Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

Opening Arguments

[Mark-129 · 8/10 · 19 March 2002]

The Silenced Singer, along with "The Lost Love" is perhaps the apex of the "Perry Mason" mystery series. While the plot follows the same tried and true formula, there seems to be an effort to evoke memories of the classic movie "Laura," with suspects remembering how murdered singer Terri Knight (a luminous Vanessa Williams) affected their lives. All this over a wistful soundtrack featuring several songs performed by Williams.

In this case, Perry Mason defends the husband of superstar singer Knight, who was murdered after a loud argument in front of witnesses. The trick for Mason is, that, although Terri had been cruel to members of her inner circle, they all loved her, each in their own way. So who would murder her?

The guest cast includes several TV favorites, like Tim Reid, Nia Peoples and Rex Smith and offers an early performance from Angela Bassett.

The resolution is unusual and almost tragic.

Really top notch!

Temperamental Diva Does Death

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 21 September 2008]

Off the bat I will say that Perry Mason: The Case Of The Silenced Singer is one of the more unusual entries in the Mason film series. It has a different twist to the normal ending that we expect from a Mason film.

The Perry Mason team is defending another attorney Tim Reid who is married to Dinah Ross like pop star diva, Vanessa Williams. Things haven't been going so good in the marriage of late, in fact Vanessa's becoming one royal temperamental piece of work. She's alienating a lot of her close friends. Which makes for a lot of potential murder suspects besides Reid when she winds up shot to death in their hideaway apartment.

It's the 911 tape of an anonymous witness calling in about a disturbance that sets Raymond Burr to thinking the police have the wrong man. Of course the discrepancies there might also have invoked some interest even among the satisfied homicide cop James McEachin. But then we wouldn't have the film.

When Burr sends Billy Moses off to investigate the discrepancies in the tape he has a very nice and whimsically funny scene with Alice Ghostley who's confronted the killer without realizing it. It's the highlight of the movie.

I think you'll like the different twist on the usual Mason ending here.

Death of a Dream

[boblipton · 7/10 · 29 January 2019]

When Vanessa Williams is killed, her husband Tim Reid is the obvious suspect; there's also a lot of evidence. Fortunately his good friend, Perry Mason, is his defense attorney.

This entry in the TV-Movie series starring Raymond Burr as Erle Stanley Gardner's lawyer-detective has even more going for it than the usual standard of the fine series. The actresses include not only Miss Williams, but such talented lovely women as Angela Basset and Nia Peeples. Because of the ambience, there's a lot of good contemporary singing. More than that, there's some discussion of the victim's character, an almost LAURA-like investigation into the different faces someone shows to different people.

Sadly, Barbara Hale is almost absent from this show; William Moses as Burr's associate/investigator charms the pretty women, and James McEachin as a friendly police detective round out the regular cast. Old pros Alice Ghostley and Alan Rachins also show up.

A great plot, really well delivered with some nice touches and a surprising number of famous faces - the best of the Perry Mason films

[bob the moo · 2 May 2004]

Terri Walker is a famous singer who is about to start her concert tour with a big show in Denver. Her husband and manager Jack tries to keep her happy but she is tense and uptight and takes it out on those around her. During a rehearsal she storms out refusing to do the show. After a very public fight Jack follows Terri to their flat where they have a fight. After making up, Jack leaves to pick up something for Terri, but returns to find that someone has murdered her. The police don't believe a word of it and arrest him for murder. Jack enlists the defence of his old law professor Perry Mason and the case begins to be put together. Mason interviews all those who could have had Terri killed while Malansky tries to track down the killer who was contracted to kill her.

The films of Perry Mason are often very much of a muchness - even fans such as myself have to admit that they are never that good even if the formula always seems to work reasonably works. Basically the rule is, if you like one then you'll like the majority of them. The Case of the Silenced Singer uses the basic formula that the series is famous for (Mason interviews suspect after suspect, Malansky/Drake chases a lead and the case ends in a twist) but it does it better than I have seen before (and I have seen the majority of them). The plot here is the basic murder case but it is well written and a lot more engaging than usual. On top of this the delivery is much better than usual. Instead of Mason just interviewing people, we actually get flashbacks and more insight than usual. Malansky's investigation is also a lot tougher than usual and the killer, Harry, is a lot more of a threat than other hitmen in the series. Malansky usually is stuck with a dipsy female sidekick in his investigations but here he has woman trouble more than anything else and it makes it more fun. Of course it isn't perfect and it does have flaws (surely Harry would have killed Ken at some point? He had enough chances to do so and get away) but lets not forget that the whole series is a series of tv movies and this marks itself out to be one of the best of the bunch. However, with an ending that, while a little difficult to swallow perhaps, still stands out as very different from the usual Mason fare.

On top of this the film has managed to gain a pretty starry cast - albeit over time. Burr is good as Mason but he lets others act here and he saves his performance for the court case where it belongs. Moses is also good here as he is given more of a meaty section of the film and rises to it. Hale is barely in the film but her loss is our gain as the time goes to a great cast. Reid is good and is recognisable from sitcoms from tv (Sister, Sister for example) and Alan Stock will also be a surprise face for those watch the UK show Dream Team! Also Rachins will be well known from LA Law. Angela Bassett has an early role and she impresses even with little time. Another surprising role was the beautiful Nia Peeples (recently in Half Past Dead) who played Malansky's love interest with a lot more heart than the others have - but she does benefit from a more interesting character than usual. Alice Ghostley has a small role but may be vaguely recognisable for a few roles in big films in the 1960's. Vanessa Williams does really well and is rewarded in a way that most `victims' in the series are not - by being given more time in the flashback scenes. The music has dated but it makes it more interesting and helps us see Terri as a person rather than just the unpleasant person that we see at the start.

Overall this is a great Mason film, as much by design as by good fortune. It sticks to the usual formula in essence but it changes it enough to improve it - by using the flashbacks, darkening Malanksy's plot, using his female partner really well and allowing the characters to be more than the usual one dimensional red herrings that they often become. The film also benefits from a cast that has become more famous with time (in particular very good turns from Bassett, Peebles and Williams) and the plot itself is stronger than ever - a plot only made better by a conclusion that is a lot better than the usual twist out of nowhere. Those who have only half enjoyed Mason movies in the past will find this to lack the usual weaknesses, meanwhile fans like me will be really pleased with a film that is easily the best of the whole series.

Fast-paced, and properly mysterious

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 25 August 2017]

THE CASE OF THE SILENCED SINGER is a solid addition to the PERRY MASON series. The story is fast-paced and the mystery actually feels mysterious instead of just going through the motions. I did like the solution to the mystery as well, which manages to feel fresh albeit a little unbelievable. This episode has a blaxploitation feel as a singer is murdered, apparently by her husband, and the episode takes place in the music business. William R. Moses spends his time flirting with a pretty nightclub singer while grappling with a slasher-like brawler so there's plenty going on to enjoy here.

Case of Silenced Singer Brings Added Surprises ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 22 September 2008]

Another very good Perry Mason film where a singer, with a changing personality, is murdered and her second husband is arrested for this.

As always, Perry uncovers a slew of others who could have done the victim in.

You know that something is really amiss when of all people, Alice Ghostley, is killed by the killer as she same him at the scene where he didn't want people to know that he had been there.

Other potential suspects include the woman's first husband, and two female friends.

The ending, as always, is a real shocker. You'll almost feel empathy for the killer until you realize that he or she tried to blame the first husband out of revenge for his previous affair.

As the singer, Vanessa Williams sparkles. Her singing, in flashbacks, is absolutely sparkling. Wonder if she did her own singing.

Nothing in this case makes any sense

[sol1218 · 8/10 · 28 December 2010]

***SPOILERS*** Coming to the defense of his good friend and former law student Jack Barnett, Tim Reid, in the murder of his wife rock singer Terri Knigt, Venessa Williams, Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, can't make heads or tails in who would want to have murdered her! The sweet kind and lovable Terri didn't seem to have an enemy in the world. Sure things weren't exactly going right for Terri in her relationship with her hubby Jack but that seemed to have been ironed out with Jack now in charge of Terri's upcoming L.A live concert that's to net her, and Jack, a cool million dollars. Terri in fact hasn't been herself the weeks before her death becoming impossible to both work as well as in Jack's case live with. Something was on her mind that was eating away at her and made her a paranoid personality! Was it the upcoming L.A concert that she may have felt she wasn't 100% ready to do or was it something else! Something that was just too depressing for her to confide in with the many friends who were around and more then willing to help her out with!

Checking out all the clues in Terri's murder Perry's assistant PI Ken Manlansky, William R.Moses, doesn't come up with the reason Terri was murdered but come up with who's the person or hit man who was hired to murder her! It still takes a while for Perry to unearth a motive for Terri's murder and when it finally comes to the surface in his cross-examining of Terri's good friend Becky De Leo, Marilyn Jones, it's absolutely mind bending!

***SPOILERS**** No doubt about it Terri Knight was brutally murdered but the reason behind her murder is so out of the ballpark or courtroom that it made you, as well as Perry Mason, feel that in Terri being killed was in fact the best thing that could have ever happened to her! That in preventing Terri from facing the horror she was to face in what was waiting for her in the very near future!

Wish they could edit Ken Malansky out

[theonejackdry · 4/10 · 7 January 2022]

Wish they could edit Ken Malansky out of the whole series. He's the equivalent of Grady in Murder She Wrote except Grady was likeable and didn't distract and compete for screen time with Jessica.

In Perry Mason he's like a show within the show with repeated chases. Worse: He gets people killed by conducting very lousy investigations, doesn't seem too bothered by it and keeps in the same line of harassing witnesses by lying to them about who he is. What a creep.

He is a very awful replacement for Paul Drake who was competent and a neutral sidekick to Perry and Della.

Silenced Killer gets the Innocent Accused

[[e-mail] · 9/10 · 24 July 2023]

Perry and Ken, with the (somewhat appearance of) Della Street and Tim Reid investigate a nefarious Mr. Dillon and it is presumed that Mr. Marvin Sussman is somehow involved. Perry asks if Jack Barnett is somehow involved and he is hesitant to answer. Vanessa is surprised that a Creep has entered her Apartment. The Creep, Harry, accuses Vanessa of trying to Blackmail him. Perry goes to trial to defend Tim Reid of murders. Harry accuses Cathy, but in the end, Miss Peters states that "She cheated and lied, but still she still is my friend!" Melansky gets into a fight with the Creep. Perry goes to trial and eventually is able to free Tim Reid! A very good episode with Perry clearing Tim Reid of the murders.

One of the better and certainly one of the more ambitious Mason revival movies.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 5 December 2018]

Perry Mason is back in court to defend one of his former law students, Jack Barnett (Tim Reid), the husband and manager of temperamental pop singer Terri Knight (Vanessa Williams), whom is accused of murdering her following an argument, which was witnessed by their friends and colleagues. The ace attorney is puzzled because, although everybody appears to have eulogised Terri, she treated all of them badly. They include her ex-husband, Joe Dillon (Kene Holiday), who taught Terri everything she knew about performing and, after she hit the big time, walked out on him and whereas she was earning millions he was stuck singing and playing piano in coffee bars for a meagre $500 per week. Yet, if Jack is convicted of her murder, he will not be legally allowed to inherit his wife's estate, worth $14 million, and under the terms of the will it would then all go to Dillon. Then there is Sean Lassiter (Alan Rachins), the president of Terri's record company whom was afraid that his biggest signing was going to change labels and, on top of that, she had accused him of 'Payola' and that had the potential to ruin him. Finally, there is Terri's closest friend and personal assistant, Becky Dileo (Marilyn Jones), whom is totally convinced of Jack's guilt and was completely loyal to her even though she had hurt her too. All of these people had strong motives for murder, but it is an uphill struggle for Perry to prove that his client didn't do it...

One of the best and certainly one of the more ambitious of the long running series of revival TVM's of Raymond Burr's best-loved series Perry Mason. It is attractively set in the cut throat world of the music business in which the ace defence attorney's case slowly unravels the truth about the rise and fall of a pop idol. It isn't the usual sex and drugs and rock and roll tale this time, but a tragic one that leads to an emotionally satisfying and surprising denouement. Inventively directed by Ron Satlof, who was easily this series' best director and one of the most prolific, who opts to use flashback sequences when the murdered singer's friends and colleagues recall their memories of her set to the pop music specially written by composer Dick de Benedictis for the film. This succeeds in bringing out the emotional element which is fundamental to the story. It is competently acted by the entire cast with Vanessa Williams, Tim Reid and Becky Dileo of particular note among the supporting cast. Burr remains a commanding presence in his courtroom scenes, but Barbara Hale's Della Street gets very little to do. William R Moses' action man part as Ken Malansky is quite good here. In this case he poses as an A&R man in order to befriend a young, ambitious singer called Cathy Redding (Nia Peeples) in order to plug her for information about a songwriter who in reality is a violent armed robber turned killer. Peeples is quite likeable in the part and her scenes with Moses allow for some moments of gentle comedy and moving drama in which the pair fall out after she discovers that he is no A&R man and we as the audience hope that the pair will make things up. There is also a suspense element too in which Malansky has to try and convince her that the guy who claims to be a songwriter is nothing of the kind and a dangerous killer who could, if forced, add her to his list of victims.

All in all, The Case Of The Silenced Singer emerges as one of the best examples of this series that will be entertaining to people who simply enjoy good mysteries as well as fans who never miss an episode.