Review - The Dirty Word Pete is busy doing a favor for a man he doesn't care for and Jacoby detests. Jacoby is convinced of the man's guilt, it was his gun killing the victim. Pete investigates as a begrudging favor returned to the guilty man and runs into plenty of eccentric people along the way. It is not until the accused falls to his death that Pete tells Jacoby he will pursue the matter to the end, not convinced, nor is the widow, that the guilty party has been found. Clues and leads bring a confrontation to the actual murderer and all the truth surrounding the relationships come to light. Well-acted and played out by the cast and the film noir perpetuates the plot line as Pete solves the crime. Worth viewing to learn of the guilty, the scandals and the down-trodden.
3 Reviews
A Misfire
gordonl5630 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
PETER GUNN – The Dirty Word - 1959
This is episode 23 of the 1958 to 1961 P.I. series, PETER GUNN. Craig Stevens headlines as the hard as nails detective who is always dressed with style. Regulars in the series are Hope Emerson as the owner of, MOTHER'S jazz club, and Lola Albright as Stevens' squeeze, Edie Hart, who is the club singer at, MOTHER'S.
A high class party at a magazine publisher Joe Holland's house is interrupted by a murder. The victim, Holland, and standing over him with a gun, is Tom Brown. The Police are summoned and Brown is thrown in a cell. Brown swears he did not kill Holland. He uses his phone call to buzz Stevens.
Brown it seems is also a P.I. A real sleazy one though, anything for a buck type of gumshoe. Stevens agrees to help because he owes Brown a favour from years before. Brown tells Stevens that he was on a job for Holland. They were talking in the garden when a shot had come out of the darkness. Then the gun had been thrown at his feet. Brown had foolishly picked up the weapon. That is why the party crowd thought he was the killer.
What Brown does not tell Stevens is that Holland was a sleaze merchant who blackmailed people with info gathered for Holland's magazine. Throwing dirt in the waters is Simon Scott as Holland's partner and Linda Watkins as the widow. They of course have been stepping out behind hubby's back. Then a fake fortune teller, Lester Fletcher enters the picture. It turns out everyone was blackmailing everyone else etc.
Sort of a misfire of an episode, but so what, Gunn is still Gunn. (b/w)
This is episode 23 of the 1958 to 1961 P.I. series, PETER GUNN. Craig Stevens headlines as the hard as nails detective who is always dressed with style. Regulars in the series are Hope Emerson as the owner of, MOTHER'S jazz club, and Lola Albright as Stevens' squeeze, Edie Hart, who is the club singer at, MOTHER'S.
A high class party at a magazine publisher Joe Holland's house is interrupted by a murder. The victim, Holland, and standing over him with a gun, is Tom Brown. The Police are summoned and Brown is thrown in a cell. Brown swears he did not kill Holland. He uses his phone call to buzz Stevens.
Brown it seems is also a P.I. A real sleazy one though, anything for a buck type of gumshoe. Stevens agrees to help because he owes Brown a favour from years before. Brown tells Stevens that he was on a job for Holland. They were talking in the garden when a shot had come out of the darkness. Then the gun had been thrown at his feet. Brown had foolishly picked up the weapon. That is why the party crowd thought he was the killer.
What Brown does not tell Stevens is that Holland was a sleaze merchant who blackmailed people with info gathered for Holland's magazine. Throwing dirt in the waters is Simon Scott as Holland's partner and Linda Watkins as the widow. They of course have been stepping out behind hubby's back. Then a fake fortune teller, Lester Fletcher enters the picture. It turns out everyone was blackmailing everyone else etc.
Sort of a misfire of an episode, but so what, Gunn is still Gunn. (b/w)
Average, at Best
dougdoepke23 February 2013
A PI falsely suspected of murder hires Pete to clear him, involving him in an upper-class cast of characters.
The series set itself apart from others with its unusual array of characters. Here, there's Waldo the fey astrologer and an elderly jazz man, Fuzzy. Good to see a grizzled old- timer like William Fawcett get a payday and a non-clownish role for a change. Together, the two add some needed color since the plot is not too involving. Plus there's less atmosphere than usual. Too bad neither Mother nor girlfriend Edie provide a lift by making an appearance. The ending too is not very convincing, though it does manage some poignancy. Mainly, the half-hour is just a routine murder story without much else to recommend it.
The series set itself apart from others with its unusual array of characters. Here, there's Waldo the fey astrologer and an elderly jazz man, Fuzzy. Good to see a grizzled old- timer like William Fawcett get a payday and a non-clownish role for a change. Together, the two add some needed color since the plot is not too involving. Plus there's less atmosphere than usual. Too bad neither Mother nor girlfriend Edie provide a lift by making an appearance. The ending too is not very convincing, though it does manage some poignancy. Mainly, the half-hour is just a routine murder story without much else to recommend it.
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