Gunn (film)

1967 film by Blake Edwards

Gunn is a 1967 American neo noir mystery film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Craig Stevens, based on the 1958 1961 television series Peter Gunn. Stevens was the only regular cast member
from the original series to appear in the film; the characters of Gunn's singing girlfriend Edie Hart, club owner "Mother", and police lieutenant Jacoby were all recast for the film. The movie was intended to be the first in a projected series of Peter Gunn feature films, but no sequels followed.

A gangster named Scarlotti once saved private detective Peter Gunn's life, but now Scarlotti's been killed, and Fusco intends to take over the town's crime syndicate. Gunn and Lt. Jacoby are convinced that Fusco himself must be behind it. Gunn makes a visit to Mother's, the nightclub, and talks to Mother. Afterward, he has a romantic interlude with Edie but is interrupted to pay a visit to Daisy Jane, owner of The Ark floating brothel. She hires Gunn to find out who the killer is. When Gunn returns to his apartment, much to his consternation he finds Samantha "Sam" who tries to seduce him. Even worse, Edie and a hitman appear at the same time. Gunn contacts his informants, and after more killings, he and Jacoby descend upon Fusco who seems obviously guilty. Fusco denies it in front of the two, and in a later beating of Gunn, he denies it again, giving a deadline to Gunn—to solve the murder or end up dead himself.

William Friedkin recalled that he met Blake Edwards in September 1966. Edwards told him he was considering a return of the Peter Gunn television show but would begin by making a Peter Gunn feature film. Edwards told Friedkin that Charles Bludhorn, the new head of Paramount thought Lola Albright "too old" to resume her former role and instead wanted an Austrian actress who Edwards rejected. Edwards wanted Friedkin to direct the film but Friedkin thought William Peter Blatty's script was awful, explaining the script was like some of the old television episodes cobbled together rather than something new and exciting. Edwards directed the film himself. Blatty was impressed by Friedkin's honesty and asked him to direct The Exorcist (1973). Edwards' film was originally titled—but then only advertised as—Gunn Number One! ; no sequels followed. As for Friedkin's comment that the script was like some of the old television episodes cobbled together, the film borrows heavily from the series pilot season 1 episode 1, "The Kill" (mobster's death by fake Coast Guard vs fake police, burial, romantic interlude, meeting at racquetball court, bombing at Mother's) and lifts sequences from three other episodes: season 2 episode 12, "The Briefcase" (girl in Gunn's apartment); season 2 episode 22, "Hollywood Calling" (chase through the boatyard); and season 3 episode 34, "Death Is a Four Letter Word" (talking to an informant). In a 2016 interview, Sherry Jackson told how she was hired for the movie. "A friend took me to lunch in the noisy Paramount commissary while I was wearing the costume from the Star Trek episode, "What Are Little Girls Made Of?". I'm terribly near sighted and when we walked in, it got quieter and quieter, so I asked what was happening. Turns out, they were all looking at me. All the seats were full, so we got a table in the director's room where Blake Edwards happened to be sitting. My friend told me he began pointing to me and giving hand signals to Craig Stevens in another part of the room and yelling to him 'Sam! Sam!' That turned out to be a character in Edwards' next film, 'Gunn,' and I was offered the part." Jackson continued: "But Paramount knew it was not going to be a big hit, so they wanted to use me to promote it. They got Playboy involved and offered me $25,000 to appear in the magazine." When Jackson declined, she says Paramount threatened to release some of the risqué still photos from the movie. According to Jackson, the studio said if she did the Playboy shoot, tame by today’s standards, she would have control over which images were published. "I was incensed, but accepted on the condition I wouldn’t take any money for it," she explained. that appeared only in the international version, not the U. S. release. Stills of the nude scene appeared in the August 1967 issue of Playboy magazine, in a pictorial entitled "Make Room For Sherry". Although the complete Peter Gunn television series is available on VHS and DVD, the film version of Gunn has never been issued on home video in any format.

In the TV series, Peter Gunn drives Chrysler Corp. convertibles. In this movie, he drives a 1967 Ford Thunderbird hardtop. Playing the part of Daisy Jane in this movie, Marion Marshall was a veteran of the Peter Gunn t. v. show, having been in the season 1 episode, "The Chinese Hangman," playing the part of Joanna Lund. Reprising his role as a well spoken though tipsy informant, J. Pat O'Malley guest stars as Tinker; he played the essentially same character in the Peter Gunn series' season 2 episode, "The Price is Murder", as Pithias, and in the season 3 episode, "Death Is a Four Letter Word", as Luther. The only movie songs that originated in the t. v. series are "Peter Gunn" and "Dreamsville". Julie Andrews mentions in her book, Home Work, that her husband, Blake Edwards, had collaborated with William Peter Blatty in writing several films, including Gunn.