Peter Gunn (TV Series) The Chinese Hangman (1958) User Reviews

From Out of the past (1958) we present an homage to OUT OF THE PAST (RKO, 1947)

[redryan64 · 7/10 · 7 December 2011]

HAVING TAKEN THE TV drama series scene by storm, PETER GUNN (Spartan Productions/NBC, 1958-60, ABC, 60-61), did its best in bringing the most interesting half-hour episodes. Writer/Creator/Director, Mr. Blake Edwards, was most diligent in packing each show with the maximum action, plot line and quality acting.

TAKE FOR EXAMPLE this episode, THE Chinese HANGMAN (#1.6); which may at once be both the ultimate GUNN; yet, ironically, because of many departures from the established format and formula, it is also the most atypical; for, although Gunn's friendly foil, Lt. Jacoby (Herschell Bernardi)has a strong presence and influence in the story, so much of the usual locales and supporting characters are absent. We are without girlfriend, Edie Hart (Lola Albright), and nightclub owner,Mother-as well as the usual setting of Mother's Nightclub, itself.

IN WHAT WOULD seem to be a fair trade off, these usual amenities are replaced with Gunn's being trapped into involvement with some mysterious, oriental cult, dealing with at least two murders and traveling to Spain, for period of about two months or so. It was during this time, that Peter carries on an obvious (albeit non explicit on the screen)affair with his quarry, Miss Blank-Blank ().

COMPLICATING MATTERS EVEN further is the addition of another character; who is out trailing the guy who's supposed to be tracking and reporting on the activities and whereabouts of Miss. We know nothing about this character; other that he is caucasian,stocky,50-ish and seems very serious, even stern.

IN THE SAME style that had quickly been so strongly identified with this series, the mood of the story is characterized as being noir. This is achieved and supported with very dark camera work, tight shots, quick changes of mood and (of course) that great jazz music in both the theme and the incidental music of the score.

THE WHOLE EPISODE reminds us of the Robert Mitchum/Jane Greer/Kirk Douglas/Rhonda Fleming starring vehicle, OUT OF THE PAST (RKO, 1948). For all of the story covered, it really could have been done as a feature film.

OF COURSE,THEN it would have panned as a knockoff. Instead, we must praise it and Mr. Blake Edwards, Craig Stevens, Herschll Bernardi and company; for after all, this is a top episode in the entire PETER GUNN Series.

Odd details in an interesting episode

[atash · 8/10 · 13 July 2008]

In his first interview with a client, Gunn often remarks, "I'll need a few more details." This episode encourages the same reaction.

Gunn is sent looking for a woman who has stolen $200,000 according to his client. That's the figure he eventually brings up when he talks to the woman. But in voice-overs, he quotes a figure of $100,000.

During his search, he's followed by a rumpled fat man with staring eyes. The character has a few words with Gunn in the final scene--and the lines are for some reason dubbed by a familiar-sounding voice-over artist, possibly Paul Frees. The actor on screen, Bob Jellison, has a perfectly good voice which can be heard in many TV shows and movies (e.g. towards the end of AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER, 1953).

At its heart, the episode is a condensed version of OUT OF THE PAST with some amusing flirtatious scenes between Craig Stevens and Marion Marshall, which are a good sample of the witty romance that Blake Edwards could bring to television. There's no evidence of rush or skimping, so the loose ends are puzzling.

Edwards, who often worked with friends, family of friends, and old colleagues, featured Marshall in his theatrical version of the series, GUNN (1967).

Gunn and The Cult

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 29 April 2013]

PETER GUNN – "The Chinese Hangman" – 1958

In this episode Peter Gunn, (Craig Stevens) gets himself involved in a case with cult leader, Theodore Marcuse. Marcuse wants him to find a "former employee" who has vanished with $200,000 of the cult's cash. Stevens agrees for a hefty fee and expenses.

He trails the woman, Marion Marshall, first to Paris France and then to a small town in Spain. He arranges to bump into the woman and then engages her in small talk. This goes on for several days as they tour the local sites etc.

On the fourth night, Stevens heads to Marshall's rooms for a late night drink. He finds the woman hanging from the lighting fixture dead as a doornail. He heads back to the States for a talk with Marcuse. Stevens figures that there never was any money stolen and that Marcuse was a spurned ex-lover. He is sure Marcuse must have had someone follow him as he looked for Marshall.

And right he is as Marcuse turns his large brute of a man-servant loose on Stevens. The man, burly Buddy Baer, nearly rips Stevens head off. He is stopped in the nick of time by Police Detective Bob Jellison. Cult leader Marcuse is also shot during the exchange.

The whole thing, as has been pointed out by the other reviewers, is a take on OUT OF THE PAST. But with such a short runtime it does not quite click. OK try, but it falls short. Still, Gunn is Gunn, and always worth a watch. (B/W)

Possibly the Series Pilot?

[dougdoepke · 11 March 2016]

A series oddity. I'm guessing that based on the release date, narrative oddities, and a floating Pete (no Mother, Edie, or urban haunts) this may have been a pilot episode. Anyhow, Pete's hired by an exotic cult leader (Marcuse) to track down a comely follower (Marshall) who, he claims, stole money from the temple. Pete better not slip up or the leader's giant enforcer (Baer) will dangle him 2-feet off the ground.

Opening the entry is the customary grabber, but no trademark noirish atmosphere or verbal fencing with Jacobi. In place of a cool jazz scene, Pete ends up in Spain with Spanish background tunes. Note too Pete's voice-over conveying his thoughts, a definite departure from series norm. On the other hand, are the usual exotics, plus an Edie look-alike, Marshall. All in all, it's a good story with a neat twist. And if it was a pilot, I'm not surprised the series got picked up for network showing.

Gunn the Giant Killer

[JBX63 · 8/10 · 3 February 2014]

Man, but this is a wild episode! Whatever else can be said about this series, Edwards & Co. weren't afraid to shake up the format, and didn't let their tight budget hamper their imaginations. This is a very busy and colorful 25 minutes, opening with the usual snappy murder, but branching out soon enough to a cult's estate (Bernardi's Jacoby characteristically nailing the racket.) and then Gunn venturing to Europe. Backlot it may all be, but surprisingly well-rendered. The climactic fight is simply unbelievable--as often happens in GUNN, the need to wrap things up fast can lead to jaw dropping neatness--but it's certainly briskly staged. I can't decide if Stevens' narration is nicely noir or simply corny, but in this whirlwind of an episode, it comes in handy.

Gunn Heads To Europe

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 30 December 2009]

A Man is killed and then set up to look like he hanged himself. Peter investigates and seconds later, Jacobi shows up. This happens so often that even Jacobi is spooked about this kind of coincidence. Sometimes it seems the good lieutenant is the only cop in this fictitious city.

Anyway, clues lead Peter to a New Age cult outside of town where a ---- actor does a poor job trying to sound "foreign". Somethat that man actually hires Gunn to go halfway around the world searching for a woman who ripped him off for $2,000.

Pete, a la the movie "Out Of The Past" except the locale is Europe not south of the border, tracks down the lovely "Joanna Lund" (Marion Marshall). He's enamored with her, which is ludicrous when you think of the gorgeous babe, "Edie" (Lola Albright), he has at home. (A Tiger Woods syndrome, I guess).

Peter delivers all kinds of sappy lines that aren't like him (pretty women will do that to men) but then things get serious when bad guy/New Age guru "Ahben Vanesku" (Theodore Marcus, who loves and sounds a lot like Gavin MacLeod) - tracks Peter and Joanna down, Several major twists and turns occur in the final segment, so I'll stop here.

Overall, not bad, and definitely different for a Peter Gunn show. Oh, Buddy Baer as "Clarence" was pretty interesting, too. He liked to go around and strangle people and then make it look a suicide.

Intriguing, Off-Beat but Well Played

[biorngm · 7/10 · 28 September 2017]

The prologue shows a murder sloppily perpetrated by a large brute on an innocent looking man. The opening scene has the same hulk waking our PI, taking him to a homespun temple run by a dubious looking individual, a spiritual cult leader as authentic in appearance as his business; sketchy, very sketchy. The leader asks Gunn's help in locating an ex-employee allegedly having stolen $200,000 from the company till. Enter the Lieutenant inquiring about the death of the innocent looking man, one dead David Bryce. The conversation between Jacobi and Pete tips us towards the obvious doubt of the entire business and the sincerity of the temple leader named Unesku. Pete finds the ex-employee, one Joanna Lund, in Spain, and is intrigued by her presence. After a week of knowing her, she asks Pete why he is bothering her. He tells of the stolen funds, she denies it, he tells her of Mr. Bryce's demise and Joanna doubts it was suicide telling Pete how possessive Unesku treats people. She exits, Pete later goes to her room, finding her hanging on a rope from the ceiling, her feet twelve inches above a nearby chair. Up to now we have two crimes committed, our PI in the thick of it and knowing all is not right, as some facts are yet to be revealed, and mindful we should be remembering Pete and Jacobi's impression of Unesku, in addition to Joanna's comments about Unesku's character. A well-presented episode so far, away from Edie and Mother's, and the further matter of the unknown man following Pete overseas. Buy the overall premise, buy the program where we get out of the dark city streets, but the same stars in really different settings, solving crimes. An above average story, although off-beat. Returning for the inevitable confrontation back at the temple, Pete demands his money, threatens Unesku, Clarence, the brutish hulk, is set upon Pete, a struggle ensues, somehow Pete manages to subdue Clarence, but Unesku is aiming Pete's pistol at Pete, when a most deadly shot is fired at Unesku, down he goes, and the life saver is the unknown man following our hero PI all this time. Turns out the hero is another cop, from Central Division Traffic, sent by Jacobi, because he did not trust Unesku. The temple was a large house decorated in cheap Kubla Khan décor, complete with draperies, brass-containers on shelving forming a pseudo-altar, Unesku was clothed in Arabian Knights garb, shaved head, a very criminal looking Hari Krishna. Watch the episode for the complete explanation of the crimes, I didn't say justification, just explanation. That possessive Maharishi turned pseudo-cult leader! Kudos to Theo Marcuse as he plays Unesku perfectly, campy, but well done. I wouldn't want Buddy Baer to play anything but what he did in this episode. Well done also, Buddy.

Cool and tight

[pensman · 10/10 · 2 December 2022]

Opening without any dialogue, the action of seeing a man placed in a noose, and then hung is shocking even by today's standards. Gunn is then "recruited" by the hangman who escorts Gunn to his boss. Gunn is "asked" to locate a woman, Joanna Lund, who has stolen $200,000 or about two million in 2022. Gunn travels to France and then to Spain where he finds Lund. What's more important then the plot is listening to the clipped Hemingwayesque dialogue between Lund and Gunn as they sit together in a small restaurant. It's almost poetry. Everything ends as you might expect, but you just bask in the noir atmosphere, the music, the language, and the wonderful camera work. Hard to believe it is television.

Interesting, different Gunn

[grantss · 8/10 · 3 August 2022]

An interesting episode of Peter Gunn, a episode that takes a different path to most. Instead of the usual shady types Gunn usually deals with here his client is a New Age Cult leader. Much of the episode is set in Europe as he tracks down a beautiful quarry. On that note, his devotion to the even-more-stunning Edie seems to have disappeared...

The Chinese Hangman

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 18 April 2021]

A different episode of Peter Gunn. Either Blake Edwards was experimenting or this might have been the pilot.

It starts out with a murder that is made to look like a suicide.

Gunn is then asked by an Oriental looking man in a temple to search for a woman called Joanna Lund. She is a former employee who has swindled his cult out of $200,000.

Gunn goes to France and later Spain to look for Lund. When he finds her, he falls for her charm and beauty.

However trouble is not far behind. A brute of a man who can make murder look like suicide.

I have not been impressed with the Peter Gunn series so far. Once again I reiterate that just because something is old, it does not turn it into a classic.

I just thought this was laughably bad. It even verges on campy neo noir.