"The Lady in the Lake" starts out well. In the beginning, it records the gentle romance between newly-married Billy (David Hasselhof) and Sara Wingate (Doran Clark) and introduces the other main characters who have reasons for being malicious towards the young couple. When Billy is accused of murdering Sara, Perry Mason steps in to defend him. After that this tele-film becomes quite routine. During the courtroom scenes, Perry is not challenged much by the D.A. Even the judge is indulgent towards Perry. Because they are not hostile enough, the dramatic value of "The Lady in the Lake" is lessened. Paul Drake, Jr., is shown to be a rather inept private eye who lets his suspects slip away from his clutches. His incompetence has the effect of lengthening the film by another 30 minutes.
Raymond Burr may have been a great Perry Mason in the late 1950s. However, in these tele-films of the 1980s, he is difficult to admire - the reason being his portly Falstaffian frame which impedes even his gait. It is rather painful to see his leisurely locomotion with the aid of a cane. Why didn't the producers insist that he lose some weight? Similar comments apply to Barbara Hale. But then the purpose of these made-for-TV movies is to stir up memories of the good old days. Therefore, I cannot imagine any other actors playing Perry Mason or Della Street. A young and softer-looking David Hasselhof (in his pre-Baywatch days) and the two main female characters are pleasing to the eye, unlike Burr or Hale.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Raymond Burr may have been a great Perry Mason in the late 1950s. However, in these tele-films of the 1980s, he is difficult to admire - the reason being his portly Falstaffian frame which impedes even his gait. It is rather painful to see his leisurely locomotion with the aid of a cane. Why didn't the producers insist that he lose some weight? Similar comments apply to Barbara Hale. But then the purpose of these made-for-TV movies is to stir up memories of the good old days. Therefore, I cannot imagine any other actors playing Perry Mason or Della Street. A young and softer-looking David Hasselhof (in his pre-Baywatch days) and the two main female characters are pleasing to the eye, unlike Burr or Hale.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)