Filmed in a film noir atmosphere and featuring Henry Mancini music that could tell you the action with your eyes closed, Peter Gunn worked in style. Known as Pete to his friends and simply as Gunn to his enemies, he did his job in a calm cool way. He got his tips and cautions from Lieutenant Jacoby, a coffee drinking pal from the police. Also providing tips was “Mother” of her self-titled nightclub. Working at the nightclub as a singer was Edie Hart, his girlfriend. When Peter Gunn came on scene back in the late 1950s there had never been anything on TV like it before, and nothing since. Blake Edwards’ creation was the coolest private eye anyone had ever seen on the home screen.
Casting was inspired with Craig Stevens as Gunn, looking hip in expensive wardrobe, stylishly coordinated. His haircut – based on Cary Grant’s hair style – was much admired and emulated. Stevens once said, “Basically it was a crew cut that was parted. Lola Albright was Edie Hart, his sexy, sultry girlfriend singing old standards backed up by an ultra hip combo at Mother’s on the waterfront of an unnamed city.
Herschel Bernardi’s portrayal of police Lieutenant Jacoby was also something new on the tube. Jacoby and Gunn had a love-hate relationship that crackled on screen. Of course, the glue that kept it all together was and still is some of the hippest progressive jazz ever written and recorded by Henry Mancini. It made him in the music business.
In season one Hope Emerson played Mother as a bold, brassy and well-connected old broad. Season’s two and three she was replaced by another character actress, Minerva Urecal. Adding to mix were the myriad Gunn informants – a host of fabulously off-center out of main stream types portrayed by great supporting actors of that era.
Edwards ran a tight ship as creator producer-writer-director with his hardworking staff writers and directors to turn out the half-hour black and white noir gems. The Timeless Video Group has made the entire series shine in sound and visuals. I do not hesitate to recommend this series to any one who loves polished economic production of action-humor-tight plotting-fine acting and one of the best jazz scores ever produced.
Character to watch: Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the series.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?