Gunn (1967)

A Major Disappointment

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This film was inevitable as the late '60s -- following Paul Newman's hit "Harper" (1966) -- reinvented the '40s-'50s private eye yarn by adding more sex and violence. GUNN fits somewhere in the middle of this trend -- not as classy as "Harper" and "Deadlier Than the Male", not as cynical and gritty as Sinatra's "Tony Rome" films (1967-68). Craig Stevens, with his wry humor and effortless charm, rises above the material, much like James Garner in "Marlowe" (1969) -- a highly recommended film in this genre. Old school "Peter Gunn" fans will lament the absence of Lola Albright and Hershell Bernardi (a cranky Ed Asner fills in), but this should be seen on its own terms as a stand-alone film. The opening credits, with psychedelic graphics and jazzed up theme music, suggest a 007 spy film influence, but the story is a standard whodunit with gangsters and frequent murders. Some of these killings (like the diver with the spear gun) and plot turns don't make much sense or are needlessly complicated, but the fast pacing and supporting cast distracts one from worrying about the details. The sex appeal quotient is ramped up considerably by gorgeous Sherry Jackson (sadly, stunning Carol Wayne only has a cameo at the end). Jackson even did a Playboy pictorial to promote the film. And, for an added plot twist, writer-director Blake Edwards indulges in his strange obsession with gender bending (Victor Victoria, Switch, et al,).All in all, this is a slick, breezy, enjoyable detective yarn that moves along with strategically placed scenes of action, humor, and eye candy. It is very much a product of the late '60s. (Will someone please release this, along with "P.J." and "Rogue's Gallery", on disc already?) In the next decade this genre would get darker and more complex with The Long Goodbye (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Night Moves (1975).

"Something about a new grave makes me want to get drunk, run a 4 minute mile and shacking up with a red-head...not necessarily in that order"I have only seen a few episodes of the old black & white "Peter Gunn" shows starring Craig Stevens. So, my watching and reviewing "Gunn" probably won't mean as much as a review from a die-hard fan of the series. So, while IMDb tells us that none of the original characters are here in this movie, I wouldn't know...aside from Stevens. But I do distinctly remember that the TV show was not nearly as sexy as this film! Here, the women (or shall I say Sam) are almost like those in a Bond film...willing to shed their clothes at a moment's notice. Though, since it was made for TV, you don't see anything...but it still has so much in the way of salacious content that I wonder if it was indeed a made for TV film like IMDb indicates. See this very violent, sexy and bizarre film and you'll see what I mean!!Overall, I'd recommend this film but realize that it's an aberration--a film that COULDN'T have been like the TV program. The acting is quite good (it's nice to see Ed Asner and Albert Paulsen) and the plot is strange with a really unique twist at the end. Well worth seeing and I might have liked more...By the way, although I've seen it in about a half dozen films, a spear gun is NOT a very effective weapon outside the water. It's not that accurate and a gun or bow would make a lot more sense. Neat..but illogical.

This 1967 film lacks the luster of the late 50's, early 60's TV show. Replacement of key roles of Edie, Mother and Lt. Jacoby by others takes away from the viewer familiarity with the "Peter Gunn" they loved on the TV show. The story is fine, the women are gorgeous and seeing it in color is also a plus for a feature film. The camera work is good, but lacks the "feel" the black and white show gave us. Peter Gunn didn't lose his charm with age. His attraction by the women in this film is understandable. I could also understand why this film didn't do well at the box office. Peter Gunn is jazz. This film came out at the height of the British Invasion of Rock & Roll. Younger people would relate this film to their parents likes not theirs. Like fine wine, this film looks pretty good now. The jazz is good. If you get the chance watch it. It could have been a "10" but for the reasons I outlined, I'll give it a solid "7"

I recall "Peter Gunn" as a TV Series when I was a teenager and to tell the truth, I watched this mainly on-line at Netflix to see Sherry Jackson as she was my number one teenage crush back in the 1960s. Sherry is beautiful in this film and with Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty's screenplay and Blake's direction, the whole film takes me back to the best of the 1960's P.I. television fare. The snappy dialog, Ed Asner's droll police lieutenant and the very risqué ending for the times, just added a cherry on top of seeing Sherry Jackson as I recalled her in all her sexy kitten verve.Gadzooks, she was hot! And a much better actress than any of her parts every allowed her to show--