Peter Gunn (TV Series) The Deadly Proposition (1960) User Reviews

The Deadly Proposition

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 15 October 2023]

Arthur Cole is a dying man who wants to make sure his daughter Angela is provided for after his death.

The Deadly Proposition involves his boss's wife. Amoury Kinett living in his ivory tower wants rid of her. Arthur Cole will do the deed.

Only after the event, Arthur hires Peter Gunn to look into the death that he himself committed.

Gunn finds that all roads lead back to Arthur Cole. He dies while being interrogated by Jacoby.

Somehow Arthur Cole wanted to finger the real suspect from beyond the grave.

The story does lack suspense and is contrived. It does have a good scene between Gunn and Kinett. The ultra rich Kinett lives high above his office looking down on the little people, thinking the law cannot touch him. A megalomaniac for sure.

Salvaged by Style

[dougdoepke · 6 December 2013]

This entry shows how visual style and good acting can carry even the slenderest of stories. Cole (Maxwell) hires Gunn to find out who killed his boss's wife. Oddly, it seems that he did, so why hire Gunn. There's little or no suspense, while the one action scene comes across as pretty contrived. Nonetheless, note the many stylish touches, such as the deep focus shots of Kinett's (White) spiffy offices and the well-composed close-ups that keep viewer attention. Also there's Edie looking especially luscious, along with a very unself-conscious and charming little Angela (Nicholson). Such touches show why the series, even with the thinnest material, managed a classic reputation.