Magnum Mania!

Of Sound Mind

Episode ID: 53
Episode Number: 3.13
Air Date: 1/6/1983
Writer: Andrew Schneider
Director: Mike Vejar
Producer: Chas. Floyd Johnson
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Roscoe Lee Browne (Carlton), James Murtaugh (Simon MacLeish), Donnelly Rhodes (Wilson Arthur MacLeish), Elaine Joyce (Marina Pepesco), Michael Delano (Tony Silvano)

Plot Outline

It's no laughing matter when a practical joker dies in a plane explosion. Magnum is the surprised heir to the man's vast estate - but is the killer who caused the explosion now after Hawaii's newest millionaire?

Rating

9.0 (15 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

1 This rather offbeat, surreal, episode is memorable for the costumes the characters wear to a charity ball at Magnum's newly-inherited estate – Magnum (complete with leg in plaster from a fall) clanks about in a knight's suit, T.C. arrives as a French King, Rick (who always seems to draw the short straw) as a Queen, and Higgins is dressed up as King Henry VIII.

2 Most of this episode was shot at the historic Walker Estate in Nuuanu Pali. The estate was used for both indoor and outdoor filming. The Walker Estate was previously seen in Season One's "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club" (1.11) and will later be used in Season Four's "Smaller than Life" (4.3).

3 Instead of the familiar theme, a swinging Big Band-style jazz piece is played over the closing credits.

4 Episode screenwriter (and former MPI producer) Andrew Schneider will go on to produce and write for Northern Exposure and The Sopranos, among others. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best dramatic series for his work on the sixth season of The Sopranos.

5 Magnum plays his saxophone for the first time. He plays it again in "I Do?" (3.17), "Rembrandt's Girl" (4.14) and "Autumn Warrior" (7.13).

6 Magnum is seen reading an Agatha Christie paperback - The Seven Dials Mystery.

7 The Hungarian acrobats (never seen in the show) are referenced for the first time. They will be mentioned again in "Birdman of Budapest" (3.16) & "The Big Blow" (3.22). (Noted by golfmobile)

Quotes

1
(Magnum is "playing" the saxophone)
Higgins: Magnum....Magnum!.....Magnum!!
Magnum: Hi, Higgins!
Higgins: How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent. To my great surprise, I see the sounds are emanating from what I thought was a harmless musical instrument.
Magnum: Cute Higgins, real cute.
(Magnum plays sax again)
Higgins: Why Magnum? Why do this terrible thing?
Magnum: Higgins, I'll have you know I used to be very good. I was the second best sax player in my High School band.
Higgins: Well how many sax players were there?!
Magnum: ...Anyway, I just saw this in a pawn shop window and thought I'd like to try and get my chops back.
Higgins: May I suggest that your "chops" are irretrievable.
Magnum: Higgins, did you come here just to abuse me!?
[audio]

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