Noirsville - the film noir: Noirsville Bonus - Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Noir TV Series (1958

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Noirsville Bonus - Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Noir TV Series (1958–1959)

A Mugging Evening - Directed by William Witney, written by Frank Kane and Robert Turner, DOP was John F. Warren.

Wollman Rink in the Southeast corner of Central Park

This episode starred Darren McGavin as Mike Hammer, Yvette Vickers (Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Sound of Fury (1950), Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), I Mobster (1959), Hud (1963)) as Ellen Robbins, Irene Vernon (The Sound of Fury (1950), Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)) as Myra Robbins, Jack Hogan as Brownie, Gene Collins as Hill, William Keene (a handful of bit parts in Classic Film Noir) as Robert Bart and Pat O'Malley as the Neighbor.

Mike gets an office visit from Robert Bart.

So it seems this married business dude Bart, was away from home and the wife. He was looking to wet his noodle. He tells Mike that he picks up this sexy blond chick in a bar and she suggests that they go into Central Park for a little hanky panky. Bart thinks he's gonna get a quicky of some sorts. They go to a secluded bench picked out by the chick. Before Bart can get much past second base, two muggers pop out of the bushes and mug him. When he comes to he finds his wallet and hotel key gone.

Ellen Robbins (Yvette Vickers)

Ellen and Bart (William Keene)

mugged

Bart tells Mike that he was pretty stupid, and should have known better. The girl steered him right to that particular bench. He tells Mike that he is more worried about the contents of his briefcase that he discovered missing after he returned to his hotel room.

Bart telling Mike his problem

down to check out mug shots

Mike tells him that his best chance will be to identify the girl. The only way to do that will be to go with him down to police headquarters and look through the mug shots of women who have been arrested pulling the same scam.

That's her that's the one Ellen Robbins

Meanwhile back in an apartment, Ellen's sister Myra questions Ellen about this briefcase she found while cleaning up her room.

hammer-tommicaly correct

Ellen and her sister Myra (Irene Vernon)

hammer-tommicaly correct

Mike calls Ellen's listed address. He talks with Myra who answers the phone she agrees to talk with him. She tells him to meet her at the Wollman Rink in Central Park. Myra is an ice skating instructor. Mike questions her about Ellen while on skates.

Myra tells him that Ellen does have the briefcase, so Mike goes to confront Ellen.

She admits to taking it, Mike tells her that all Bart wants is it back. Ellen then calls her two accomplices Hill and Brownie and tells them about Mike Hammer she tells them she will call Bart and makes a deal for a thousand dollars for the briefcase. She figures to cut out Hill and Brownie and split New York.

Ellen with Brownie (Jack Hogan) and Hill (Gene Collins)

Hill and Brownie decide to tail Ellen. They see her dressed in traveling clothes take the briefcase to Bart's hotel. Then they follow Ellen to Pennsylvania Station and confront her. They stab her to death and take the money.

stabbed

dead

When Mike finds out about Ellen he assumes that Bart killer her, confronting Bart, he admits he followed her to the station but before he could do anything he watched Hill and Brownie kill her.

Mike tracks down Brownie, he tells him not to worry because Bart tailed Ellen to the station and saw her killers. When Hill and Brownie go to take care of Bart. Mike is waiting for them.

The end finds Mike making it with Myra, in Central Park on a bench.

This is the first time I've noticed Mike wearing a hat different from his series long wide-ribboned pork pie hat, it's more of a short brimmed fedora, perhaps it's his winter hat. Anyway this was an average outing as far as episodes go. 7/10

Siamese Twinge - Directed by William Witney, written by Steven Thornley, DOP Bud Thackery.

Sondi (Sondi Sodsai)

This episode starrs Darren McGavin as Mike Hammer, Sondi Sodsai as Sondi, Bart Burns as Captain Pat Chambers, Julie Scott as Billie, Arthur Batanides as Jack Slade, Eric Sinclair as Gary Milford, Eleanor Audley as Mrs. Milford, Barry Russo as Sam Oxman (as John Duke), Richard Kipling as the Captain of the Moonwind.

Gary Milford (Eric Sinclair)

Sondi, an Asian nightclub singer/dancer at the Club Orient, is offered $5000 by her boyfriend's snobbish, Park Avenue, high society mother Mrs. Milford to just disappear. Mike is hired to convey the money to Sondi. At the club Mike runs into an old girlfriend Billie who works as a hat check girl.

Billie (Julie Scott )

Sondi turns down the offer and Mike takes the money back to Mrs. Milford. When Sondi's husband a Merchant Marine seaman from whom she ran away from long ago arrives in port making trouble, Sondi decides she wants the money after all so that she can offer it to her husband to make him go away.

Mrs. Milford (Eleanor Audley)

When her husband shows up to collect the money he gets rough with her and she shoots him in self defence. He falls down the stage door staircase spilling the money. Sondi runs away. All this was observed by another seaman who runs over gathers up the $5,000 and bashes the brains in of her husband finishing him off.