Take 4 TV: Peter Gunn

Peter Gunn (1958)

The Basics: An action/crime drama that aired on television for three seasons, starring Craig Stevens, Herschel Bernardi and Lola Albright. I played the theme song quite a bit in high school band…so figured it was high time I saw the series.

What’s Going On?: Peter Gunn is your classic film noir private detective, pounding the black and white streets of the city, and thinking through cases at a jazzy little nightclub called “Mother’s,” where his girlfriend, Edie, works as a singer. His cases range from mysterious deaths and blackmail to missing people and robbery investigations…all with a swinging soundtrack by Henry Mancini. And each solved within half an hour.

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Maitre D’; Private Detective; Jazz; Famous Opening Theme

Random Trivia: This was one of the first television shows to have its own original score and it was the first to feature modern jazz for a soundtrack. Previously, producers used generic music scores that were used in many television productions. RCA released an album of music from Peter Gunn, featuring the title song and other pieces. It reached #1 on Billboard's chart, stayed there ten weeks, and stayed on the list for the next two years. It was so successful that RCA put together a sequel. Henry Mancini received an Emmy nomination for the theme and won two Grammys for the album.

Curt’s Take – Worth Considering: First off, a confession…I didn’t sit through all 32 episodes. Instead, I caught the first 16, and made my decision at that point. This wasn’t like a lot of programs on television today, where a serialized story is told that builds from episode to episode. Here, every crime, investigation and resolution happens in about 30 minutes time. This is classic film noir detective-work here, folks…with a great jazz soundtrack to accompany the action. Because of that, I say catch four or five episodes, and you’ll have gotten a good flavor for the series.