Magnum Mania!

The Case of the Red Faced Thespian

Episode ID: 75
Episode Number: 4.12
Air Date: 1/19/1984
Writer: Robert Hamilton
Director: Ivan Dixon
Producer: Reuben Leder
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka)

Guest Stars

Ronald Lacey (Archer Hayes), Colleen Camp (Valerie Kane), June Chadwick (Lady Cynthia Warrington-Stout), John McCook (Nolan Atherton), Laurette Spang (Marge Atherton), Vonetta McGee (Inez Stuart)

Plot Outline

It's murder most foul when Higgins is struck on the head with a stray croquet ball right before a lavish Great Gatsby-themed costume ball is scheduled to be held at the estate. As Magnum rushes to keep things under control, some priceless jewels go missing, and an addled Higgins finds himself the prime suspect in the murder of one of the guests.

Rating

8.0 (17 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

1 This is the sixth "Higgins-centric" episode of the series.

2 Except for one brief scene at the King Kamehameha Club beach bar, the entire episode takes place at Robin's Nest.

3 The rarely seen second floor of the estate's main house is featured. There is also a scene on one of the second floor balconies.

4 Higgins arrived at Robin's Nest in 1972, and replaced the original majordomo Lowell Xavier Jameson (aka Archer Hayes) who was fired by Robin Masters.

5 More evidence that Magnum is a big fan of Agatha Christie. We saw him reading an Agatha Christie book (The Seven Dials Mystery) in "Of Sound Mind" (3.13), and here he watches a six-hour Agatha Christie movie marathon and he has another unidentified Christie book on his coffee table.

6 As a teenager, Higgins attended Eton College, an elite British public school for boys (13-18). He filled in for the lead role in Hamlet when the main actor became ill. He also mentions that the other boys at the school didn't like him very much.

7 T.C.'s love for dance is alluded to again. We previously learned that he loves ballet in "The Sixth Position" (2.11).

8 The episode cast and their 1920's characters:

• Magnum - Dashiell Hammett
• Higgins - Sir Fearing Pangborn (fictional Shakespearean actor)
• T.C. - Paul Robeson playing Brutus Jones
• Rick - Charlie Chaplin
• Nolan Atherton - F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Marge Atherton - Zelda Fitzgerald
• Inez Stuart - Josephine Baker

Douglas Fairbanks and John Barrymore (as dueling swashbucklers) are also seen and mentioned.

9 Robin Masters info - 1) He "never does research" for his novels, 2) His favorite charity is The Home for Incorrigible Boys.

10 Higgins quotes from several Shakespeare plays, including:

• Richard III - "Since I am crept in favor with myself, I will maintain it with some little cost..."
• Othello - "Roast me in sulphur! Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!..."
• Julius Caesar - "In every wound of Caesar, that should move the stones of Rome to rise and mutiny..."
• Macbeth - "Is this a dagger I see before me..."
• As You Like It - "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..."
• Hamlet - "Oh, villain, villain, smiling, evil villain!..."

Quotes

1
Marge: Great costume!
Magnum: Oh, this isn't a costume.
Nolan: Really?! You wear that shirt in public?

2
Higgins: Magnum, I'm very busy placating the guests. Now, will you please send Rick and T.C. away and assume the character of a reasonably competent security person? Only you and I will know you're acting.

Flubs

1 The official title of this episode is grammatically incorrect. There should be a hyphen between the words "Red Faced".

2 In the scene where Magnum, T.C., Rick, and Archer Hayes are in Higgins' study, there is a close-up shot of a brown telephone on the desk with no telephone cord plugged into it.
(Noted by Wally)

Wish to add something? Got a correction? Shoot me an email.

---

---