Lady Windbell's Fan is one of my favorite Peter Gunn episodes. Its west coast urban ambiance, mixing a beatnick sensibility with an exotic, or rather exotic at the time, Chinatown locale makes it a joy to watch for its clever use of back lot sets dressed up as the mostly deserted streets of late night L.A., and an engaging story about a shopkeeper's murder for a fan and the reason for it.
The murder occurs quite early in the episode, and it's a painful to watch. Once Peter is on the case, working for youthful restaurant owner and Chinatown mover and shaker Johnny Chang, as the plot thickens. Johnny's a friend of Peter's, and there's back story to spare when Johnny's ancient father enters the picture when Peter's taken to pay a visit to him under unusual circumstances.
There's a fair amount of lying, posing and perfidy going on; and the characters are offbeat and mysterious even even for a Peter Gunn episode. Also exceptional is the use of back story for exposition, which is to say learning about the pasts of the some of the characters, which explains their motivations. The way the elder Chang is presented is suggestive of a Fu-Manchu movie of an earlier time that may offend (or amuse) certain viewers.
I found the use of stereotyped characters, rituals and customs handled with just the right amount of humor and sophistication to make what otherwise might have seemed a slight tale a fascinating and hugely entertaining one, as much for the stylish way it was told as for the tale itself. The cast is game, with a nicely poised James Hong handsome and solid as the younger Chang, Frances Fong lovely as his love interest and non-Asian Richard Hale spooky looking and acting as a concerned and loving father.
The murder occurs quite early in the episode, and it's a painful to watch. Once Peter is on the case, working for youthful restaurant owner and Chinatown mover and shaker Johnny Chang, as the plot thickens. Johnny's a friend of Peter's, and there's back story to spare when Johnny's ancient father enters the picture when Peter's taken to pay a visit to him under unusual circumstances.
There's a fair amount of lying, posing and perfidy going on; and the characters are offbeat and mysterious even even for a Peter Gunn episode. Also exceptional is the use of back story for exposition, which is to say learning about the pasts of the some of the characters, which explains their motivations. The way the elder Chang is presented is suggestive of a Fu-Manchu movie of an earlier time that may offend (or amuse) certain viewers.
I found the use of stereotyped characters, rituals and customs handled with just the right amount of humor and sophistication to make what otherwise might have seemed a slight tale a fascinating and hugely entertaining one, as much for the stylish way it was told as for the tale itself. The cast is game, with a nicely poised James Hong handsome and solid as the younger Chang, Frances Fong lovely as his love interest and non-Asian Richard Hale spooky looking and acting as a concerned and loving father.