The rarely-seen first season of "Mannix" is finally on DVD, and in this, the pilot episode, the tone for much of the rest of the series was set. The first season differed in some substantial ways from the rest of the series, of course -- here Mannix (all that he had until the fourth episode was a first initial, "J," seen in the opening moments of the episode) works for Intertect, a computerized private investigation firm headed by Lew Wickersham, played during this season by Joe Campanella. Campanella was, in some ways, an odd choice as Mannix' boss: with his mellifluous voice and lanky but still athletic frame, he could have headlined his own detective show. But he and Mike Connors had a comfortable chemistry, even though his function was usually just to give Mannix the assignment and step out of the way. His firm also relied heavily on computers, tracking devices, closed-circuit television and other sophisticated gadgets (for 1967) that Mannix himself usually eschewed, making him a bad fit in such a firm, which is no doubt one reason this premise was jettisoned after this season.
This episode itself, which was written by "Mission: Impossible" creator (and executive producer for this season) Bruce Geller, features a typical assignment for Mannix -- he's hired to find the daughter of a mob boss who might still have some ties to the "Syndicate." She's played by a young, pre-"Ironside" Barbara Anderson, and has more of a role than one might expect of a young kidnap victim. Lloyd Nolan, who shortly would have a starring role in Diahann Carroll's series "Julia," plays what we learn is the girl's stepfather (and hence more reluctant to pay the ransom than others might be) -- and Kim Hunter, still attractive though approaching 50, likewise has some significant scenes as the kidnapped girl's mother.
The show also showcases the late John Colicos, a busy character actor during these years, who does wonders to bring some pathos to an otherwise small role as the man who must collect the ransom money during a lengthy sequence filmed on the aerial tram near Palm Springs. (Curiously, this same prop would feature in an episode of Geller's other series, "Mission," even though by that time he was no longer working on that series.) The ransom drop also features some tense moments, along with a typically-clever ruse that Mannix has worked out to induce Colicos' character to reveal the girl's hiding place.
Besides the usual fistfights, gunfights, and car chase, this episode includes an extended helicopter pursuit in the desert that blends into a golf course, and some well-done photography of the tramway, both from inside the car and in aerial shots as it ascends and descends. As the pilot, it also provides some interesting character moments -- Mannix carefully checks his gun before he leaves for work, but uses his electric shaver in his convertible on the freeway; he reminds a co-worker with two items on his desk of the "one piece of paper on the desk at a time" company rule, then walks to his own disorderly office, complete with an errant newspaper and a set of golf clubs; and Mannix figures out the complicated double-twist in the plot at the end based merely on one character having known his name.
"Mannix" had a reputation as a violent series, but in retrospect it hardly seems all that more violent than any of the other P.I. series that preceded it or that would follow. What's equally on display is Mike Connors' blend of easy charm and machismo that helps explain why this series ran for eight years, even with the changes in its premise. The substitution, in the last 7 years, of Gail Fisher as his loyal secretary in place of Intertect and its gadgets carried forward the human touch that always made this series enjoyable to watch.
This episode is also iconic for those who got to know the series only during those later seasons, because at least half of the stock shots that were incorporated into the opening title sequence the rest of the series come from just this one episode: the shot of the helicopter descending on Mannix, the zoom of Mike Connors as his name was flashed on the screen, and what became the freeze-frame shot at the end -- a low-angle shot of Mannix leaping towards the camera. While some other detective and private eye shows did it equally well (e.g., "The Rockford Files"), none did it better than Mannix, who got a fine introduction in this episode.
This episode itself, which was written by "Mission: Impossible" creator (and executive producer for this season) Bruce Geller, features a typical assignment for Mannix -- he's hired to find the daughter of a mob boss who might still have some ties to the "Syndicate." She's played by a young, pre-"Ironside" Barbara Anderson, and has more of a role than one might expect of a young kidnap victim. Lloyd Nolan, who shortly would have a starring role in Diahann Carroll's series "Julia," plays what we learn is the girl's stepfather (and hence more reluctant to pay the ransom than others might be) -- and Kim Hunter, still attractive though approaching 50, likewise has some significant scenes as the kidnapped girl's mother.
The show also showcases the late John Colicos, a busy character actor during these years, who does wonders to bring some pathos to an otherwise small role as the man who must collect the ransom money during a lengthy sequence filmed on the aerial tram near Palm Springs. (Curiously, this same prop would feature in an episode of Geller's other series, "Mission," even though by that time he was no longer working on that series.) The ransom drop also features some tense moments, along with a typically-clever ruse that Mannix has worked out to induce Colicos' character to reveal the girl's hiding place.
Besides the usual fistfights, gunfights, and car chase, this episode includes an extended helicopter pursuit in the desert that blends into a golf course, and some well-done photography of the tramway, both from inside the car and in aerial shots as it ascends and descends. As the pilot, it also provides some interesting character moments -- Mannix carefully checks his gun before he leaves for work, but uses his electric shaver in his convertible on the freeway; he reminds a co-worker with two items on his desk of the "one piece of paper on the desk at a time" company rule, then walks to his own disorderly office, complete with an errant newspaper and a set of golf clubs; and Mannix figures out the complicated double-twist in the plot at the end based merely on one character having known his name.
"Mannix" had a reputation as a violent series, but in retrospect it hardly seems all that more violent than any of the other P.I. series that preceded it or that would follow. What's equally on display is Mike Connors' blend of easy charm and machismo that helps explain why this series ran for eight years, even with the changes in its premise. The substitution, in the last 7 years, of Gail Fisher as his loyal secretary in place of Intertect and its gadgets carried forward the human touch that always made this series enjoyable to watch.
This episode is also iconic for those who got to know the series only during those later seasons, because at least half of the stock shots that were incorporated into the opening title sequence the rest of the series come from just this one episode: the shot of the helicopter descending on Mannix, the zoom of Mike Connors as his name was flashed on the screen, and what became the freeze-frame shot at the end -- a low-angle shot of Mannix leaping towards the camera. While some other detective and private eye shows did it equally well (e.g., "The Rockford Files"), none did it better than Mannix, who got a fine introduction in this episode.
