Luther Gillis: File #521

Episode Number: 65
Season Number: 4.2
Air Date: 10/6/1983
Writer: Reuben Leder
Director: Virgil W. Vogel
Producer: Reuben Leder
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Eugene Roche (Luther H. Gillis), Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka), Gillian Dobb (Agatha Chumley), Wallace W. Landford (Artie Keanu), Faye Cameron (Sister Mary Rose)

Guest Stars

Melora Hardin (Nancy Perkins Gillis), Jim Bertino (Scrungo), Gabriel Aio (Little Tony)

Episode Brief

When Magnum and old school private eye Luther H. Gillis encounter each other in a seedy hotel room with a dead drug dealer as they separately investigate the whereabouts of Nancy Perkins, a St. Louis runaway, they decide to team up to find the missing girl after the police burst into the room and arrest them on suspicion of murder.

Rating

8.6

(47 votes)

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Notes

¹ Eugene Roche begins his memorable role as Luther H. Gillis, an "old school" private eye from "St. Louie". He will appear in a total of five episodes, with considerable screen time in each one.

² Magnum and Luther each provide voice over narration in this episode.

³ Hotel Street, Chinatown is used as a filming location for several scenes. The Club Hubba Hubba, 20/20 Club and the Swing Club strip clubs can be seen in the background. This exact location will be famously used for the "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" sequence with Frank Sinatra in Season Seven's "Laura" (7.18).

⁴ The building identified as "KEKUANAOA" was filmed at the Territorial Office Building in Honolulu (425 South King Street), built in 1926 and on the National Register of Historic Places (1978). This same shot will be used in several future episodes for the "Hawaii Metro Police" establishing shot (and others, like the "Circuit Court" building). The address is always the same, "465" (which is different than the current address of "425" today). (Noted by Island Hopper & rubber chicken)

⁵ While climbing a fence, Magnum is shot in the head by some bad guys. Luckily for him, the bullet only grazed his forehead (but he has headaches throughout the episode).

⁶ Luther's gun is a Smith & Wesson Model 19 (.357 Magnum).

⁷ While in jail after being arrested at the cockfight, there is a funny exchange between Luther and Magnum that is reminicent of the Three Stooges. Luther is on the bottom bunk yelling at Magnum who is suffering from a headache on the top bunk. Magnum leans over to yell back at Luther, and then jumps back on the bunk crushing Luther's fingers because he had his hand between the springs and frame of the top bunk! (Noted by N1095A)

⁸ Rick comments that neither he, nor T.C. have any children. This will be contradicted in Season Seven's "Missing Melody" (7.11) where we will learn that T.C. has a son and a daughter.

⁹ Much to Magnum's amusement, Luther has published a book called So You Want To Be A Private Eye. One of Magnum's goals is to write and publish a book on "How To Be A World-Class Private Investigator".

¹⁰ This episode features a Mexican standoff, where three or more characters are simultaneously pointing guns at each other.

¹¹ Gabriel Aio (Little Tony) is a career criminal. He has served time for armed robbery (1965), felony burglary (1974), and conspiracy to commit money laundering (2002 - in connection with a large-scale Chinatown gambling operation). Aio previously appeared in Season Three's "Almost Home".

¹² In 1950, Higgins spent time in a dreadful prison cell in Calcutta for an undisclosed offense.

Quotes

¹
(to Magnum, who's wearing his red "jungle bird" hawaiian shirt)
Luther Gillis: Hoist 'em! Or I'll give that funny shirt you're wearing a couple more colors... like two shades of red.

²
Luther Gillis: You see, you just don't understand. Luther Gillis works alone.

³
Magnum: Hi guys... Now, lets discuss this situation for a minute. You see, Artie, if you guys decide to do anything funny here's what happens; Luther shoots you, the big guy shoots Luther, and I shoot the big guy, which means you two wind up dead and all I lose is Luther, which at this point sounds more and more acceptable. Now, there is an alternative. You can let us both go and we promise not to bother you anymore.

⁴
(Luther & Magnum are riding in the Ferrari)
Luther Gillis: Don't look so surprised, look what you are driving! How do you expect to lose a "tail" when you stick out like King Kong on the Empire State building?!
Magnum: Like this!
(Magnum downshifts and accelerates away from the tailing car)

⁵
Higgins: I say Magnum, you look like bloody hell. Beatin' up again I presume.
Magnum: No, I wasn't beatin' up.
Luther Gillis: He was shot.
Agatha: Oh, Mr. Magnum, are you alright?
Magnum: I'm fine, Agatha. I'm fine. The bullet just creased my forehead.
Luther Gillis: It's just a flesh wound.
Agatha: Perhaps if you'd enrolled in Jonathan's kung fu class you'd be better able to defend yourself.
Magnum: Against bullets?!

Flubs

¹ After Magnum is shot, Luther fires eight rounds from his six-shooter without reloading.

² Tanaka's nephew Bif is mistakenly referred to as his grandson.

³ Between 19:00 and 21:00, after the Kung Fu class scene with Higgins and the women, Magnum and Luther are in the guesthouse having a conversation. As the camera focus switches from Magnum to Luther and back and forth, at times the wooden refrigerator cabinet is open to reveal the fridge, while at other times the wooden cabinet is closed and we do not see the fridge! (Noted by J.G. Manoukian)

⁴ One week after being introduced to the back story, and significance, of Magnum's watch (a Rolex GMT Master), Magnum is back to wearing his old Chronosport Dive Watch in the first half of the episode. This is the same watch he wore for the first three seasons of the show! In the second half of the episode (after Tanaka releases him from the jail the second time), Magnum is wearing the Rolex GMT. In all future episodes (as best as I can tell), Magnum will wear the Rolex GMT.

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