Italian Ice (2.16)

[Coops]

One thing, or flub, that I noticed in this episode is in the establishing shot of all the high-end cars the Ferrari is shown with a Euro-style "wide" front license plate. When Magnum is driving off the rear shows a typical U.S. 6-digit license plate which is considerably shorter than the Euro-spec plate.

[robspace54]

An enjoyable episode. I had no memory of seeing it before, until Katrina does her thing to the photo. That set the little grey cells working. I really liked Mimi Rogers as the character "Margo." Shame her character was not continued. Perhaps giving TM a steady was too conventional?

And the struggle between Selleck and Montana looked pretty darn real to me...

Rob

[Pahonu]

In the scene where TM is coming out of the guesthouse door and runs down the steps to trip over the crazy girl there is something interesting.

This is really the boathouse not a guesthouse. This scene is a continuous shot (as far as I can tell). Watch the area behind TM while the door is open. You can see what looks like stairs going down in the same fashion as the set of the guesthouse. I wonder why the boathouse was constructed in such a way? Anyone have any ideas? Maybe there really was a small guest quarters or game room or teen retreat or something there... It's wierd how they went to so much trouble to make stairs to go up on the outside just to go right back down on the inside...

Having looked over the property tax sketches of the estate, it appears that the storage area of the boathouse, listed as unfinished basement, does not comprise the entire ground level. It seems the boat storage area is only beneath the lanai and the shed roof part that extends toward the beach. The lower level below the upper enclosed portion is not storage, but part of the main living space and partly below ground. It is listed as having one bedroom and one bathroom. There is no mention of other living spaces, but neither is the main house so listed. It simpy says five bedroom, five full bath, and two half baths. Perhaps then it has a bedroom and bath on the lower level and living space above. This would total about 500 sq. ft. of living space on both levels. That could, indeed, be groundskeepers quarters or even guest quarters!

[John.1962]

For whatever reason this is one of my favorite episodes. Maybe because of the scratch on the Ferrari scene or Higgins comment about Magnum doing a "Burt Reynolds imitation for the tourists", I laugh every time I see it. Another reason is Mimi Rogers is just plain beautiful in this episode and makes a perfect opposite of Magnum.

[ThomasMagnum]

One thing, or flub, that I noticed in this episode is in the establishing shot of all the high-end cars the Ferrari is shown with a Euro-style "wide" front license plate. When Magnum is driving off the rear shows a typical U.S. 6-digit license plate which is considerably shorter than the Euro-spec plate.

Agreed. My problem with the Europlates on the cars is that they don't resemble 1970's/80's Italian plates at all. Yes, it's possible that the cars where from other European countries.

This is what an Italian plate would have looked like on a new car in 1981

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Italy_Old_Plate.jpg

The other thing is that when Magnum removes the keys from the ignition of the RR, the dashboard is in English. Having previously lived in Italy for a number of years I can confirm that a RR purchased in Italy would have an Italian dashboard but maybe this was an English RR with British plates?

But my biggest problem with the episode are the various characters speaking Italian. Some of it is laughable.

For example, when The Marchese is in T.C.'s chopper he asks T.C. "Dove sta' la Villa di Robin Masters?" which translates to "Where is Robin Master's Villa?

T.C. replies "Robin Ma....You know Robin Masters?" and the Marchese replies "Si, appunto." which translates to "Yes, precisely"

But the funniest part ought to be when the Marchese is hosting the dinner at the beginning of the episode, I believe he's talking about Katrina, he says:

"Carissimi amici, a certi momenti e' una vera Madonna e poi subito dopo diventa una Stregha. E' una combinazione molto interresante. Vogliamo vedere un po' chi e' in questo momento?" which translates to:

"Dearest friends, sometimes she's a real Madonna and then suddenly turns into a Witch. It's a very interesting combination. Should we see who it is is at the moment?"

The way this is said and the fact that you can detect a French accent makes it pretty funny from my POV.

[PhatCat]

My kids and I were watching this yesterday afternoon and my dvd skipped on the last minute or two. Right when they were wrapping things up with Higgins with the crossword. It's not scratched (this is the first time I viewed this dvd) so I think it's a error that happened when they made it.

Bummer. How does it end at the very end? After Magnum says "Try me."

Thanks,
Bill

[TheLads]

If anyone hasn't seen it, check out Ann Dusenberry in a Remington Steele Episode. Judith Chapman is also in this one. It was done in 1983 during the shows 2nd season. Ann plays the part of the 2 sisters who have grown up in 2 different worlds, while I believe Judith plays the part of the wealthy businessman's mistress. Kind of a silly plotline that I doubt would have, or has ever happened in real life, but it's a fun episode to watch.

10. My Fair Steele
A wealthy businessman dies and his heir is kidnapped, so Remington Steele must locate the heir’s long lost twin sister in order to flush out who was behind the crime.

Yes, a good twist on another TV convention. Twin sisters separated from birth turn out to be complete opposites -- one, a spoiled socialite; the other, a redneck diner waitress!

[grambax]

Not too much to say from me except to agree that its an excellent episode. Full of the unpredictable elements that make Magnum PI special, from Magnum's "attack" on the villa at the start through a plot that slowly twists and reveals itself, to the unexpected shooting. Plus it has great character moments for Magnum and Higgins, both apart and together.

And I really can't think of another actor who could get away with breaking the fourth wall in a drama quite like that.

[Croix de Lorraine]

As the chairman of the Anglo-Hawai'ian Cultural Awareness Society, I'd like to make a few points:

The Ferrari at the beginning is American spec - it's clearly Magnum's Ferrari with different plates.

Like someone commented before me, those plates are nothing like Italian plates. They just made something that resembled their vague idea of "European plates". They did the same in the episode with the cross-dressing hitman.

I'm afraid Coops is mistaken. The back plate is not American style. It's a square plate. Square is an accepted alternative shape for back plates in many Europena countries, especially in models where a long plate would be hard to fit.

If the Marchese has a French accent is because the actor who played him, Jean Claudio, was French.

Marchese is pronounced "Mar-keh-seh", not "Mar-kay-say"

The cartoon character is called Pepe le Pew, not Peppy.

Marquis is not exlusively a French title. It exists across Europe with different variants: Marquis in France and England, Marchese in italy, Marqués in Spain...

Como is in the Alps, right on the opposite end of Italy from Sicily

The Marchese is supposed to be an aristocrat, yet he lives like a common mafioso, complete with dumb enforcers. Stereotyping much?

[RamblerReb]

I'd like to point out a flub, if I may. When Magnum and the nutbar are speeding away from the villa after the raid, a gate guard fires after them three consecutive times with a double-barreled shotgun. Admittedly, it could have been a drilling (a three-barreled rifle-shotgun combination gun), but these are usually insanely expensive gentlemen's field pieces and unlikely to be in the hands of a gate goon.

[Visiting Stewardess]

Oh _ MY _ GOD!! IT'S A BLOODY GAUGE!

That made me laugh.
Also the way Thomas said "I didn't" (try to polish it with spit)... he sounded like a little boy who was just told off by his dad.

What a beautiful (steady) girlfriend he had in this episode. I nearly got a bit jealous. Such a shame they never used her or the character again.

When Higgins was shot by Katrina, it literally made me jump. I jumped up so much that I woke up my dog who was sleeping next to me on the sofa.

But generally that episode was just so-so...

[steveadl]

Just watching this one again now - here'a useless bit of trivia for us. I recognised the old Italian lady that TM grabs and puts in the boot of the car when she walks out of the kitchen to feed the cats.

It's the same woman who played Joey's Grandma in an episode of Friends when he was supposed to be on an episode of Law & Order.

As I said, useless info. - but jeez, she played an old woman in bit parts for almost 20yrs

[Seaver41]

was that TC breaking the 4th wall in the chopper when Magnum told him to take off? Sure looked like it.

My only real disappointment is not seeing Mimi in a bathing suit...........me-ow. Fun fact....she had breast reduction early in her career because she was constantly being upstaged by her girls when trying to get work. Not that she reduced all of them, but I can only imagine how she looked before.... Always one of my favorite strong women.

[AmandaByNight]

Just watching this one again now - here'a useless bit of trivia for us. I recognised the old Italian lady that TM grabs and puts in the boot of the car when she walks out of the kitchen to feed the cats.

It's the same woman who played Joey's Grandma in an episode of Friends when he was supposed to be on an episode of Law & Order.

As I said, useless info. - but jeez, she played an old woman in bit parts for almost 20yrs

That actress also played Mother Superior in the horror film Silent Night, Deadly Night. She was a very well respected acting teacher in Los Angeles and when she died the Directors Guild hosted her memorial. I think she tutored a lot of soap actors. For some reason, the name Kin Shriner pops in my head, maybe Jackie Zeman. The General Hospital bunch! I can't remember her name, but I see her on stuff like The Bob Newhart Show and Magnum and I smile because I will always remember her as the world's meanest nun!

I just rewatched this episode and really enjoyed it. I'm a big Ann Dusenberry fan (and I'm on her Facebook). She is so lovely. I also liked the bit at the end where everyone thought they were watching a play... Pretty wild play!

Also, not sure anyone's commented, but Dusenberry's character talks about watching Robin, her father and Higgins play chess. We were talking about RM and whether or not he was Higgins and this complicates it. Not that I thought he was Higgins, but it makes for a good argument against Higgy baby as RM.

[snp389]

Katrina truly was a 'froot-loop'.
Great scene where JQH, after being shot by Katrina, asks Zeus to answer the phone.
I love the 'Lads'. After reading Larry Manetti's book 'Aloha Magnum' and in particular the section where he talks about the fact that at one stage, the show's producers were thinking of getting rid of the dogs. Apparently Tom Selleck wouldn't have any of it. He knew how important the 'lads' were to the fans. Speaks volumes to the character of Selleck.