Magnum Mania!

The Elmo Ziller Story

Episode ID: 39
Episode Number: 2.21
Air Date: 3/25/1982
Writer: Robert Hamilton
Director: Mike Vejar
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Glenn Cannon (Doc Ibold)

Guest Stars

Robin Dearden (Lexi Ziller), Barbara Rhoades (Marcella Ziller), Med Flory (Texas Henchman #1), John Dennis Johnston (Texas Henchman #2), Gillian Dobb (Sylvia), Henry Kapono (Rodeo Worker)

Plot Outline

Magnum meets Higgins' illegitimate half-brother, a swaggering Texan named Elmo Ziller, who was supposedly murdered. Now, Ziller's daughter asks Magnum to protect her father from ruthless killers, while Ziller asks Magnum to prove that his wife is trying to murder him. Meanwhile, Magnum can't help thinking that Higgins and Elmo are one and the same.

Rating

8.5 (13 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

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

2 John Hillerman plays Texas cowboy Elmo Ziller, one of Higgins's illegitimate half-brothers. He will play two more half-brothers in future episodes, Fr. Patty McGuiness in "Faith and Begorrah" (3.23) and Don Luis Mangueo in "Who is Don Luis Higgins?" (6.19). He will also play his own father, Albert Stanley Higgins, in "Deja Vu (2)" (6.2).

3 Early in the episode, there is a scene where Magnum is searching for Higgins at the main house. The camera follows Magnum from room to room, giving the viewer a rare glimpse of the overall layout of the main house.

4 Robin Dearden (Lexi Ziller) previously guest starred in Season One's "No Need to Know" (1.5).

5 Higgins met Elmo only once before, on June 6th, 1944 at Gold Beach! Higgins' first words to him were, "Get your ruddy posterior down before it's shot off!"

6 Rick and T.C. memorably dress up as rodeo clowns for part of this story. A shot of Rick as a clown, dodging a bull, will be used on the 3rd, 4th and 5th season title sequences. Rick looks like some sort of "Rasta-Clown", while T.C. looks positively frightening, like a "Psycho-Clown", or something!

7 The rodeo scenes were filmed at a real working corral in Waimanalo, the New Town and Country Stables [map]. This location was previously used in Season One's "Adelaide" (1.14). (Noted by rubber chicken)

8 Gillian Dobb has a small role in this episode as Sylvia, the Belvedere Club desk clerk. Gillian will later play the major reccurring character of Agatha Chumley, starting with Season Three's "Black on White" (3.6). In the same scene, Walter Chotzen (uncredited) plays a bellhop [pic]. Walter will later play the first Icepick in Season Three's "Past Tense" (for one episode only).

9 Henry Kapono (Rodeo Worker) is a famous Hawaiian musical artist. He's best known for his work in the popular contemporary hawaiian pop duo Cecilio & Kapono. You only see him for a split second, and he has only four words of dialog [pic].

10 The "Belvedere Club" scenes were filmed at a private residence in Kahala [map]. This same house will later be used in Season Three's "Foiled Again" (as Velma Troubshaw's home). (Noted by rubber chicken)

11 Higgins mentions playing Polo in India (date unknown).

Quotes

1
(Magnum is determined to find out if Elmo is really Higgins or not)
Elmo: What the hell are you trying to pull?
Magnum: I wanna pull your mustache!
Elmo: You wanna what?!

2
(to Magnum)
Higgins: You must bring me the head of Marcela Ziller.

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