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Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and by ABC in 1960–61. The series was created by Blake Edwards, who also wrote 39 episodes and directed nine.
According to Vincent Terrace, Peter Gunn was the first detective series whose character was created especially for television, instead of adapted from other media.
The series is probably best remembered today for its music by film and television composer Henry Mancini, including the iconic “Peter Gunn Theme“, which was nominated for an Emmy Award and two Grammys for Mancini. Subsequently the theme has been performed and recorded by many jazz, rock and blues musicians.
Peter Gunn is a suave, well-dressed private investigator whose hair is always in place and who loves cool jazz. Whereas other gumshoes are often coarse and vulgar, Gunn is a sophisticate with expensive tastes. A contemporary article in Life noted that Edwards “deliberately tailored the part after the famous movie smoothie Cary Grant”.
Gunn operates in a gloomy waterfront city, the name and location of which is not revealed in the series. He often visits Mother’s, a smokey, wharf side jazz club that Gunn uses as his “office”, usually meeting new clients there. Gunn has a reputation for integrity and being among the best investigators; he has many reliable informants and is well-connected. His reputation is so good, the police occasionally ask him for help or advice. He sometimes works cases out of state and occasionally out of the country. Gunn was observed in “Murder on the Midway” as “wearing $30 shoes ($321 in 2023 dollars), a $200 suit ($2,144 in 2023 dollars) and carrying a solid gold cigarette lighter”. Gunn drives a 1958 two-tone DeSoto two-door hardtop in the first few episodes of the first season, then a 1959 Plymouth Fury convertible with a white top and a car phone. In the third season Gunn drives a 1960 white Plymouth Fury convertible with a car phone, later changing to a 1961 Plymouth Fury convertible.
Gunn’s girlfriend, Edie Hart (Lola Albright), is a sultry singer employed at Mother’s; she opens her own restaurant and nightclub in Season 3, named Edie’s. Gunn’s pet name for Edie is “Silly”. Herschel Bernardi costarred as Lieutenant Jacoby, a jaded, veteran police detective and friend of Gunn who works at the 13th Precinct. Occasionally, he refers people to Gunn as clients. He is especially notable for his cynical, sardonic wit. In 1959, Bernardi received his only Emmy nomination for the role. Hope Emerson appeared as Mother, who had been a singer and piano player in speakeasies during Prohibition. She received an Emmy nomination for the role. For the second season, Mother was played by Minerva Urecal, following the departure of Emerson for a starring role in The Dennis O’Keefe Show. Associate producer Byron Kane portrayed Barney, the bartender at Mother’s; Kane was not credited for playing this role. Bill Chadney appeared as Emmett, Mother’s piano player. (Chadney and Albright were married in 1961.)
