THE CASE OF THE GLASS COFFIN is one of the late-stage Perry Mason movies put out by NBC. This one's about a magician's act which goes horrifically wrong with tragic consequences, a story which has been done to death over the years in the mystery and detective genre, although there's enough involvement in the storyline (and enough red herrings and suspects in the cast) to keep it watchable, albeit not the best of its type.
The main problem this story suffers from is the writing, which is needlessly convoluted in places. As usual, the character William R. Moses plays seems completely extraneous to the main thrust of the story and the action clichés he gets involved in (fist fights, car chases, and the like), although amusing, seem like padding. The main story is better although the final explanation is a bit lacklustre, throwing in a ton of material that threatens to overwhelm the viewer. I also found the decision to hold the court proceedings in the magician's theatre a bit ridiculous. Burr and Hale bolster the story as always and the familiar Bob Gunton is good value as the prosecutor.
The main problem this story suffers from is the writing, which is needlessly convoluted in places. As usual, the character William R. Moses plays seems completely extraneous to the main thrust of the story and the action clichés he gets involved in (fist fights, car chases, and the like), although amusing, seem like padding. The main story is better although the final explanation is a bit lacklustre, throwing in a ton of material that threatens to overwhelm the viewer. I also found the decision to hold the court proceedings in the magician's theatre a bit ridiculous. Burr and Hale bolster the story as always and the familiar Bob Gunton is good value as the prosecutor.