Actor Robert McCay (Joe Penny) decides that it would be hilarious to shoot talk show host Steve Carr (Alan Thicke) on live television.  McCay thinks that the gun is loaded with blanks but, before he goes on the show, someone slips a live round into the gun.  McCay kills Steve Carr and there are a million witnesses who see him do it.  Time to call in Perry Mason (Raymond Burr)!

The third Perry Mason movie isn’t as good as the first two.  Shooting someone on television as a joke and then leaving the studio immediately afterwards is a really stupid thing to do.  As my sister pointed out while we were watching, even if Robert McCay wasn’t guilty of premeditated murder, he was probably guilty of negligent homicide for not bothering to double check whether or not there was a live round in the gun.  McCay goes right back to shooting his movie, even while he’s on trial for murder.  As for the trial, it was ridiculous.  How many people can confess under cross examination in one trial?  “Mistrial!” my sister yelled whenever Perry pulled one of his stunts and I agreed.

Paul (William Katt) teams up with a photojournalist (Wendy Crewson) and his investigation somehow leads to him playing a priest in a cheap vampire movie.  For once, Perry didn’t give Paul a hard time about anything.  Maybe he realized Paul’s scenes were the best part of The Case of the Shooting Star.