***SPOILERS*** The uncouth and Neanderthal Mike Hammer, Darren McGavin,is at his brutal worst here as he man handles and brutalizes his helpless victims in order to solve a five year old murder that eluded him. Going to Shale City in upstate NY Hammer zeros in on mob front man in the construction business,Luke Land, Tom Neal,who unknown to Hammer, as if that fact would stop him, is partners with the town's top lawman police Sgt. Dacon, Joseph Mell, in his criminal activities. Not stopping at anything Hammer soon get's popped from behind by one of Land's goons Llyod Barnum, Lewis Charles, who makes the fatal mistake in not killing him. It's later that Hammer using only his fists almost beats Barnum to death only to mercifully shoot him when he pulls , from under the sofa, a gun on him!
As for Lund he earlier had Barnum ice the pesky Al Kruger, Tom Gleason, who's been blackmailing him for the last five years about the murder of Gale Gorman whom he had killed back in NYC. Having no respect for the law or corrupt police Hammer brutally works over Sgt. Dacon who on his boss Lund's orders tried to have him arrested. It's later that Hammer catches Lund, who thought that his boy Barnum had already murdered him,by surprise and uses him as a human shield where he ends up being gunned down by one of his goons who mistook him, by changing trench-coats, for his boss Lund!
As tough as Darren McGavin was as Mike Hammer on TV he couldn't at all measure up to actor and ex-convict Tom Neal in real life. If this was for real it would have been Hammer not Neal, who played Luke Lund, who would have ended up with the short end of the stick. With Neal having been involved in a number of brutal assaults in real life like putting actor Franchot Tone into a coma and putting a bullet through the head of his wife Gale that sent him on a ten year stretch, and avoiding the gas chamber, in San Quentin Prison for involuntary homicide.
As for Lund he earlier had Barnum ice the pesky Al Kruger, Tom Gleason, who's been blackmailing him for the last five years about the murder of Gale Gorman whom he had killed back in NYC. Having no respect for the law or corrupt police Hammer brutally works over Sgt. Dacon who on his boss Lund's orders tried to have him arrested. It's later that Hammer catches Lund, who thought that his boy Barnum had already murdered him,by surprise and uses him as a human shield where he ends up being gunned down by one of his goons who mistook him, by changing trench-coats, for his boss Lund!
As tough as Darren McGavin was as Mike Hammer on TV he couldn't at all measure up to actor and ex-convict Tom Neal in real life. If this was for real it would have been Hammer not Neal, who played Luke Lund, who would have ended up with the short end of the stick. With Neal having been involved in a number of brutal assaults in real life like putting actor Franchot Tone into a coma and putting a bullet through the head of his wife Gale that sent him on a ten year stretch, and avoiding the gas chamber, in San Quentin Prison for involuntary homicide.
