Gunn *** (1967, Craig Stevens, Laura Devon, Edward Asner) – Classic Movie Review 8133

Co-writer/ director Blake Edwards’s satisfying 1967 thriller Gunn is the tough cinema feature movie of his TV series Peter Gunn (1958-61), with Craig Stevens repeating his smooth laconic Cary Grant-style performance as the suave, stylishly cool private eye Peter Gunn.

Gunn finds himself investigating crime henchman Nick Fusco (Albert Paulsen) when he is hired by bordello keeper Daisy Jane (Marion Marshall aka M T Marshall) to find the murderer of a hood called Julio Scarlotti (Lincoln Demyan) and his mistress (Chanin Hale).

Gunn boasts a pretty neat, twisty screenplay by Edwards and The Exorcist’s William Peter Blatty, from the story and characters by Blake Edwards, complete with the required film noir atmosphere and Henry Mancini music.

But the show is coarsened and toughened for the big screen and the film is alas without TV co-stars Lola Albright (as Gunn’s girlfriend, nightclub singer Edie Hart) and Herschel Bernardi (as Gunn’s friend, Police Lieutenant Jacoby). In fact, only Craig Stevens reprises his role from the TV show and all the other characters are recast. Laura Devon takes over as Edie, and Edward Asner takes over as Jacoby.

Also in the cast are Sherry Jackson, Helen Traubel, M T Marshall, J Pat O’Malley, Dick Crockett, Regis Toomey, Albert Paulsen, Jerry Douglas, Charles Dierkop, Ken Wales, Gary Lasdun, George Murdock, Frank Kreig and Mike Angel.

Gunn is directed by Blake Edwards, runs 94 minutes, is made by Geoffrey Productions, is released by Paramount, is written by Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty, from the story and characters by Blake Edwards, is shot in Technicolor by Philip Lathrop, is produced by Owen Crump and is scored by Henry Mancini.

Peter Gunn the TV movie followed in 1989, directed by Edwards but starring Peter Strauss.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 8133

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