Peter Gunn (TV Series) The Man with the Scar (1958) User Reviews

The Opening Is A Big Attention-Grabber!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 15 June 2010]

This episode has a very dramatic and shocking opening segment. We see a big guy emerging from a fire exit into the hallway of an apartment complex or hotel. Then we see a couple on the couch making out. Then the big guy bursts through the door and starts pounding the male in the room. Then he turns his attention to the female and starts strangling her. The male then spots a gun nearby and shoots the intruder. She tells him to leave, and gives some lame alibi that he buys. When he's gone, the big guy wakes up. It was all staged!. It turns out the boyfriend is being set up!

Since the fall guy is the son of the District Attorney who's about to get the goods on a big-shot criminal who always escapes justice, the hope is that the crook can bribe his way out of this one, using the kid. The criminal simply tells the DA, "you want your kid back; drop the case against me.") Peter Gunn's assignment, as a favor (plus some bucks) to the DA is clean up this mess and make sure the kid doesn't take the fall, and that the crook can go to trial as planned.

In between the tension we get a few kissing scenes with Pete's girl "Edie." That's not all bad since Lola Albright has one of the all-time great faces in TV history. It's never bad to see her in one of these Peter Gunn episodes!

Note: Roy Thinnes, who went on to make quite a name for himself in the action profession, was acting in just his second role on the small screen here.

Blackmail

[gordonl56 · 9/10 · 2 May 2013]

PETER GUNN – "The Man With The Scar" - 1958 A young couple, Roy Thinnes and Joan Taylor, are getting hot and heavy swapping spit. They are in the middle of some "couch wrestling" when a large man, Sol Gorss, kicks in the door. He grabs Thinnes and fires him across the room. He then advances on Taylor saying he is going to kill her for stepping out on him.

Taylor screams and calls to Thinnes to grab the revolver in the desk. Thinnes does this and fires at Gorss. Gorss grabs his chest and collapses. Taylor takes the gun from Thinnes and tells him to beat the feet. She will deal with the matter. Thinnes needs no further hints and splits.

Several minutes later, up pops Gorss with a big grin on his face. Taylor and Gorss start laughing as Taylor pours them both a drink.

Several days later, Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) is summoned to meet a well known district attorney. The DA, Lewis Martin, is in the middle of a case to put away mobster, Dick Wessel. Wessel however is blackmailing Martin's son Thinnes, over the Taylor incident. The matter was never reported to the police and Wessel is turning the screws on Martin to throw his case against him.

Would Stevens look into the matter? Was there really a shooting? Or is it all a scam to force Martin to lose the case. Gunn agrees to help. First he needs to find the girl, Taylor.

He heads for "Mothers" jazz club for a talk with the owner, Hope Emerson. She puts him onto pint sized pool shark Billy Barty. For a small donation to his "retirement fund" Barty makes a few calls to various lowlife types.

One of these contacts, Peter Leeds, just happens to know the woman in question. Some more cash trades ownership and Stevens has the address. A quick visit to Taylor's apartment for some face to face, soon has her spilling to her part in the set up. Taylor agrees to take Stevens to where Gorss is stashed. Gorss is hiding at the Chinese café mobster Wessel uses as a front for his crew.

Wessel is not at all pleased with Taylor having led Stevens to the café. Weapons are pulled and slugs thrown in both directions. Stevens is better off the mark and Wessel and Gorss are soon leaking the red stuff.

The Police are called and the case wrapped up.

What is not to like about this great series! Stuntman, Gorss had bits in hundreds of films and television shows. He makes for a most imposing villain. His work included, FROM Russia WITH LOVE, THE BIRDS, SPARTACUS, NORTH BY NORTWEST, WARLOCK, THE BOSS, THE KILLING, NAKED ALIBI, Carson CITY, SPLIT SECOND, THE BOUNTY HUNTER and HIS KIND OF WOMAN. (B/W)

Man with Scar, bad guy, Babby & Ulysses good guys

[biorngm · 8/10 · 2 October 2017]

A large, varied cast, a well written story has the makings of a great episode played out with some familiar and not so familiar faces. There are several things to watch for as Pete touches leads through his contacts, meeting bad guys and girl along the way. The introductory staged shooting was merely a ploy to bribe the DA to drop a criminal case against an unscrupulous man, with many accomplices. Jacoby doesn't appear in this episode, but our PI manages to win without his help, but not before having a cleaver thrown at him and shot at by the man with the scar. Watch the character actors appear, in aid to Pete and against Pete. Billy Barty as Babby and Charles Horvath as Julio are two worth watching, Billy in character as a pool player and Charles performing a stunt after being shot. Above average fair with Pete following the clues around town to a Chinese restaurant!

Okay

[darbski · 10/10 · 9 October 2017]

**SPOILERS** I'll go a 10 because of the strong acting, and Lola Albright. Billy Barty has a good role as a poolroom sharp and stoolie for Pete. Joan Taylor is real sexy as a cheap moll turned extortionist. Unfortunately for the D.A. Pete ruined his whole reason for hiring the main gumshoe, didn't he? See Pete was SUPPOSED to keep everything on the lowdown, and just get Lubin to back off the blackmail. That all went bust when the bad guy did one of the best "Getting shot and Falling Down Stairs" gags on T.V. This would be the next guy whose acting is right up there in the highlights; Charles Horvath. We've all seen him many times doing all kinds of dangerous things as well as acting. HE get a 10 for the part he played in this one (R.I.P.Mr. Horvath. This was a good one.

A Swipe in the Cutting Edge of Change

[dougdoepke · 3 February 2014]

This is the type entry that won the series its classic reputation. The opening provides a great hook with a neat twist. So who set up the trap in the gal's apartment and why; Pete's hired by a district attorney to find out since it's his son's neck that's potentially in the noose. Series creator Edwards had a great feel for the exotic. Here it's midget Billy Barty as a pool-playing tipster. Then there's Mother's jazzy hangout. But frankly Emerson doesn't look like anyone's mother, well, maybe a bouncer's. And catch that passion kiss at the close, leaving no doubt what follows. And through it all, Gunn looks spiffy and cool as the proverbial cucumber. As both the series and this entry show, the bland programming of the 50's is on the way out and the stylish Kennedy era is on its way in.

The Man with the Scar

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 20 August 2021]

This is so far the best episode of Peter Gunn in the first series.

The DA hires Peter Gunn as his own son has got himself involved in a killing.

It will all go away if the DA drops the case against a big time hoodlum.

The son was set up and Peter Gunn needs to get the bottom of it. He needs to find the dead man, he is the man with the scar.

Some nice bit of sleuthing going with Gunn as he goes to a smokey pool hall and meets up with Billy Barty.

There is a sinister meeting in a Chinese restaurant with a nasty shootout.