • Connections
      Followed by Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (1986)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 25, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Perry Mason: Bezahlte Killer
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Strathmore Productions
      • InterMedia Entertainment Company
      • Viacom Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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