Mask of Death, oh well. Is entertaining. Well, for starters we got a murder who has issues with men. Then, there is a cross dressing entertainer who has a split personality. As usual we have Keller and Stone trying to figure this dysfunction out! Mask of Death is kind of dated and stale. Been over done so much one can see the plot twists, but like a car wreck one can not keep one's eyes off the incoming carnage. In a twisted why there is a inspired Psycho the original movie climax. Well done and worth watching at least once. 7 stars.
3 Reviews
Dragged Into Murder!
JasonDanielBaker10 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Ex-Marine Ken Scott (John Davidson) honed a gift for musical impressions into a lucrative career as a female impersonator after his years in the military. The mercurial drag performer delights audiences with turns as Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe. But his show stopper is when he portrays Carole Marlow - a screen star (fictional composite) from the 1930s who died mysteriously before World War Two.
Plagued by blinding headaches and exhaustion between shows Scott also has trouble turning it off when he is supposed to and turning it on when he isn't. In his case it results in Carole Marlow manifesting herself as a separate personality fighting Scott for control of his own consciousness. Wiped after a grueling tour schedule Scott frequently loses the ongoing battle and has no memory of what he does as Carole.
It wouldn't necessarily be that bad of a thing for his alter ego to seize control every now and then except for the fact that she is a homicidal maniac who likes to murder traveling salesmen. She is also not particularly careful about it and it isn't long before San Francisco cops Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) are on his/her trail.
John Davidson made for a very homely woman and was not in the least bit convincing (very noticeable five O'clock shadow) as one here. That coupled with the fact that we see him as her killing a dude early on in the episode leaves for little mystery. But we do discover a little bit about why Scott morphs into Carole, the reasons for the killings etc.
Davidson's over the top performance makes this episode special and a fan favorite. As a performer he deserved more than talk show/game how host stardom, just not that much more.
Plagued by blinding headaches and exhaustion between shows Scott also has trouble turning it off when he is supposed to and turning it on when he isn't. In his case it results in Carole Marlow manifesting herself as a separate personality fighting Scott for control of his own consciousness. Wiped after a grueling tour schedule Scott frequently loses the ongoing battle and has no memory of what he does as Carole.
It wouldn't necessarily be that bad of a thing for his alter ego to seize control every now and then except for the fact that she is a homicidal maniac who likes to murder traveling salesmen. She is also not particularly careful about it and it isn't long before San Francisco cops Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) are on his/her trail.
John Davidson made for a very homely woman and was not in the least bit convincing (very noticeable five O'clock shadow) as one here. That coupled with the fact that we see him as her killing a dude early on in the episode leaves for little mystery. But we do discover a little bit about why Scott morphs into Carole, the reasons for the killings etc.
Davidson's over the top performance makes this episode special and a fan favorite. As a performer he deserved more than talk show/game how host stardom, just not that much more.
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