Private investigator James Rockford (James Garner) has his hands full this week. First up is A Fast Count, written by Gordon T. Dawson and aired 1 December, 1978. The phone gag this time around features a woman calling and giving a rather convoluted money trail about $250. Jim ends up working for a boxing…
Tag: murder
Chinatown (1974) – Roman Polanski
The final recommendation following my screening of The Big Sleep from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is one of my favorite Jack Nicholson films, and undeniably one of the best noir films ever made. Jack plays detective J.J. Gittes, and it’s the 40s in the city of Angels. Hired on a…
Smoke and Mirrors (1998) – Neil Gaiman
This collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman was just what I needed. All the tales deal with magic or illusion, whether in the form of creatures, sex, drugs, or life, the power of each is examined under the eye of this brilliant author in this wonderful collection of stories, some of which I…
Airwolf (1984) – The Hunted and Sins of the Past
There’s trouble enough for everyone in this week’s double episode installment of Airwolf! First up is The Hunted, written by Chester Krumholz, which aired 20 October, 1984. Gregg Henry guest stars as Robert Villers, a dangerous assassin who has his eye on Carter Andereson III (Joseph Chapman). Anderson has hired String (Jan-Michael Vincent), Dom…
Farewell My Lovely (1975) – Dick Richards
Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack O’Halloran, Anthony Zerbe and even Sylvester Stallone are all featured in this 1970s adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s novel; the next recommendation from The Big Sleep in the Great Movies -100 Years of Film book. Mitchum plays Phillip Marlowe, who is hired by hulking brute Moose Malloy…
The Third Man (1949) – Carol Reed
Joseph Cotten finds himself caught up in a dark thriller in this next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of The Big Sleep. Cotten plays Western novelist Holly Martins, who arrives in post-war Austria to see his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Unfortunately after his arrival,…
The Glass Key (1942) – Stuart Heisler
The journey into film noir continues with the recommendations from my Great Movies – 100 Years of Film for my screening of The Big Sleep. Alan Ladd is Ed Beaumont, the right hand man, and best friend of corrupt politician Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy). When Madvig shuts down a gangster, Nick Varna (Joseph Calleia)…
The Cabinet of Curiosities (2002) – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The third novel featuring FBI agent Pendergast is set, once again, in New York. It’s been a number of years since the journey into the sublevels of the Big Apple, but a curious discovery has drawn Pendergast back to the city. A charnel house has been discovered while the foundation of a new building…
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – John Huston
Humphrey Bogart stars in this classic film noir that is the first recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Big Sleep. Dashiel Hammett’s book comes to life under the direction of John Huston, who also penned the adapted screenplay, with gumshoe Sam Spade (Bogart) finding…
Magnum p.i. (1982) – The Elmo Ziller Story and Three Minus Two
Season two of Magnum p.i. comes to a close with the two episodes this week. First up is The Elmo Ziller Story, which aired 25 March, 1982, and was written by Robert Hamilton. Thomas (Tom Selleck) thinks Higgins (John Hillerman) is him on when he’s asked to protect Elmo Ziller, who looks exactly like…
