S01/E26: KEEP SMILING

A huge bowling tournament (referred to as a “bowling conclave” in this episode) has come to town with participants from all over the country set to compete. Two men and a woman, Frank and Phil (whom are brothers), and Emily (who is smoking hot), have set up a blackmailing scheme to trap naïve tourists in town for the conclave; well-established men from reputable backgrounds and possibly married. Emily seduces the male victims and then has Frank and Phil secretly photograph and tape record the encounters, surely sexual in nature. The group would then request large sums of money from the victims in exchange for film negatives and tapes, implying exposure back home if the man doesn’t pay, which would ruin his life and reputation.

Emily enters the bowling alley where the conclave will take place. One man, Sam Wallace, is inside working alone on paperwork for the tournament. He is wearing a tag and ribbon; the tag has the words “Champion Bowlers” and also “Keep Smiling” on it. Emily walks in (a very sexy shot of just the bottom of her legs in stockings walking across the floor). She approaches Sam, who is a banker back home and also trained as a boxer. Sam is surprised to see her; giving the impression that what they had together was supposed to be a one-time thing. Emily tells Sam that she waited for him, but he tells her that they shouldn’t see each other anymore. Frank and Phil enter and Emily introduces them as friends. Frank then puts a photograph in Sam’s hand; a picture of Sam and Emily together. Phil says they want five thousand dollars for the camera film negatives. Sam Wallace becomes infuriated at the idea of being blackmailed and punches Frank, who goes down. Sam then turns to punch Phil, but Frank has gotten back up, grabs a bowling ball, and bashes Sam in the back of the head, killing him. Frank then rolls the ball across a bowling lane (even though there are no pins on the other end). (Oddly, the trio do not seem bothered about having wasted their time with Emily seducing Sam Wallace, as well as recording and photographing an intimate encounter, all for nothing.)

It appears to be the next day and there is a lot of activity in the bowling alley with many tournament participants practicing. Lt. Jacoby is there investigating the murder and speaks with the chairman of the tournament, Eric Woolrich. (Role played by actor Jackie Coogan, who may be best remembered as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family TV series from 1964 to 1966.) Jacoby shows Woolrich a photo of Sam Wallace, but Woolrich doesn’t know who it is.

Peter Gunn arrives as Jacoby is leaving. Gunn tries some humor, but Jacoby is not in the mood for it. Jacoby tells Gunn that a man from out of town was found dead by the waterfront, but he wasn’t killed there. He had bowling tournament tags on him and a pack of matches from The Bamboo Club in his pocket. Jacoby then leaves.

Gunn then speaks with tournament chairman Eric Woolrich, who had called Gunn to meet with him. Woolrich explains that he’s the victim of a blackmailing crew wanting a lot of money for photographs and recordings of him with a lady he’d met. He says, “Well, not exactly a lady,” whereby Gunn should get the hint as to what he’s referring to. Woolrich says his days are very busy occupied with bowling tournament matters, but at night he finds himself as a lonely man in a strange town and that’s why he fell into the trap and predicament he’s in. Woolrich wants Gunn to get the pictures and tape recordings; that he doesn’t mind paying for them, but won’t allow them to “bleed” him forever. He gives Gunn a description of the woman and the address where he’d gone to meet with her, and that she gave her name as Francis. Gunn tells Woolrich his fee for the assignment is a thousand dollars and Woolrich agrees to pay it. (Adjusted for inflation, $1,000 in 1959 is equal to about $9,013 at the time of this writing in 2021).

In what is possibly the shortest scene in the entire series of Peter Gunn, Gunn walks down some steps with the landlady of the apartment building where Woolrich met with the blackmailing woman. The landlady says the woman rented the apartment last week and never came back. (Scene over.)

Jacoby and Peter Gunn are back at the bowling alley after being called in by Eric Woolrich, who tells them that he’s learned one of the teams is missing a player and it may the deceased man that Jacoby was inquiring about. Woolrich then calls over that team’s leader, a man named Peterson, who was bowling as Woolrich called out to him. He walks over and positively identifies a photo Jacoby shows him as Sam Wallace.

Back at Jacoby’s office, Gunn tells Jacoby about the situation with his client and both have a theory that the murder of Sam Wallace must have been about the same thing, but Wallace must have resisted being blackmailed and had to be killed before he tips off authorities. A call comes in from a newspaper reporter named Teddy wanting to know about the murder of an out-of-towner and Jacoby begins to tell him that he’s got a couple of leads and will let him know more soon, but Gunn grabs the phone and starts talking to the reporter; this aggravates Jacoby. Gunn tells Teddy that police are completely “baffled” and to give him time to work on the case. He then hangs up and Jacoby yells, “What did you do that for?” Gunn says to let the reporter print that police are baffled so that the culprits don’t get spooked and maybe they will “hit again tonight”. (It appears newspapers were printed and put out for sale very quickly back then). Gunn talks about setting a trap since his client knows who the girl is.

Gunn and Jacoby are seated at the bar in The Bamboo Club, both wearing “Champion Bowlers, Keep Smiling” ribbon tags on their lapels and puffing on cigars. (This is the only time in the series that the staunchly health-conscious Jacoby, known for mixing concoctions of different fruit juices with health remedies as seen in later episodes, is seen smoking anything). A band on stage is playing a tune called “My Manne Shelly” (with Jazz musician Shelly Manne at the drums alongside his combo). A hot brunette enters the club and Gunn looks over at Eric Woolrich, who signals by shaking his head that it’s not her. The woman’s date then goes over and takes her to a seat. A clock on the wall behind the bar shows the time 10:26.

In the next scene with a close up of the clock it is 11:35. Jacoby looks bored and sleepy. Gunn puts out his cigar and another stunning brunette, Emily (who Woolrich knows as Francis) enters. Woolrich nods his head and waves his hand at Gunn indicating that it is her. (In a film editing goof up, Gunn had his head turned toward Emily and could not have seen Woolrich motioning his signals, but the episode wants viewers to believe he saw it). Gunn immediately begins acting nutty very loudly and changes his accent. He yells out at other men in the club saying he’s going to buy everyone a drink. In the meantime, the club’s Maître D' approaches Emily and tells her that women aren’t allowed in the club without an escort. She tells the Maître D' that she’s meeting with a gentleman, but he isn’t buying it. That’s when nutty Gunn comes to the rescue saying he’s the gentleman she’s expecting. He says, “I thought you’d never show up.” The Maître D' walks away. Gunn offers to buy Emily a drink and asks her name. She replies, “Margaret”. Gunn gives his name as “Henry”.

Several seats away at the bar, Jacoby is listening in on Gunn’s ridiculous antics while trying to impress and flatter Emily. Gunn says he wants to go to a “nice, quiet” place with her somewhere and Emily invites him back to her place for a drink. However, she says that they can’t be seen leaving the bar together. (Why not?) Emily gives Gunn an address and tells him to wait for her there. Jacoby hears the address. Gunn then leaves.

Gunn gives the address to a police detective standing outside the club.

In Emily’s apartment, Gunn and Emily are in a compromising position on the couch kissing intimately. Frank and Phil then walk in on them and Phil snaps a photograph. Frank points a revolver at Gunn and tells him that he also has every passionate word Gunn spoke on tape. Peter Gunn acts confused and asks “Margaret” if she knows these people. When she doesn’t respond he tells her, “You tricked me.” Phil then removes Gunn’s wallet from his jacket pocket and reads out the name “Henry Morgansen” from Springfield, Illinois. Peter Gunn pretends he’s worried about the photo and tape and tells Frank that he’s a respectable man. Phil then punches Gunn, knocking him down to the couch. Phil tells Frank and Emily that this is Peter Gunn, a private detective; that he’s seen him before.

Emily accuses Gunn of having wasted everyone’s evening. Peter Gunn tells the trio it may not be a total waste. His client wants to negotiate a purchase of the materials they have on him. When Gunn is asked who the client is, he refuses to disclose the name. (Then how will the blackmailers know what materials to hand over?)

After Emily appears to give Frank the order to go ahead and kill Gunn, Frank walks over and he takes a swing at Gunn with the revolver, but Gunn catches his arm and punches him. Phil then holds a gun at Gunn, but turns when Jacoby comes busting through the door. He takes a shot and misses. Jacoby shoots back, striking Phil. Frank panics and yells, “He shot my brother!” and demands someone take Phil to a hospital. When Jacoby refuses to get medical help, Phil confesses and says they killed Sam Wallace and the photos and tapes of their victims are all at the Avon Hotel in room 3-C. Jacoby then walks everyone out, including Emily.

QUOTES:

When Gunn arrives at the bowling alley and Lt. Jacoby asks what he’s doing there…

Gunn: “Looking for a six-fingered bowling ball.”

 

At the apartment where Gunn is confronted by the trio of blackmailers…

Emily: “You’re much too young and beautiful to die.”

Gunn: “Well, I hadn’t planned on it.”

 

NOTES:

Unfortunately, the film quality for this episode in all formats viewed (network streams and DVD) is in extremely poor condition, which is a shame because it would have been nice to see the amazingly stunning Emily (played by actress Mara Corday) in much clearer scenes. The audio isn’t very good either.

Interestingly, the term “bowling conclave” is practically non-existent in vocabulary and if searched in Google, almost all results are related to this episode of Peter Gunn!

Peter Gunn actor Craig Stevens’ acting ability appears impressive as he put on quite a performance as the silly and nerdy naïve out-of-towner after approaching Emily in The Bamboo Club, having completely changed his personality for the part.

Mara Corday was born Marilyn Joan Watts in 1930. She was 29 when this episode first aired in March, 1959. She was a Playmate in the October, 1958 issue of Playboy Magazine. At the time of this writing, Mara Corday is still alive and living in Santa Monica, California. She is 91 years old.

Actor Jackie Coogan, who played Eric Woolrich (but better known as Uncle Fester) died of a heart attack in 1984 at the age of 69. He was once married to actress Betty Grable.

The trumpet playing by Shelly Manne’s combo’s trumpeter at The Bamboo Club was amazing. [Anyone know the name of that musician?]

DECEASED: Bowing tournament participant Sam Wallace has head bashed in with bowling bowl by blackmailer Frank. 

Total Gunn Kills: 0 - Series Total: 7

Comment below your thoughts on this episode and this blog

 

NEXT BLOG: S01/E27: “BREAKOUT”

*