PETER GUNN – "The Frog" – 1958 It is late night and a minor mob bag-man, Stubby Kruger, is waiting on the docks. He has arranged a meeting with that cool PI, Peter Gunn. Gunn is played by Craig Stevens. By the time Stevens arrives, Kruger has taken an unwanted knife to the back and ended up in the drink. All Stevens finds is Kruger's hat floating on the water.
Suspecting the worst, Stevens pays a visit to the man's rooms. There, Stevens is jumped by a man who tries to polish him off as well. Stevens gets the upper hand and the thug is killed. Stevens calls in his buddy, Police Lt Herschel Bernardi. He explains the deal and what he believes happened to the "FROG" as Kruger was known.
The Police soon fish Kruger's body out of the water. They also identify the man Stevens killed in self-defense. They both worked for mob boss, Whit Bissell. Stevens says he will leave the matter in the hands of the Police and heads to his favourite club, "Mothers". His girl, singer Lola Albright is the main attraction at the jazz place.
The club closes and all are sitting around as Albright belts out a tune with the band in an after hours jam session. The session in however interrupted with the arrival of mobster Bissell and three of his gunsels.
The three thugs, Dick Crockett, Dale Van Sickel and George Robotham start pounding on Stevens. They would like to know what business he had with the Frog? When club owner Hope Emerson steps up, Bissell belts her with his walking stick. Stevens then agrees to talk to Bissell about what he knows. And what does he know? Nothing. Kruger had been knifed and dropped in the water before any contact was made.
Bissell smiles and leaves with his three brunos trailing behind. Stevens is of course less than amused with the rough treatment Emerson and himself received. He is going to find out what the hell is going on. He contacts Lt Bernardi for any info he might have. He finds that Kruger had a dame, Jean Inness, who lives down by the waterfront.
Stevens tells Bernardi he intends to have a talk with Inness and would Bernardi mind following at a distance. Inness tells Stevens that Kruger had kept a ledger of all the cash he delivered for Bissell. He figured it might come in handy some day. Instead it got Kruger killed. Inness just happens to have said ledger in her care. She forks it over to Stevens to take to the Police.
As Stevens leaves Inness's place, he is again waylaid by the three anti-social thugs in Bissell's employ. They relieve him of the ledger and drag Stevens over to a waiting Bissell. Bissell takes the ledger and tells the thugs to deep six Stevens into the drink. These plans go unfulfilled as the old bat Inness, steps out of the shadows and empties a pistol into one of the gunmen. Also on the scene in the nick of time, is Police Lt Bernardi. More shots are exchanged with the other two thugs biting the pavement. Bissell is cuffed and hauled away.
What is not to like about this series? It features fast tight stories, great music and top-flight photography. (B/W)
Suspecting the worst, Stevens pays a visit to the man's rooms. There, Stevens is jumped by a man who tries to polish him off as well. Stevens gets the upper hand and the thug is killed. Stevens calls in his buddy, Police Lt Herschel Bernardi. He explains the deal and what he believes happened to the "FROG" as Kruger was known.
The Police soon fish Kruger's body out of the water. They also identify the man Stevens killed in self-defense. They both worked for mob boss, Whit Bissell. Stevens says he will leave the matter in the hands of the Police and heads to his favourite club, "Mothers". His girl, singer Lola Albright is the main attraction at the jazz place.
The club closes and all are sitting around as Albright belts out a tune with the band in an after hours jam session. The session in however interrupted with the arrival of mobster Bissell and three of his gunsels.
The three thugs, Dick Crockett, Dale Van Sickel and George Robotham start pounding on Stevens. They would like to know what business he had with the Frog? When club owner Hope Emerson steps up, Bissell belts her with his walking stick. Stevens then agrees to talk to Bissell about what he knows. And what does he know? Nothing. Kruger had been knifed and dropped in the water before any contact was made.
Bissell smiles and leaves with his three brunos trailing behind. Stevens is of course less than amused with the rough treatment Emerson and himself received. He is going to find out what the hell is going on. He contacts Lt Bernardi for any info he might have. He finds that Kruger had a dame, Jean Inness, who lives down by the waterfront.
Stevens tells Bernardi he intends to have a talk with Inness and would Bernardi mind following at a distance. Inness tells Stevens that Kruger had kept a ledger of all the cash he delivered for Bissell. He figured it might come in handy some day. Instead it got Kruger killed. Inness just happens to have said ledger in her care. She forks it over to Stevens to take to the Police.
As Stevens leaves Inness's place, he is again waylaid by the three anti-social thugs in Bissell's employ. They relieve him of the ledger and drag Stevens over to a waiting Bissell. Bissell takes the ledger and tells the thugs to deep six Stevens into the drink. These plans go unfulfilled as the old bat Inness, steps out of the shadows and empties a pistol into one of the gunmen. Also on the scene in the nick of time, is Police Lt Bernardi. More shots are exchanged with the other two thugs biting the pavement. Bissell is cuffed and hauled away.
What is not to like about this series? It features fast tight stories, great music and top-flight photography. (B/W)
