"Peter Gunn" (1958)TV series 1958-1961

Creator:

Blake Edwards

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

22 September 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Crime | Drama

Plot:

The cases of a stylishly cool private detective.

Plot Keywords:

Maitre D' | Detective | Jazz | Private Detective | Famous Opening Theme

Awards:

Nominated for 8 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Craig Stevens	...	Peter Gunn (97 episodes, 1958-1961)
Herschel Bernardi	...	Lt. Jacoby / ... (83 episodes, 1958-1961)
Lola Albright	...	Edie Hart (73 episodes, 1958-1961)

Also Known As:

Gunn for Hire (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (114 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Spartan Productions

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Buzz Aldrin Show (#2.4)" (1970)

Terrific film-noir-entertainment in short form

"Peter Gunn" was one of the most enjoyable TV-detective series of all time! Every week, the black-and-white cinematography (by Hollywood veterans like Philip Lathrop), the jazzy music (by the incomparable Henry Mancini; the album won the first Grammy "Album of the Year" in 1958), and the sharp writing and directing (contributed and supervised by the creator, Blake Edwards) combined, along with the incredibly "cool" performances of Craig Stevens, Lola Albright, Herschel Bernardi, and Hope Emerson, to create a mini-movie, a little "film noir" that took the elements of the big studio thrillers and condensed them into 24 minutes! There was always time for a little musical interlude, with Lola Albright's Edie performing a standard. It was all done with style, wit and verve. Now, the entire first season is available on DVD, and it's as sophisticated and seductive as such movies as "Double Indemnity" or "The Killers" or "The Big Sleep", only in short bursts.