Peter Gunn (TV Series) Skin Deep (1959) User Reviews

Assorted Strange Characters and Story Twists

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 3 August 2006]

A woman comes into "Mother's" and hires Gunn to find her missing sister (who is shown being murdered in the opening sequence.)

Along the way of solving the case, Pete visits a couple of eccentrics: a florist shop owner who had employed the murdered/missing woman and then the president of a "Lonely Hearts Club who was very familiar with the leading suspect in the case and one of the sisters, a "musclebound" egotist named Ramon.

After the latter visit, Mr. Gunn gets thoroughly beaten up in alley and is told to stay off the case. At the police station, where we find Gunn (without a scratch despite a brutal beating), he proceeds to go over the case with Det. Harmon (Willard Sage) who is filling in for the absent Lt. Jacoby. This was the first episode of this series, I believe, in which Herschel Bernardi was absent.

The story turns out to a have quite a twist to it which I won't divulge here. Please buy the DVDs so A & E will make more of these seasons available. As of now, none are planned.

Murder, Keep it in the Family

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 25 September 2013]

PETER GUNN – Skin Deep - 1959

This is episode 29 from the 1958 to 61 P.I. series, PETER GUNN. Craig Stevens headlines as the hard as nails detective who always dresses with style. Regulars in the series are Hope Emerson as the owner of MOTHER'S jazz club. Lola Albright plays Stevens' squeeze Edie Hart, who is the club singer at, MOTHER'S.

The story opens with a young woman, Marian Collier getting brained with a fireplace poker. Several days later, Private Investigator Peter Gunn, (Craig Stevens) is hired by the wealthy Katherine Bard to find her missing sister (Collier). Bard points Stevens in the direction of playboy Eduardo Noriega. Stevens first visits the flower shop where Collier worked for any possible leads on Collier. He is again pointed at Noriega.

Stevens pays the man a call but gets nothing information wise. He then pays a visit to a lonely hearts club that Collier was known to frequent. Turns out that hustler Noriega works out of the club, and is in big demand by the female clients of the club. A further surprise for Stevens is that Collier's sister, Bard, has also been seeing Mister Noriega.

Stevens' figures maybe Noriega preferred the moneyed Bard to Collier and dumped Collier, "permanently". Steven rousts Noriega and gives him a bout of "hands on" questioning. Stevens decides Noriega is too much of a wimp to have done the deed. The trail leads back to the sister, Bard.

And Stevens is on the money this time. Bard was annoyed with sis for stepping out with Noriega. Collier was always stealing Bard's men away. Not anymore as Bard had applied a healthy bit of the fireplace poker to Collier. She had then buried Collier in the backyard. She had hired Stevens and pointed him at Noriega to get even with the gigolo. So much for that plan.

There are plenty of twists here, as well as some nicely done guest bits by Hal Smith, Willard Sage and Jose Gonzales-Gonzales. (b/w)

Not Who You Might Think At First

[biorngm · 8/10 · 8 October 2017]

Review - Skin Deep A respectable mystery solved, without gunfire and no lieutenant. No Jacoby! How could they? Cast members included Hal Smith and Muriel Landers, well-played parts for each, and a welcome sight and addition to the story. Follow the leads, and they will help solve the crime, and with help from friends aiding in on the hoax to get a tearful admission. Detective Harmon was handy putting the pieces together after Pete made the same assumptions. The guitar piece from Laurindo Almeida was special, too. Recommend a look because the suspect first thought to be it, wasn't it, and work had to be done to solve the crime.

An episode that makes a good case for the series

[nikkiweir · 10/10 · 3 March 2009]

As might have appeared earlier in these comments for "Skin Deep," there is a twist to the story. But the twist turns out to be more than just a gimmick; as with several other episodes in the first season of this addictively atmospheric series, it hands the viewer a snapshot of a place that they probably weren't expecting to go in a 25-minute formulaic mystery show.

Speaking of snapshots, several of the shots, both moving and still, pull the narrative together most expertly. And speaking of atmosphere, there's even a complete performance of a short flamenco piece by the great Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida.

I certainly hope that if A&E is not interested in bringing out the remaining 70 or so episodes, they'll sell them to someone who will.

****Possible spoiler:**** Alert fans of Vertigo might find "Skin Deep" a nice little layered cocktail version. With a twist.