PETER GUNN – "The Leaper" – 1958
A man, Murray Julian, is perched on the outside ledge of the 10th floor of a hotel. The bellboy, Milt Hamerman is trying to talk the guy out of jumping. "Not on my shift fella!" The camera now pans to the rooftop of a building across the way. A man, James Lanphier, is looking out at the scene on the other building. He opens a duffel bag and pulls out a rifle. He screws a silencer on and takes careful aim. He fires one round hitting Julian, who of course goes over for the long drop to the sidewalk. Lanphier calmly packed up his weapon and leaves.
Several days latter the owner of Mother's Jazz Club, Hope Emerson, calls in Peter Gunn, (Craig Stevens) she wants to hire him. The widow of the dead man, Katherine Squire, is an old friend and would Stevens have a look into the matter.
Stevens pays a visit to his Police contact, Lt Herschel Bernardi for a talk. Bernardi tells Stevens it looks like a suicide. The body of Julian is quite the mess. Just then the coroner calls Bernardi. Would the Detective come to the morgue.
Stevens tags along for a listen. The coroner tells the pair it was not the fall that had killed Julian but a bullet he found in the mess. Stevens now pays the widow, Squire a call. Did Julian have a reason to be at the hotel? Squire tells Stevens about a phone call her husband had got a few days before. A fellow they knew from the old days had called and offered Julian some work. The man, Michael Ross said it would pay well. Julian had been out of work for some time and agreed to the job. "But he never told me what it was." Squire says.
Stevens follows the lead and finds Ross. Ross denies having seen or having talked to Julian in months. The pair are interrupted by Ross's wife, Jean Carson. Stevens mentions Julian to Carson and she bites. "Mike talked to him just the other day didn't you honey." Ross gives Carson a dirty look and smiles. "I guess I just forgot about the call." Ross mumbles. Stevens says thanks and leaves.
He noticed that Carson was wearing an awful large collection of diamonds etc. He calls in on Bernardi for another talk. "Any big jewel hold ups of late?" And the answer is yes, the very day Julian took his nose-dive there was a jewel robbery.
Stevens and Bernardi decide to stake out Mister Ross and see what develops. Needless to say we find out that Julian had been hired to cause a diversion for the robbery. He was to pretend to want to jump but get talked out of it when the cops arrived. Of course Julian had no idea that his death was part of the plan.
The boss, Lanphier now shows to settle the split with Ross. Stevens and Bernardi pounce with guns drawn. Coming quietly is not in the plan for the two crooks. A brisk exchange of gunfire is required before the matter is settled. Lanphier is killed and Ross wounded along with Bernardi who collects a bullet in the calf.
Case closed. (B/W)
A man, Murray Julian, is perched on the outside ledge of the 10th floor of a hotel. The bellboy, Milt Hamerman is trying to talk the guy out of jumping. "Not on my shift fella!" The camera now pans to the rooftop of a building across the way. A man, James Lanphier, is looking out at the scene on the other building. He opens a duffel bag and pulls out a rifle. He screws a silencer on and takes careful aim. He fires one round hitting Julian, who of course goes over for the long drop to the sidewalk. Lanphier calmly packed up his weapon and leaves.
Several days latter the owner of Mother's Jazz Club, Hope Emerson, calls in Peter Gunn, (Craig Stevens) she wants to hire him. The widow of the dead man, Katherine Squire, is an old friend and would Stevens have a look into the matter.
Stevens pays a visit to his Police contact, Lt Herschel Bernardi for a talk. Bernardi tells Stevens it looks like a suicide. The body of Julian is quite the mess. Just then the coroner calls Bernardi. Would the Detective come to the morgue.
Stevens tags along for a listen. The coroner tells the pair it was not the fall that had killed Julian but a bullet he found in the mess. Stevens now pays the widow, Squire a call. Did Julian have a reason to be at the hotel? Squire tells Stevens about a phone call her husband had got a few days before. A fellow they knew from the old days had called and offered Julian some work. The man, Michael Ross said it would pay well. Julian had been out of work for some time and agreed to the job. "But he never told me what it was." Squire says.
Stevens follows the lead and finds Ross. Ross denies having seen or having talked to Julian in months. The pair are interrupted by Ross's wife, Jean Carson. Stevens mentions Julian to Carson and she bites. "Mike talked to him just the other day didn't you honey." Ross gives Carson a dirty look and smiles. "I guess I just forgot about the call." Ross mumbles. Stevens says thanks and leaves.
He noticed that Carson was wearing an awful large collection of diamonds etc. He calls in on Bernardi for another talk. "Any big jewel hold ups of late?" And the answer is yes, the very day Julian took his nose-dive there was a jewel robbery.
Stevens and Bernardi decide to stake out Mister Ross and see what develops. Needless to say we find out that Julian had been hired to cause a diversion for the robbery. He was to pretend to want to jump but get talked out of it when the cops arrived. Of course Julian had no idea that his death was part of the plan.
The boss, Lanphier now shows to settle the split with Ross. Stevens and Bernardi pounce with guns drawn. Coming quietly is not in the plan for the two crooks. A brisk exchange of gunfire is required before the matter is settled. Lanphier is killed and Ross wounded along with Bernardi who collects a bullet in the calf.
Case closed. (B/W)