Mr. White Death (3.9)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the third season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
3
3%
9.5 (One of the Best)
14
14%
9.0 (Excellent)
15
15%
8.5 (Very Good)
33
33%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
23
23%
7.5 (Decent)
5
5%
7.0 (Average at Best)
1
1%
6.5 (Not So Good)
3
3%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
0
No votes
5.0 (Just Awful)
4
4%
 
Total votes: 101

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IslandHopper
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#11 Post by IslandHopper »

Additional flub for “Mr. White Death.”

Higgins tells Earl that he and Corky Bostwick were stationed at Gwangju (Kwangju) together. In this episode Higgins also says that Corky Bostwick took a terrible hit at Anzio (January 22, 1944 to May 24, 1944), and that he always wondered what became of Corky, and that he lost touch with Corky. Higgins’ History indicates that Higgins was in Gwangju (Kwangju) in 1945 and 1949. Therefore, Corky and Higgins could not have been stationed at Gwangju (Kwangju) together if the last time Higgins saw Corky was at Anzio in 1944.
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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J.J. Walters
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#12 Post by J.J. Walters »

The guy who wrestles "Mr. White Death" at the beginning of the episode (Big Zongo) is a Samoan wrestler named Farmer Boy Ipo. Farmer Boy wrestled quite a bit in Hawaii in the 1980s. He was part of a tag team called "The Samoan Connection". His finishing move was "The Splash".

http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/p ... y-ipo.html

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Also, Magnum mentions the estate's hot tub again (see, "From Moscow to Maui"), and Higgins mentions the pool table. Both will never be seen. It's a shame they didn't work in a scene or two at the hot tub. "J. Digger Doyle" would have been perfect! :)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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rubber chicken
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#13 Post by rubber chicken »

Cool info. He was 6' 2" and 358 pounds. That's about my height but with two of me stuffed inside.

Remember a pool table is seen in Please Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (1.1 3:01). So there is a pool table floating around in the Magnaverse, although it appears to be in the real Anderson Estate house, and I don't think is seen again.

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I agree they should have had hot tub scenes, guess I'll have to make do with Austin Powers.
Last edited by rubber chicken on Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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J.J. Walters
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#14 Post by J.J. Walters »

Ah, yes. I forgot about the pool table that was seen in the Pilot Movie! And you are right, that is the inside of the real Anderson Estate main house.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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#15 Post by AJL »

As a former wrestler and wrestling fan I can say that the wrestlign stuff in this episode is really silly. They didn't even bother to get the names for the moves just somewhat right, though I like that they hint that it's not "real", something that was a big no no back then, and could get you beat up. Still, I really like this episode for a number of other reasons and gave it a 8.5.
Was vaccinated with a phonograph needle one summer break
Same summer that I kissed her on her daddy's boat
And shot across the lake
Singing all the way...
Oh I say mama
Living Ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama
And a lil' ain't enough for me

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IslandHopper
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#16 Post by IslandHopper »

Smakhouze wrote:As a former wrestler and wrestling fan I can say that the wrestlign stuff in this episode is really silly. They didn't even bother to get the names for the moves just somewhat right, though I like that they hint that it's not "real", something that was a big no no back then, and could get you beat up. Still, I really like this episode for a number of other reasons and gave it a 8.5.
Speaking of wrestling names, I believe, just after Mr. White Death's match ends and he and Big Zongo are leaving the ring the announcer announces the next wrestlers including one that is named "C'mon-I-Wanna-Kill-Ya." :lol: That cracks me up every time I hear it.
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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Italian Ice
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#17 Post by Italian Ice »

I really liked this episode. It had one of my favorite plots in the series, and well-known Ernest Borgnine who has had a big career.

TM's laugh when he finds out Higgins was also known as "Punky" gets me all the time!

I wished they would have made it so that the reunion between father and son at the end would have been longer. So much for "making it out to that ball game."

Poor Rick, he gets beaten up a lot in this one.

Wait a minute, I think I'm the only one in these forums that represents him the most! LOL
Higgins: " Dispatch the pig!!! "

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Italian Ice
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#18 Post by Italian Ice »

I just watched this one last night and while the closing credits were going I turned my head for a sec, then turned back to the screen and was about to shut it off when I noticed it showed the scene where Higgins sees Earl being cornered by the lads. You can clearly read his lips when he says "Oh my God!!" Funnier than when he's actually saying it all the time!
Higgins: " Dispatch the pig!!! "

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#19 Post by J.J. Walters »

Found some more music artist posters, adding to those that have been found in other episodes (Mother's Finest, Toto, Asia, and others).

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On the left is Pablo Cruise(!), a great underrated '70s pop/rock band ("Love Will Find A Way", "What'cha Gonna Do?", and my personal favorite "Ocean Breeze"). In the middle is The Whispers, an R&B vocal group. The picture to the right of Magnum is driving me crazy because I've seen it before, but can't place it! My first thought was Billy Squier, but that's not it. Hmmmm.

Also, anybody know what the arena is where the second wrestling scenes (towards the end of the episode) where filmed?

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I thought maybe it was the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor (where Elvis performed his famous concert in 1961), but the seating doesn't quite match it (it's too steep). It may be stock footage from someplace else, maybe someplace not even in Hawaii. With the rich history of Pro Wrestling in Hawaii, I hope that's not the case.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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lutherhgillis
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#20 Post by lutherhgillis »

Great spot, James. Pablo Cruise was a pretty good group. I am not familiar with the Whispers.

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rubber chicken
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#21 Post by rubber chicken »

James J. Walters wrote:Also, anybody know what the arena is where the second wrestling scenes (towards the end of the episode) where filmed?

Image
Oh neat! The "arena" exterior is actually Diamond Head Theatre, where if I'm not mistaken Rick Romer worked before Magnum P.I. Here's the official site, and a photo. Here it is in google maps.

The exterior of the theatre was also used in Let Me Hear the Music, 5.18.
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I'm not sure about the interior location right now. Looking quickly it doesn't seem to be the Neal S Blaisdell Center Arena.


Concerning another location in this episode... Sam had long held a theory that the office of Phil Lewis was actually one of the offices on the Hawaii Film Studio property. He recently asked Rick Romer about it, and this was his response...
Yes, this is one of the bungalows, still there, still the same colors! I'm guessing it was the entrance to the prop office which was on the other side of the building I was in. Most of the offices had windows near the doors and the props office didn't.
Credit to Sam!

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Last edited by rubber chicken on Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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J.J. Walters
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#22 Post by J.J. Walters »

Neato! Diamond Head Theatre AND Hawaii Film Studio bungalows! This episode has it ALL! :)
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!

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Rutledal
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#23 Post by Rutledal »

I just watched this episode again for the first time and it was pretty great. Good performance by Borgnine, but I don't understand why they described him as looking like he was in his fifties. Borgnine was on the high end of 60 and he looked like it too.

Also a "2 for the price of 1" flub. In the scene when Earl has Magnum in the death grip "for real", and T.C. and Rick comes to help. Well when he throws Rick over his head Earl, seen from behind at this point, loses his hat. Clearly revealing a stunt double with much darker hair than Borgnine. That's the first flub. The second ocurs seconds later when the shot changes and Earl's hat is where it used to be, prior to falling of.

I provide you with some screenshots for documentation.

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No hat.
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Hat.
So I made a Topic Page about Magnum, P.I. Check it out here.

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#24 Post by Sam »

Also in this episode,when TM arrives back at the estate from his meeting with Phil Lewis and is met by Higgins.The shadow of the boom-mike is seen entering from the right and stops at the green arrow.When TM turns to leave the shadow follows him and is seen on the bushes.

Image

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#25 Post by Jay-Firestorm »

The first of my double-Friday review. I forgot how good this episode is!

[rating=9.5]

Magnum, Rick and T.C. are befriended by an aging wrestler, who asks Magnum to find his son whom he walked out on years before. But Magnum becomes suspicious as he finds holes in the wrestler’s story. Guest star Ernest Borgnine makes this great episode…

-----

This review contains spoilers.

Until I came to re-watch it last night to review, I’d almost forgotten just how good ‘Mr. White Death’ is. And the one key thing making it so likeable is guest star Ernest Borgnine, and his lovely performance as aging wrestler Earl.

It could be said that Borgnine always plays the same character, and I suppose in a way that could be true; but he is a wonderful actor, and it is very hard to not warm to him.
It is surprising that he does not receive ‘Special Guest Star’ billing for this episode.

It is believed that Borgnine’s appearance in this episode brought him to the attention of Donald P. Bellisario, who was impressed enough to offer him a main role in ‘Airwolf’ (1984-1986), of which I am also a huge fan.

The friendship struck up between Higgins and Earl, after Higgins finds that Earl was friends with an old comrade, is also very good, and adds another layer to the episode.

Also of note is the first appearance of Ms. Jones (Maggie Impert), who will go on to have intermittent appearances in odd episodes, before having her own storyline in the fifth season’s ‘Ms. Jones’.

In other hands, the story could have been so-so, but thanks to a great performance by Borgnine, as well as the other able performers, this comes off as a really likable episode.

One of my favourite scenes of the season comes after Magnum has confronted Earl about the holes in his story; the scene as Earl wearily goes to leave the Estate, and his conversation with Higgins, is wonderful, and the sombre music score under it brings it to life even more.

The final meeting of Earl and his long-lost son at the airport is also great. The whole “we’ll see that ballgame some day, son” dialogue could have come off as corny, but in the capable hands of the two performers here, it works.

And then there is the classic final scene, with Earl’s aeroplane flying over. Magnum admits that the Mob will probably catch up with Earl one day, “but not today”.

All-in-all, I didn’t consciously realise it before, but ‘Mr. White Death’ is probably one of my favourite third season episodes.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* When Channel 5 broadcast this episode in 2002, in the scene near the beginning where Rick, Magnum and T.C. are being beaten up by the goons and Earl steps in, a brief shot of Earl slamming the two goons’ heads together was edited out. 5 were very cautious of children copying such head banging moves!

* When Earl is showing T.C. and Rick various wrestling moves, and carrying each in turn on his shoulder, it is quite clearly a double for him in several shots. (But there is a shot of him picking up Rick where it is actually him!)

* …In the same scene, when Rick falls to the ground, it is clearly a double.

* After abridged commercial breaks on so many episodes on the DVD version, this episode has gaps for all the commercial breaks. …I’m a stickler about things like that!! :lol:
JAY FIRESTORM

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