Mike Hammer (TV Series)

Crepe for Suzette (1958)

Darren McGavin: Mike Hammer

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mike Hammer : [narrating]  They can't all be big ones. For every one time an insurance company wants you to find stolen property, three worried parents want news of a son or daughter who stopped writing. Back home, those letters mean a lot, but when they stop all together, the folks are hurt... and then worried.

• [Mike interviews the owner of an acting school] 

  Mike Hammer : My name is Mike Hammer.

  Carlson : Have you registered?

  Mike Hammer : Registered? Oh, no - I'm a detective.

  Carlson : A detective?

  Mike Hammer : That's right.

  Carlson : Very poor casting.

• Carl Rodney : Look, Mr. Hammer, I appreciate your interest in this matter, but I'd prefer to drop the subject. After all, my losses were negligible.

  Mike Hammer : Yeah, well, my client's wasn't. She lost her life!

• [Mike regains consciousness and discovers his file papers have been strewn about his office] 

  Mike Hammer : [narrating]  When I woke up, I had the granddaddy of all headaches for two reasons: one was the sore spot in my gut and the other was because I missed the ticker tape parade - only this one wasn't in honor a champ, but it was in honor of a chump.

• Mike Hammer : Here, tell it to the District Attorney, honey, he's got a much better ear than I have. He just loves to hear a canary sing.

• [last lines] 

  Carlson : You might make an actor at that, properly cast. No technique, of course, but it might be interesting to start with such raw material.

  [Mike eyes a beautiful acting student] 

  Mike Hammer : What do you mean no technique? You want to see me handle one of those, uh, what do you call it... improvisations, huh?

  Mike Hammer : [to student]  Excuse me. The situation is this: a sailor just comes home on leave and his girlfriend is waiting for him on the dock. I think it might go something like this.

  [Mike and the acting student embrace, then kiss passionately] 

  Carlson : Well, Mr. Hammer, that's the basic idea, of course, but according to Stanislavski, you're supposed to... Mr. Hammer, according to Stanislavski, you're supposed to... Mr. Hammer, you're being too basic!