Magnum Mania!

The Black Orchid

Episode Number: 16
Season Number: 1.16
Air Date: 4/2/1981
Writer: Robert Hamilton
Director: Ray Austin
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Judith Chapman (Louise DeBolt Jackson), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Christie DeBolt), John Ireland (Wyndom Jackson), Robert Apisa (Kimo), Robert F. Hoy (Bart), Ray Austin (Philippe)

Summary

Magnum has been hired by a woman to act out some of her rich, bored sister's fantasies. What seems innocent enough at the time quickly changes when he learns that her husband is a wealthy and infamously jealous businessman. The line between fantasy and reality continues to blur when they are attacked by real thugs and the woman is mysteriously poisoned.

Rating

8.4

(32 votes)

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Notes

¹ The King Kamehameha Club "Beach Bar" is seen for the first time! It will be used extensively in many future episodes and will become a fixture of the series.

² The syndicated version of this episode usually has the opening scene at the abandoned airfield completely removed. So at the end, when Louise says, "This time the drug dealers are using real bullets", it doesn't make any sense to the viewers. (Noted by grundle)

³ A couple of deleted scenes can be seen in the opening preview and the closing credits. In the opening preview, Christie (in a bikini) is seen talking to Magnum ("It's an attention-getter", she says). At the beginning of the closing credits, Louise and Christie (both in bikini's) are seen sitting at a table at the King Kamehameha Club beach bar, with Higgins standing next to them. Neither of these scenes are in the episode.

⁴ Magnum delivers a couple of really good Sam Spade (Bogart version) impersonations, including a delightful "play acting" scene with Judith Chapman.

⁵ Judith Chapman (Louise DeBolt Jackson) will appear again in the show in Season Two's "The Woman on the Beach" (2.3).

⁶ The scenes at Wyndom Jackson's house were filmed at the famous Dillingham Ranch in Waialua, on the North Shore. (Noted by Sam).

⁷ The beautiful Rolls-Royce that Louise Jackson (The Black Orchid) is riding in on her first trip to the estate is a 1936 Gurney Nutting Sedanca Coupe. (Noted by seahawks1)

⁸ Episode director Ray Austin has a small part in this story (Philippe). He also has a small role in "Ms. Jones" (5.19), another episode in which he directs.

⁹ "Honolulu General Hospital" is fictional. The establishing shot is actually "Shriners Hospital for Children" at 1310 Punahou St.. (Noted by Sam)

¹⁰ The guesthouse has been re-designed/decorated by a "Mabel Dodge" (who is seen at the very end). The walls are magenta!

¹¹ The scene with Higgins talking about the black orchid (and how it's not possible in nature) can be seen briefly in the Quantum Leap episode "Another Mother". The scene is playing on a TV set in the background. There is also a great quote from that episode - A little boy mentions that is going to miss a Magnum episode and his mother responds, "Don't worry, it's going to be a big hit and run for eight years.".

¹² When Magnum P.I. ceased production in 1988, Tom Selleck, Larry Manetti and two business partners took ownership of a restaurant in Honolulu ("Restaurant Row", at Ala Moana Blvd and Punchbowl St.) and renamed it The Black Orchid, which according to Manetti was named after this episode. The restaurant was a fine dining establishment. Unfortunately, it folded after only a couple of years of operation.

¹³ Kathryn Leigh Scott (Christie DeBolt) appeared with Tom Selleck in the 1979 movie (and failed TV show pilot) The Chinese Typewriter.

¹⁴ Stuntman/actor Robert Apisa (Kimo) makes his first of six appearances on the show.

Quotes

¹
Louise Jackson: Some wives drink, some take lovers...but I play.

²
Magnum: I know what you're thinking. After the phoney beach attack, I should have said goodbye to Louise. But you know something, I was starting to have a good time. Maybe she wasn't the only one who had fantasies about famous detectives who are heroes. (Narration)

Flubs

¹ In the opening scene, just after Louise shoots Philippe and his partner, there is a 3 or 4 meter distance betweem the two bodies on the ground. Seconds later, the bodies are much closer together. (Noted by Bernd-Christian Schulze)

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