MICKEY SPILLANE'S – "Mike Hammer!" - 1954 An excellent first stab at producing a series based on writer Spillane's hard-boiled detective. This was to be the pilot for the series, but the networks decided to pass on adding it to any of their line-ups. In this one, Brian Keith plays the hard as nails private detective.
This one starts with Keith paying a nighttime visit to his favourite watering hole and club, "The Purple Peacock". Out front, Keith stops for a moment to say hello to young newspaper hawker, Leon Burbank.
Once inside the club Keith orders a drink and a big steak. He joined by the club owner, Robert Foulk. Foulk nods at a table with three men across the way. He then says to Keith that two of the men are FBI types. They are guarding the third man who is a witness in a mob trial.
The three finish their meal, pay the tab and head out. Suddenly the night is split by multiple blasts from a shotgun. The mob witness, one FBI man and the young newspaper seller all go down in a pool of blood. Hammer rushes out and helps the wounded FBI man. He then has a look at the other two. Both newsboy Burbank and the Mob witness are dead. The Police and an ambulance are summoned.
Later in the evening, Keith is in the office of Police Captain, Robert Bice. They are talking about the killing. Bice knows it was a hit ordered by local mobster, Donald Randolph. But he cannot prove it since Randolph and his crew have alibis.
Keith of course sets out to prove what the Police are unable to do. He pays a visit to the apartment of Virginia Lee. Lee is Randolph's girlfriend and supplier of his alibi. Also at the apartment are, Randolph and his two pet gunsels, Donald Harvey and Dale Van Sickle. Words are exchanged and warnings issued by both sides before Keith exits.
Later on, Keith returns and breaks into Lee's apartment. He wakes her and starts with some heavy 3rd degree. Lee stands firm and tells Keith nothing useful. She cracks, "I didn't hear you knock when you came in." "Who knocks from the fire escape". Keith grumbles in return before he leaves.
The next day Keith is contacted by Miss Lee and told she does have some info for him. A meeting is arranged for that evening down in the warehouse district. Lee shows and tells Keith that she had lied about being with Randolph and his brunos at the time of the murders. She is telling Keith this, but has no intention on telling the cops the same. "I want to keep breathing, but I feel bad about the young kid getting whacked."
Keith heads home for some sack time before deciding what his next move is. As he enters his apartment, Keith is jumped by Randolph's thugs, Harvey and Van Sickle. They proceed to give Keith a first-rate curb stomping. Keith manages to get in a couple punches himself, then, dives out the bathroom window with bullets chasing him. Down the fire escape and into a pile of garbage Keith throws himself. The two thugs miss him in the dark and soon take off.
The thoroughly pulverized Keith stays under the garbage. "A guy needs some sleep after a beating like that. I'll just close my eyes and bleed a while." Next morning Keith hauls himself over to Miss Lee's apartment. Needless to say he finds that Lee has been dealt with by Harvey and Van Sickle, in a most unpleasant manner.
Keith spends the day licking his wounds while planning his revenge. That night he hits Randolph's estate and watches. He cracks the guard on duty and enters the estate. He sees Randolph inside talking with his gunmen. Randolph dismisses them and sits for a drink. Keith now enters through the patio doors and grabs up Randolph. A revolver planted up his nose soon has Randolph agreeing to write a confession. He ordered the killing of the witness and Miss Lee.
As this is going on, Harvey and Van Sickle have discovered the unconscious guard. They quickly return to Randolph's study and find Keith. Van Sickle goes for his rod and is shot by Keith. Keith smiles at Harvey and shows him the confession by Randolph. "This lands you in the jackpot." A furious Harvey now pulls his piece, but blasts Randolph before turning on Keith. Keith drops the man with several well-placed shots.
Keith calmly waits outside for the Police. He tells Captain Bice it was all a matter of self defence.
What an episode! It features hard-boiled dialogue from start to finish and is remarkably violent for the time.
The episode was written and directed by Blake Edwards. You could say this was a tune up for his later series, PETER GUNN.
The d of p was noir great, George Diskant. His film work include, DESPERATE, RIFFRAFF, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, PORT OF NEW YORK, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN, THE RACKET, BEWARE MY LOVELY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL and THE NARROW MARGIN. This one is not even listed on his IMDb page (B/W)
This one starts with Keith paying a nighttime visit to his favourite watering hole and club, "The Purple Peacock". Out front, Keith stops for a moment to say hello to young newspaper hawker, Leon Burbank.
Once inside the club Keith orders a drink and a big steak. He joined by the club owner, Robert Foulk. Foulk nods at a table with three men across the way. He then says to Keith that two of the men are FBI types. They are guarding the third man who is a witness in a mob trial.
The three finish their meal, pay the tab and head out. Suddenly the night is split by multiple blasts from a shotgun. The mob witness, one FBI man and the young newspaper seller all go down in a pool of blood. Hammer rushes out and helps the wounded FBI man. He then has a look at the other two. Both newsboy Burbank and the Mob witness are dead. The Police and an ambulance are summoned.
Later in the evening, Keith is in the office of Police Captain, Robert Bice. They are talking about the killing. Bice knows it was a hit ordered by local mobster, Donald Randolph. But he cannot prove it since Randolph and his crew have alibis.
Keith of course sets out to prove what the Police are unable to do. He pays a visit to the apartment of Virginia Lee. Lee is Randolph's girlfriend and supplier of his alibi. Also at the apartment are, Randolph and his two pet gunsels, Donald Harvey and Dale Van Sickle. Words are exchanged and warnings issued by both sides before Keith exits.
Later on, Keith returns and breaks into Lee's apartment. He wakes her and starts with some heavy 3rd degree. Lee stands firm and tells Keith nothing useful. She cracks, "I didn't hear you knock when you came in." "Who knocks from the fire escape". Keith grumbles in return before he leaves.
The next day Keith is contacted by Miss Lee and told she does have some info for him. A meeting is arranged for that evening down in the warehouse district. Lee shows and tells Keith that she had lied about being with Randolph and his brunos at the time of the murders. She is telling Keith this, but has no intention on telling the cops the same. "I want to keep breathing, but I feel bad about the young kid getting whacked."
Keith heads home for some sack time before deciding what his next move is. As he enters his apartment, Keith is jumped by Randolph's thugs, Harvey and Van Sickle. They proceed to give Keith a first-rate curb stomping. Keith manages to get in a couple punches himself, then, dives out the bathroom window with bullets chasing him. Down the fire escape and into a pile of garbage Keith throws himself. The two thugs miss him in the dark and soon take off.
The thoroughly pulverized Keith stays under the garbage. "A guy needs some sleep after a beating like that. I'll just close my eyes and bleed a while." Next morning Keith hauls himself over to Miss Lee's apartment. Needless to say he finds that Lee has been dealt with by Harvey and Van Sickle, in a most unpleasant manner.
Keith spends the day licking his wounds while planning his revenge. That night he hits Randolph's estate and watches. He cracks the guard on duty and enters the estate. He sees Randolph inside talking with his gunmen. Randolph dismisses them and sits for a drink. Keith now enters through the patio doors and grabs up Randolph. A revolver planted up his nose soon has Randolph agreeing to write a confession. He ordered the killing of the witness and Miss Lee.
As this is going on, Harvey and Van Sickle have discovered the unconscious guard. They quickly return to Randolph's study and find Keith. Van Sickle goes for his rod and is shot by Keith. Keith smiles at Harvey and shows him the confession by Randolph. "This lands you in the jackpot." A furious Harvey now pulls his piece, but blasts Randolph before turning on Keith. Keith drops the man with several well-placed shots.
Keith calmly waits outside for the Police. He tells Captain Bice it was all a matter of self defence.
What an episode! It features hard-boiled dialogue from start to finish and is remarkably violent for the time.
The episode was written and directed by Blake Edwards. You could say this was a tune up for his later series, PETER GUNN.
The d of p was noir great, George Diskant. His film work include, DESPERATE, RIFFRAFF, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, PORT OF NEW YORK, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN, THE RACKET, BEWARE MY LOVELY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL and THE NARROW MARGIN. This one is not even listed on his IMDb page (B/W)
