Main Cast: Peter Jurasik, Peter Strauss, Pearl Bailey, Barbara Williams, Charles Cioffi
Release Year: 1989
Country: US
Run Time: 97 minutes
Plot
Peter Gunn was a one-shot TV movie revival of the classic detective series (1958-61) created by Blake Edwards. Edwards wrote and directed this pilot for a potential Gunn revival, with Peter Strauss stepping into Craig Stevens' gumshoes as private eye Peter Gunn. Peter Jurasik assumes Herschel Bernardi's old role as Lt. Jacobi, while Barbara Williams takes over for Lola Albright as saloon singer Edie ("Mother's", the night spot where Edie vocalizes, is operated by "special guest star" Pearl Bailey). The film is not updated to the present time, but is set in 1964. Gunn finds himself between gangsters and rogue cops when he agrees to get to the bottom of a mob hit. A lot more verbose than the old, visually dynamic TV series, Peter Gunn (1989) has the saving grace of Henry Mancini's original progressive-jazz theme song and musical score. Blake Edwards' daughter Jennifer is featured as Gunn's ditsy secretary, a character (thankfully) missing from the earlier series. This actually represented Edwards's second attempt to revive the Peter Gunn character in a movie format; he first did so with the 1967 big-screen feature Gunn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Andre Rosey Brown - Bouncer; Vito D'Ambrosio - Futsy; Jennifer Edwards - Maggie; Willie Garson - Rusty; Mary Pat Gleason - Nurse; Robin Greer - Hooker; J.J. Johnston - Barney; Israel Juarbe - Angel; Peter Jurasik - Lt. Jacoby; Rosanne Katon - Waitress; Tony Longo - Sgt. Holstead; Arthur Malet - Willie; Chazz Palminteri - Soldier; Vic Polizos - Gus; Richard Portnow - Spiros; David Rappaport - Speck; Jeremy Roberts - Slick; Leo Rossi - Det. Russo; Debra Sandlund - Sheila; Charles Walker - Detective; Jeffrey Alan Chandler - Abe
Credit
Richard Y. Haman - Art Director, Nolan Miller - Costume Designer, Blake Edwards - Director, Robert Pergament - Editor, Blake Edwards - Executive Producer, Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score), Arthur R. Botham - Cinematographer, Tony Adams - Producer, Greg Grande - Set Designer, Kevin McCarthy - Special Effects, Blake Edwards - Screenwriter, Stephen A. Hope - Music Editor
It was intended as a pilot to relaunch the Peter Gunn franchise starring Peter Strauss in the Craig Stevens role. The pilot was aired, but a TV series was not commissioned.
