I Watch TV: Peter Gunn

 

Peter Gunn (TV Series)

Peter Gunn is a private investigator* in a dark, waterfront city with plenty of organised crime, unorganised crime, weird murder plots and people with problems. He has a girlfriend, Edie Hart, who is a singer in a bar called Mother’s** that he uses as his office to meet clients. The usual pattern of their relationship is them having a bit of flirtatious off-kilter banter followed by her saying “Don’t go out and get beaten up by gangsters, stay here with me,” and him saying “I can’t stay here with you, I have an appointment to get beaten up by gangsters.” Then he leaves and gets beaten up by gangsters.

He often co-operates with his friend police lieutenant Jacoby. He annoys Jacoby by hanging around his office and asking for favours and information when Jacoby is busy (always) and not giving away as much information as Jacoby wants. The two of them always come through for each other***. A standard scene is Gunn going to see an oddball friend or contact to find out where or who he should be looking. Often these are people from the artistic world.

Gunn himself enjoys jazz and avant garde art – though not too much, his more beatnik friends clearly pushing the boundaries. He wears expensive suits and shoes (pointed out by more than one character, and also in the credits) drives a two-seater car with a car phone and enjoys fine things. He was in the war in the Pacific, though also at one time has his age given as 33, so he and his army buddies were teenagers.

The half hour format imposes restrictions on the show. A cold open of some sort, often wordless but with a jazz soundtrack (the incidental music, composed by Henry Mancini along with the classic theme tune, is excellent throughout). If Gunn is not already involved he gets the call. He contacts Jacoby; he meets with Edie; he goes to a contact for comic relief, a look at some interesting setting or both; He interviews everyone named, he investigates the scene. Perhaps someone makes a comment on the theme or topic of the episode. There might be a fight or chase. And then he finds his way to the final confrontation, perhaps a parlour scene or a fight, or a trap.

Some episodes do attempt something different, especially when Gunn goes out of town, to Europe or Texas or Central America. Occasionally they let Gunn’s actor Craig Stevens do some acting when he goes undercover, and he shows he’s got more than calm and stoic or witty and urbane in his repertoire. He banters with his co-stars as well as some old friends, and also beautiful women he encounters. He’s professionally sympathetic to clients and hard-nosed to gangsters and criminals.

Occasionally the show decides to talk about An Issue. Alcoholism comes up more than once, most interestingly when a man hires Gunn to keep him sober to meet his estranged daughter. Juvenile delinquency, teenagers getting into gangs. Prostitution is hinted at. And in one episode Jacoby gives a speech about teachers being underpaid, over-worked and one rumour can end a career (in this case the male teacher being suspected of causing the death of a female student, sort of gesturing at sexual abuse of some kind without actually saying it). Indeed the topics it hints at compared to those it comes out and talks about are an interesting comparison.

Watch This: Energetic detective show from 1960 with some fun ideas and a timeless soundtrack
Don’t Watch This: Stereotypical private eye fights stereotypical criminals in noir city filled with eccentrics; also saw this on Amazon Prime which is missing several episodes, especially from season three

 

* Though that’s not perfectly clear for the first couple of episodes and he doesn’t actually accept any money for a couple more, perhaps to show you how he has a conscience

** Mother, the owner of the bar, is recast in season 2 due to the final illness of Hope Emerson; in Season 3 Edie opens a new nightclub, Edie’s, which she owns and operates with the assistance of suave maitre d’ Leslie

*** Even when Gunn is a suspect (or in one case convicted) or the boss pressures him Jacoby knows to turn up when Gunn calls for help, because there’s bound to be an arrest at the end of it.