A.A.P.I.

Episode Number: 132
Season Number: 7.5
Air Date: 10/22/1986
Writer: Reuben Leder
Director: Russ Mayberry
Producer: Rick Weaver
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Kathleen Lloyd (Carol Baldwin), Eugene Roche (Luther H. Gillis), Annie Potts (Tracy Spencer), Clyde Kusatsu (Det. Gordon Katsumoto), Paul Verdier (Det. Jean Claude Fornier), Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka), Glenn Cannon (Doc Ibold), Phyllis Davis (Tiffy - uncredited)

Guest Stars

Stephen J. Cannell (Ray Lemon), Elisha Cook Jr. (Wilmer), Bryan Clark (Richard Lindley), Stephanie Blackmore ("Angel"), Krash Kealoha (Security Guard)

Episode Brief

At the 14th Annual Convention of Private Investigators, Magnum is to receive the 'Local P.I. of the Year' award, but the event is brought to a halt when Jean Claude Fornier, the famous French detective, suddenly drops dead while giving a speech, after being poisoned. Magnum is "helped" by several fellow crime-busting acquaintances as he seeks the murderer, and becomes entangled with a gang of drug smugglers.

Rating

8.4

(36 votes)

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Notes

¹ The episode title appears bottom-center of the screen, not the usual bottom-left.

² At the start of this story, and again later on, Magnum has a film noir-ish, black-and-white dream that he is a Private Eye in San Francisco, circa 1941. Elisha Cook Jr. (who normally appears as Icepick) plays Wilmer, a criminal who Magnum has tracked down. Wilmer is a famous character from the classic 1941 movie The Maltese Falcon, a character that was played by a young Elisha Cook! This whole setup is a forerunner to the upcoming "fantasy" episode "Murder by Night" (7.14) which is set in San Francisco in the early 1940s.

³ Four major recurring characters from previous episodes appear in this episode. For the fourth time, Luther H. Gillis (Eugene Roche), Det. Jean Claude Fornier (Paul Verdier) from "The Man From Marseilles" (5.20), Det. Gordon Katsumoto (Clyde Kusatsu) from "This Island Isn't Big Enough" (6.16) and Tracy Spenser (Annie Potts) from "Legacy From a Friend" (3.19).

⁴ There has been a persistent rumour for years that James Garner was originally pencilled in to make a cameo as Jim Rockford in this episode, but due to a dispute with Universal, the idea never came to fruition. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

⁵ The denouement has some similarities to the ending of the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, with (some of) the major characters laid up in hospital beds with injuries obtained during the climax of the story. (Noted by steveadl )

⁶ Several scenes from this episode were filmed on location at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel. The Ilikai was Hawaii's first high-rise luxury resort when it opened its doors in 1964. The Ilikai was famously featured in the opening title sequence of Hawaii Five-O, where Jack Lord is seen turning and looking into the camera while standing on the penthouse balcony.

⁷ Phyllis Davis is uncredited in her role as Magnum's secretary in the 1941 San Francisco "flashback" scenes. Her character isn't referred to by name (although Magnum calls her "Precious"), but she apparently is "Tiffy", Magnum's secretary in "Murder by Night" (later in Season Seven) which is also set in 1941 San Francisco.

⁸ Another Rockford Files connection; Stephen J. Cannell (Producer/Writer) makes a rare acting appearance in this episode as security chief Ray Lemon.

⁹ Mike Stone (The Streets of San Francisco), Frank Columbo and Theo Kojak can be spotted at the A.A.P.I convention. Their name tags identify them as the fictional characters (not look-alikes).

¹⁰ Krash Kealoha, longtime Hawaiian deejay/program director (KCCN-AM Radio) and creator of the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, has a small role as a security guard. He will later appear as a bartender in Season Eight's "Innocence, A Broad" (8.3).

¹¹ A scene takes place at Carol's rarely-seen house. It looks completely different from the last time we saw it in "Compulsion" (5.14), including a wall and door that are covered in faux bamboo! We also find out that she writes left-handed.

¹² John D. MacDonald's 1962 novel A Flash of Green is seen on a nightstand in Magnum's hotel room. John D. MacDonald is one of the greatest mystery writers of all-time! In other episodes, Magnum is seen with books of Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler. (Novel ID'd by Chris Ogle)

¹³ Magnum mentions the "Dubray Case" from "The Man From Marseilles" (5.20) and the song he was "forced" to sing (badly) in a karaoke bar, "Misty".

¹⁴ Higgins uses hypnosis again to gain information. He's used it several times in the past.

Quotes

¹
Magnum: Tell me how you killed the Fatman and why.

²
(Luther's speech at the A.A.P.I. convention)
Luther Gillis: Like any of us, Thomas Magnum has his ups and downs, kind of goes with the territory. I mean, hey, none of us are perfect, not even me, but you be sure of one thing. Every time I came to "Banana Land" on a case, he was always there to back me up, to do the little things that don't always show up in the box score. Providing me with the backup and the leg work enbabled me to crack three major cases. Speaking of the word "cracked", it reminds me of a time when my brother thought he was a chicken. We should have taken him to the doctor for a cure, but we needed the eggs. (laughs) So in conclusion, I just want to say I'm very proud to be here to today, to be one of the "Joe's" taking part in honoring our pal Tom Magnum as 'Local Private Investigator of the Year'. But, I hope to say maybe next year he'll get lucky and win the real award. The National one. But thanks again, let's turn the festivities to that superflash of the P.I., Richard Lindley.

³
Det. Gordon Katsumoto: Ah, never a lawman when you need one. That rookie better show up soon, or I'll have him pounding a beat in a cane field, by golly.

⁴
(to Magnum)
Tracy Spencer: I'm a regular P.I. now, just like you.

Flubs

¹ When Magnum and Luther are in the gun battle, and Luther fires, you can see the burning debris (paper or wadding) from the gun blank cartridges fall onto the hood of a car. (Noted by Tim)

² Towards the middle of the episode, when Magnum is driving from the hotel to meet Carol, you can clearly tell that it is Selleck's stunt double driving the Ferrari. (Noted by Van Mieghem Sven)

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