Peter Gunn


Peter Gunn was an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend Edie Hart, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The series was created by Blake Edwards, who, on occasion, was also writer and director.
Peter Gunn is notable for being the first televised detective program whose character was created for television, instead of adapted from other media.
The series is probably best remembered today for its music, including the iconic "Peter Gunn Theme", which was nominated for an Emmy Award and two Grammys for Henry Mancini and subsequently has been performed and recorded by many jazz, rock, and blues musicians. The series was No. 17 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1958–1959 TV season.

Plot

Peter Gunn is a well-dressed private investigator whose hair is always in place and who loves cool jazz. Where other gumshoes might be coarse, Peter Gunn is a sophisticate with expensive tastes. A contemporary article in Life noted that Edwards "deliberately tailored the part after the famous movie smoothie Cary Grant".
Gunn operates in a gloomy waterfront city, the name and location of which is never revealed in the series. He can usually be found at Mother's, a smoky wharfside jazz club that Gunn uses as his "office", usually meeting new clients there. His standard fee is $1,000 but it can be more, less, or nothing, depending on the client or the circumstances. Gunn has a reputation for integrity and being among the best investigators; he has many reliable informants and is extremely well-connected. His reputation is so good, the police occasionally ask him for help or advice. He sometimes works cases out of state and occasionally out of the country. Gunn was observed by a female character named Rowena in "Murder on the Midway" as "wearing $30 shoes, a $200 suit and carrying a solid gold cigarette lighter". Gunn drives a 1958 two-tone DeSoto two-door hardtop in the first few episodes of the first season, then a 1959 Plymouth Fury convertible with a white top and a car phone. In the third season Gunn drives a 1960 white Plymouth Fury convertible with a car phone, later changing to a 1961 Plymouth Fury convertible.
Gunn's girlfriend, Edie Hart, is a sultry singer employed at Mother's; she opens her own restaurant and nightclub in season 3. Gunn's pet name for Edie is "Silly". Herschel Bernardi costarred as Lieutenant Charles "Chuck" Jacoby, a somber police detective and friend of Gunn who works at the 13th Precinct. Occasionally he refers people to Gunn as clients. In 1959, Bernardi received his only Emmy nomination for the role. Hope Emerson appeared as "Mother", who had been a singer and piano player in speakeasies during Prohibition. She received an Emmy nomination for the role. For the second season, "Mother" was played by Minerva Urecal, following the death of Emerson during the series' run. Associate producer Byron Kane portrayed Barney, the bartender at Mother's; Kane was never credited for playing this role. Bill Chadney appeared as Emmett, Mother's piano player.
Both Billy Barty as pool hustler Babby and Herbert Ellis as Beat bistro owner, painter, and sculptor Wilbur, appeared in several episodes as occasional "information resources", as "Mother" also often is. Capri Candela played Wilbur's girlfriend, Capri. Morris Erby had the recurring role of Sgt. Lee Davis during all three seasons of the show. Frequent director Robert Gist appeared as an actor in different roles in three episodes. James Lanphier portrayed Leslie the maitre d'hôtel at Edie's restaurant and nightclub during season 3.

Cast

Frequent director Robert Gist appeared as an actor in different roles in three episodes.

Episodes

Peter Gunn ran for three seasons starting in late 1958. A total of 114 episodes were produced during the three season run. Peter Gunn premiered on September 22, 1958 with the episode The Kill. The first season ran from September 1958 through June 1959 and contained 38 episodes.

Origin of series

Edwards developed Peter Gunn from an earlier fictional detective that he had created. Richard Diamond, Private Detective starred Dick Powell, and aired as a radio series from 1949 to 1953. David Janssen later starred in the television adaptation from 1957 to 1960. It was this character's success which prompted his creator to revisit the concept as Peter Gunn. Edwards had earlier written and directed a Mike Hammer television pilot for Brian Keith.
In a 1993 interview which can be found at Youtube.com, Craig Stevens talks about how he and co-star Lola Albright were hired for the show.
Initial plans called for the title of the program to be Gunn for Hire. The change to Peter Gunn occurred after officials at Paramount Pictures complained that the title was similar to that of the 1942 Paramount film This Gun for Hire.

Production

Besides those directed by Blake Edwards, other episodes were directed by Boris Sagal, Robert Gist, Jack Arnold, Lamont Johnson, Robert Altman and several others. A total of 114 thirty-minute episodes were produced by Spartan Productions. Season one was filmed at Universal Studios, while seasons two and three were filmed at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Philip H. Lathrop and William W. Spencer were cinematographers on many episodes. Craig Stevens' wardrobe was tailored by Don Richards and Lola Albright's fashions by Jax.

Music

The show's use of modern jazz music was a distinctive touch that helped set the standard for many years to come, with cool jazz themes accompanying every move Gunn made. The music, composed by Henry Mancini, was performed by a small jazz ensemble which included a number of prominent Los Angeles-based jazz and studio musicians. Trumpeter Pete Candoli, alto saxophonist Ted Nash, flutist Ronny Lang, trombonist Dick Nash, and pianist John Williams provided most of the improvised jazz solos.
Prominent jazz musicians occasionally made on-screen appearances. Trumpeter Shorty Rogers appeared in the episode titled "The Frog" playing flugelhorn as Lola sings "How High the Moon". Drummer Shelly Manne, in addition to performing on the soundtrack album, was credited with a Special Guest role in the 1959 episode "Keep Smiling" playing drums in the "Bamboo Club" combo. Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida plays guitar as himself in the 1959 episode "Skin Deep".
In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music? Mancini stated:
The "Peter Gunn Theme" became an instant hit, earning Mancini an Emmy Award nomination and two Grammys. The RCA Victor soundtrack album by Henry Mancini, The Music from Peter Gunn, was voted Album of the Year at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959 and reached No. 1 in Billboard's Pop LP Charts. The popularity of this album prompted RCA Victor to issue a second Mancini album of Peter Gunn music titled More Music from Peter Gunn. Bandleader Ray Anthony's recording of the theme music reached No. 8 on Billboard's Hot 100. Shelly Manne recorded two jazz albums of themes from the show in 1959, Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn and Son of Gunn!!.
"The Peter Gunn Theme" has been recorded and performed by numerous musicians. Today, many people who have never seen the TV show can easily identify the theme.
The theme was also used in the Spy Hunter arcade video game, and has been used by the Kilgore College Rangerettes as the tryout music for their specialty jazz group since the 1960's.

Selected songs from the series

Song TitleSeason of First AppearanceEpisode Number of First AppearanceEpisode Title of First AppearanceAdditional Episodes and Notes
Peter Gunn Theme11The KillAccompanies the beginning and ending credits of each episode.
Brief and Breezy11The KillAlso appears in "Murder on the Midway", "The Coffin", "The Portrait", "The Rifle", "Death Watch", "Send a Thief", and "Come Dance With Me And Die".
Slow and Easy11The KillAlso appears in "Image of Sally", "Murder on the Midway", "The Ugly Frame", "The Lederer Story", "Keep Smiling", "The Coffin", "Protection", "Edge of the Knife", "Death is a Red Rose", and "The Price is Murder", "The Hunt", "The Long, Long Ride", "The Deadly Proposition", "The Dummy", "Witness in the Window", "Send a Thief", "The Heiress", "Cry Love, Cry Murder", "The Most Deadly Angel", and "Deadly Intrusion".
The Floater13The Vicious DogAlso appears in "Murder on the Midway", "Scuba", "The Ugly Frame", "Keep Smiling", "Hot Money", "Hollywood Calling", "Wings of an Angel", "Send a Thief", "The Maître D'", "The Judgement", "The Death Frame", "Sepi", and "Portrait in Leather".
Soft Sounds13The Vicious DogAlso appears in "Image of Sally", "The Leaper", "Pecos Pete", "The Dirty Word", and "The Feathered Doll".
Fallout!13The Vicious DogAlthough the bass line of this song is heard at the opening of most Peter Gunn episodes beginning with "The Kill", the melody is not featured until "The Vicious Dog".
A Profound Gass14The Blind PianistAlso appears in "Image of Sally", "The Ugly Frame", "The Game", "Letter to the Law", and "Murder on the Line".
Joanna16The Chinese HangmanAlso appears in "February Girl", "Lady Wind Bell's Fan", "The Comic", "Letter to the Law", "Take Five for Murder", "Dream Big, Dream Deadly", "The Deep End", "Portrait in Leather", "Short Motive", and "Down the Drain".
Not from Dixie18Rough BuckAlso appears in "The Ugly Frame", "Death is a Red Rose", "Hot Money", "The Semi-Private Eye", "A Penny Saved", "The Most Deadly Angel", and "Death is a Four Letter Word".
The Little Man Theme110The Man with a ScarAlso appears in "The Ugly Frame", "The Portrait", "Send a Thief", "Baby Shoes", "Blind Item", and "A Kill and a Half".
A Quiet Gass110The Man with a ScarAlso appears in "February Girl", "Bullet for a Badge", "Vendetta", "The Portrait", "The Rifle", "Sentenced", "The Maître D'", "Sepi", "Portrait in Leather", "Till Death Do Us Part", and "Voodoo".
The Brothers Go to Mother's111Death House TestamentAlso appears in "Scuba", "The Lederer Story", "The Family Affair", "Kidnap", "Down the Drain", and "Murder on the Line".
Spook!111Death House TestamentAlso appears in "The Dummy".
Blues for Mother's112The TorchAlso appears in "Edie Finds a Corpse", "Breakout", "February Girl", "February Girl", "Crisscross", "The Grudge", "Sentenced", "The Murder Clause", "The Candidate", "Death Across the Board", "The Long Green Kill", and "The Royal Roust".
Blue Steel113The JockeyAlso appears in "The Lederer Story" and "The Portrait".
Timothy117Let's Kill Timothy
Sorta Blue121ScubaAlso appears in "The Ugly Frame", "The Feathered Doll", "The Game", "Letter to the Law", and "A Penny Saved".
Odd Ball122Edie Finds a Corpse
My Manne Shelly126Keep SmilingThe title of the song is a pun on the name of the drummer Shelly Manne.
Session at Pete's Pad131Love Me to DeathIn its first appearances in "Love Me to Death", "Bullet for a Badge", and "The Rifle", this composition is performed in the form of a song called "Straight to Baby".
Goofin' at the Coffee House131Love Me to DeathAlso appears in "The Family Affair", "The Portrait", and, "Crisscross", "Kidnap", "The Wolfe Case", "Hollywood Calling", "Witness in the Window", "The Semi-Private Eye", "Dream Big, Dream Deadly", "Bullet in Escrow", "A Penny Saved", and "The Murder Bond".
Lightly131Love Me to DeathAlso appears in "Bullet for a Badge", "The Feathered Doll", "Slight Touch of Homicide", "The Heiress", "The Judgement", "Bullet in Escrow", A Penny Saved, and "Voodoo".
Dreamsville134Bullet for a BadgeAlthough the opening piano introduction is heard in "Bullet for a Badge", the primary melody is not heard until "Kidnap". Also appears in "Spell of Murder", "The Deadly Proposition", "The Murder Clause", "The Semi-Private Eye", "Baby Shoes", "The Passenger", "A Kill and a Half", "The Deep End", and "Voodoo".
Walkin' Bass231Witness in the Window

Emmy nominations

The series was nominated for 8 prime time Emmys without wins, all in 1959. They were for Best Dramatic Series - Less than One Hour, Craig Stevens as best lead actor in a drama, Herschel Bernardi as best supporting actor in a drama, Lola Albright and Hope Emerson as best supporting actress in a drama, Henry Mancini for best musical contribution to a television production, and Blake Edwards for best writing and direction of a single episode of a drama series.

Adaptations

The series made the transition to other media. An original novel and a comic book adaptation were published by Dell Publishing in 1960. A feature film, Gunn, was released by Paramount Pictures in 1967, scripted by Edwards and William Peter Blatty and directed by Edwards with Stevens reprising the title role. A long-gestating ABC 90-minute pilot, Peter Gunn aired in April 1989 with Peter Strauss in the lead role that was written, produced, and directed by Edwards, but the network failed to order a series despite strong ratings and reviews.
In 2001, Edwards and his son, Geoffrey, joined with producers Jeffrey Tinnell and John Michaels and writer Norman Snider in developing an updated television series, The New Peter Gunn for Muse Entertainment in Canada. The project fell through when producers John Woo and David Permut began developing a big screen remake for Paramount with screenwriter W. Peter Iliff. Once Upon a Time in L.A. was pitched as a possible vehicle for John Travolta or Harrison Ford. Neither revival made it beyond the script stage.
TNT announced a new series was in development in May 2013 from producers Steven Spielberg, Julie Andrews, Lou Pitt, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank with writers Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum, and André Nemec. The proposed series was not picked up for the 2014–2015 season.
In 2017, Paramount renewed its agreement with The Blake Edwards Estate with the intent of developing the property.

Home media

In 2002, A&E Home Video released two volume sets of Peter Gunn on DVD in Region 1, which comprise 32 episodes from Season One.
Timeless Media Group released Peter Gunn – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 in 2012. The 12-disc set features all 114 episodes of the series, as well as a bonus CD of Henry Mancini's score.