THE CASE OF THE MALIGNED MOBSTER is a very typical PERRY MASON mystery with one nice twist: Perry's client is a real-life gangster who has a criminal career behind him and is very much a bad guy, even if he's innocent of the one particular crime he's been accused of. Thus the story has a moralistic angle usually missing from this film series, even if in every other respect it's quite ordinary.
The opening murder scene has shades of De Palma's BLOW OUT in the portrayal of a wife murdered in a car wreck, although it's dealt with rather hurriedly as the emphasis is instead on the questioning of the various gangland-related suspects. William R. Moses once again has some predictable action stuff to deal with, while Burr furrows his brow a lot to look worried. The great Stephen Tobolowsky is far too underutilised to make an impression although singer Paul Anka has a nice cameo. I did appreciate the fairly dark ending although the journey to that point is strictly routine.
The opening murder scene has shades of De Palma's BLOW OUT in the portrayal of a wife murdered in a car wreck, although it's dealt with rather hurriedly as the emphasis is instead on the questioning of the various gangland-related suspects. William R. Moses once again has some predictable action stuff to deal with, while Burr furrows his brow a lot to look worried. The great Stephen Tobolowsky is far too underutilised to make an impression although singer Paul Anka has a nice cameo. I did appreciate the fairly dark ending although the journey to that point is strictly routine.