TVMovie02

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TVMovie #2: The Case of the
Notorious Nun
Original Airdate: 05/25/86

Summary Edit

During a review of the books and records of a church and a hospital, a priest is murdered. A young nun has been set up as the patsy. The archbishop calls in Perry for help.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring
Raymond Burr as Perry Mason
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Katt as Paul Drake, Jr.

Also Starring
Timothy Bottoms as Father Thomas O'Neil
Jon Cypher as Dr. Peter Lattimore
Michele Greene as Sister Margaret
James McEachin as Lt. Ed Brock
Gerald S. O'Loughlin as Monsignor Kyser
William Prince as Archbishop Stefan Corro
Edward Winter as Jonathan Eastman

Special Appearance by Barbara Parkins as Ellen Cartwright

Special Guest Stars
David Ogden Stiers as D.A. Michael Reston
Tom Bosley as Father Chris DeLeon
Arthur Hill as Thomas Shea

Music by Dick DeBenedictis
(Original Perry Mason Theme by Fred Steiner)

Edited by Robert L. Kimble A.C.E. & George Ohanian A.C.E.
Production Designer … Richard Wilcox
Director of Photography … Hector Figueroa
Supervising Producer … Joel Steiger
Produced by Barry Steinberg
Written by Joel Steiger
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by Ron Satlof

Trailing

Executive Producers … Fred Silverman & Dean Hargrove
Associate Producer … Jeff Peters

Co-Starring
Hagan (Hagen) Beggs as Richard Logan

Featuring
Donna Cox
Alex Diakun as Oliver Lane
Dennis Kelli
Jane Mortifee
David Petersen
Marie Stillin

Casting by Reuben Cannon & Associates C.S.A.
Production Manager … Grace Gilroy
1st Assitant Director … Jacques Methe
2nd Assitant Director … Patrice Leung
3rd Assitant Director … Sandra Mayo
Costume Design … Ronn Rynhart
Make Up … Jamie Brown
Hair Stylist … Salli Bailey
Set Decorator … Jim Erickson
Property Master … Wayne McLaughlin
Wardrobe … Stephanie Nolin
Production Sound Mixer … Ralph Parker
Gaffer … Duncan Brinson
Key Grip … Dillard Brinson
Location Manager … Janice Frome
Transportation Coordinator … Jake Callihoo
Production Controller … Avi Levy
Production Accountant (Canada) … Lorraine Baird
Production Coordinator … Robyn Britton
Production Secretary … Roberta Slade
Casting in Canada … Lindsay Walker
Legal Advisor … Dennis Smith
Main Title Design and Opticals … Howard A. Anderson Co.
Original Main Title Design … Wayne Fitzgerald
Negative Cutter … Dennis Brookins Assistant Editors … Nell Banks & Earle Herdan
Apprentice Editor … Regis Kimble
Post Production Supervisor … Robert L. Kimble
Re-Recording and Sound Effects Editorial by Glen Glenn Sound
Supervising Re-Recording Mixer … B.T. Sebastian
Re-Recording Mixers … Roger Heman & Tanya Sharp David
Supervising Sound Editor … William Wistrom
Music Editing … Do-Re-Mi (Ted Roberts)
Lenses and Panaflex® Cameras by Panavision®
Color by Deluxe © Copyright MCMLXXXVI Viacom Productions, Inc

Executive In Charge of Production … Richard Birnie

Trivia Edit

Jon Cypher is perhaps best known fo his role as Chief Fletcher Daniels on the the police drama Hill Street Blues (he was, in fact , still performing the role when this was made). Notcom 051722.

The title is technically incorrect, as Sister Margaret is a novitiate, not a nun. Notcom 051722.

Altho there seems to be little or no discussion of a possible connection, one of the main plot points of this movie - an inqusitive nun assisting in a crime investigation - would soon serve as the premise for the TV series Father Dowling Mysteries. Admittedly the concept isn't that novel, but what is remarkable, is that it also starred Tom Bosley (as the titular priest) and Michele Greene lookalike Tracy Nelson as the nun. Notcom 051722.

Comments Edit

Whatever one may think of the effort, this movie did manage to do something the regular series never did: it made the (Catholic) Church a central element of the plot; the reason for that omission is open to speculation - its greater influence in society in the 50's/60's, the reluctance of the Production Code to air subject matter that could be seen as irreligious or simply an incompatability with the Perry Mason formula - but it's an example of one of the ways, both good and bad, that the movies diverged from the Gospel (pun intended). Notcom 051722.

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