Peter Gunn: The Complete Series [DVD] [1958] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

PETER GUNN - FILM NOIR COMES TO TV BIG TIME
LA MovieGuy,
I have viewed the PETER GUNN set and I can tell you
I have never seen the series captured on DVD with
such vivid shades of light and dark, especially the
blacks against black areas. The black wet streets
emptied of parked cars, the neon blinking wash of
light and dark, all captured beautifully.
The audio is good enough to
really showcase how Blake Edwards and Henry Mancini
used variance in sound for dramatic effect.
I don't believe I realized how effectively they did it,
nor how concentrated an effort it was to pull it off.
TV sets in the late 50s weren't noted for sophisticated
sound.
You can read my review of the set on COMICS BULLETIN.

*UPDATE 10/28/12* I finally received my copy and after viewing several episodes from each disc, I can report that the picture quality is crisp and sharp - finally worthy of replacing the(unfortunate) bootleg copy I aquired several years ago. The packaging is user friendly, i.e. single-sided compressed discs are NOT stacked on top of one another on a spindle, but in three cases containing four discs each (with the episodes listed on each disc, for easy selection) - two on each side; plus a BONUS CD containing original Peter Gunn soundtrack that is in a paper sleeve. The Songs include: PETER GUNN, SORTA BLUE, THE BROTHERS GO TO MOTHERS, DREAMSVILLE, SESSION AT PETE'S PAD, SOFT SOUNDS, FALLOUT!, THE FLOATER, SLOW AND EASY, A PROFOUND GASS, BRIEF AND BREEZY, NOT FROM DIXIE. This is 'definitely' the set to get!!! :o)

PETER GUNN was a private investigative series, created by Blake Edwards that aired for three seasons ('58 - '61) and starred Craig Stevens. And now, on October 23, 2012, for the first time, Peter Gunn fans are being gifted with the COMPLETE series in one set that will contain all 114, 30 minute (black and white) episodes on 12 discs!

Suave and sophisticated PETER GUNN was like nothing ever seen before on television. He was a new kind of private eye. While others hung out in rundown offices, living hand to mouth, Gunn held court at Mother's, a high class jazz club, where he would often meet his clients to review their cases (with a standard fee of $1000). Always ready to bust the bad guys, the well-dressed Gunn worked in a different way; associating with the underworld was all in a days work for the unorthodox private eye, who had a reputation of being one of the best in the business and always trustworthy!

Peter Gunn was a highly-innovative and influential show. As well as boasting Henri Mancini's hit theme song (winning an Emmy and two Grammy awards!), it also featured witty dialog, snazzy clothing and elaborate camerawork. The show also features episodes written by Hollywood legend Robert Altman.

The special guest stars will include:

Shelly Mann, Diahann Carroll, Sterling Holloway, Ruta Lee, Jack LaLanne, William Schallert, Jeannette Nolan, Ellen Corby, James Hong, Anthony Caruso, Ted Knight, Paul Carr, Colette Jackson, H.M. Wynant, John Anderson, Nita Talbot, Frankie Darro, Robert Gist, Simon Scott, Peggy Stewart, Gavin MaCloud, Jack Weston, Whit Bissell, Richard Ney, George Mitchell, James Coburn, Ken Lynch, George Kennedy, Ned Glass, Barry Russo, Billy Barty, Phyllis Avery, Edward Platt, Wendal Holmes, Richard Reeves, Linda Watkins, Howard McNeal, Roy Thinnes, Barbara Stuart, Hal Smith, Victor Redman, Don Keefer, Ross Martin, Wesley Lau, Jackie Coogan and many, many more!

This is a series I enjoyed very much when it aired (although would have like to have seen it receive a one hour format to allow more time for character and situation development), and am looking forward to revisiting this old classic.

Peter Gunn - He's the hip, sophisticated and best dressed private eye in the business!

Oldie, but definitely a goodie! Closed Captioning is not included.

When Peter Gunn came on scene back in the late 1950s there had never been anything on TV like it before, and nothing since. Blake Edwards' creation was the coolest private eye anyone had ever seen on the home screen. Casting was inspired with Craig Stevens as Gunn, looking hip in expensive wardrobe, stylishly coordinated. His haircut - based on Cary Grant's hair style - was much admired and emulated. Stevens once said, "Basically it was a crew cut that was parted. Lola Albright was Edie Hart, his sexy, sultry girlfriend singing old standards backed up by an ultra hip combo at Mother's on the waterfront of an unnamed city. Herschel Bernardi's portrayal of police Lieutenant Jacoby was also something new on the tube. Jacoby and Gunn had a love-hate relationship that crackled on screen. Of course, the glue that kept it all together was and still is some of the hippest progressive jazz ever written and recorded by Henry Mancini. It made him in the music business. In season one Hope Emerson played Mother as a bold, brassy and well-connected old broad. Season's two and three she was replaced by another character actress, Minerva Urecal. Adding to mix were the myriad Gunn informants - a host of fabulously off-center out of main stream types portrayed by great supporting actors of that era. Edwards ran a tight ship as creator producer-writer-director with his hardworking staff writers and directors to turn out the half-hour black and white noir gems. The Timeless Video Group has made the entire series shine in sound and visuals. I do not hesitate to recommend this series to any one who loves polished economic production of action-humor-tight plotting-fine acting and one of the best jazz scores ever produced.