Of Sound Mind

Episode Number: 53
Season Number: 3.13
Air Date: 1/6/1983
Writer: Andrew Schneider
Director: Mike Vejar
Producer: Chas. Floyd Johnson
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Guest Stars

Roscoe Lee Browne (Carlton), Donnelly Rhodes (Wilson MacLeish), James Murtaugh (Simon MacLeish), Elaine Joyce (Marina Pepesco), Michael Delano (Tony Silvano)

Episode Brief

Magnum is stunned when Wilson MacLeish, an eccentric millionaire whom he worked for, is killed in a plane explosion and leaves him nearly his entire fortune - which includes a videotape suggesting he expected to be murdered by a relative looking to get his money.

Rating

8.8

(60 votes)

Rate Episode

Notes

¹ This rather offbeat, surreal, humorous episode is also memorable for the costumes the characters wear to a charity masquerade ball at Magnum's newly-inherited estate. Magnum (complete with leg in plaster from a fall) clanks about in a knight's full suit of armor, T.C. arrives as a French King, Rick (who always seems to draw the short straw) is T.C.'s French Queen, and Higgins is dressed up as, no surprise, King Henry VIII! This is one of the funniest episodes in the series!

² Most of this episode was shot at the historic Walker Estate in Nuuanu Pali. The estate was used for both indoor and outdoor filming. The Walker Estate was previously seen in Season One's "The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club" (1.11) and will later be used in Season Four's "Smaller than Life" (4.3).

³ The opening trailer features a shot of Magnum in the dark with some candles, which is not used in the actual episode. It is taken from the scene where Magnum is in bed and the lights go out, and he gets up to investigate. In a shot just before he falls down the stairs, you can briefly see the candles to the left of the picture. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

⁴ The 1989 Murder, She Wrote episode "Test of Wills" features many similarities to the plot of this episode (multi-millionaire fakes death and will, wealthy family squabbling over the inheritance, etc.).

⁵ Wilson MacLeish's car in the opening scene is an extremely rare, pre-1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V! The bodywork is by James Young rather than the standard factory bodywork. This car also made an appearance in Season One's "J. "Digger" Doyle" (as Robin Masters' car). (Noted by Reg)

⁶ During the reading of his will, Wilson MacLeish addresses Magnum by his full name, Thomas Sullivan Magnum. This is one of the few times that we see or hear his full name.

⁷ Instead of the familiar theme song, a swinging Big Band-style jazz piece is played over the closing credits.

⁸ Donnelly Rhodes (Wilson MacLeish) and Roscoe Lee Browne (Carlton) were both main cast members on the landmark 1970's ABC sitcom Soap.

⁹ The masquerade ball scene was filmed at Saint Andrew's Cathedral in downtown Honolulu (South Beretania Street at Alakea/Queen Emma Streets). The band playing at the ball is East West North South (a Band With Direction), led by Hawaiian keyboardist Don Eads. The band also features locals Mark Munekata on guitar, Cary James on drums and Lorene on bass.

¹⁰ Episode screenwriter (and former Magnum P.I. producer) Andrew Schneider will go on to produce and write for Northern Exposure and The Sopranos, among others. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best dramatic series for his work on the sixth season of The Sopranos.

¹¹ Magnum plays his saxophone for the first time. He will play it again in "I Do?" (3.17), "Rembrandt's Girl" (4.14) and "Autumn Warrior" (7.13).

¹² Magnum is seen reading Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery in paperback.

¹³ The mysterious Hungarian acrobats are mentioned for the second time. They will be referenced again in "Birdman of Budapest" (3.16) & "By Its Cover" (3.21).

¹⁴ The revolver Carlton uses at the end is a target variant of the Colt SSA, The Bisley. It is a fairly rare piece today.

Quotes

¹
(Magnum is "playing" the saxophone)
Higgins: Magnum....Magnum!.....Magnum!!
Magnum: Hi, Higgins!
Higgins: How fiendishly deceptive of you Magnum. I could have sworn I was hearing the emasculation of a large rodent. To my great surprise, I see the sounds are emanating from what I thought was a harmless musical instrument.
Magnum: Cute Higgins, real cute.
(Magnum plays sax again)
Higgins: Why Magnum? Why do this terrible thing?
Magnum: Higgins, I'll have you know I used to be very good. I was the second best sax player in my High School band.
Higgins: Well how many sax players were there?!
Magnum: ...Anyway, I just saw this in a pawn shop window and thought I'd like to try and get my chops back.
Higgins: May I suggest that your "chops" are irretrievable.
Magnum: Higgins, did you come here just to abuse me!?

²
Rick: I saw in this movie once where they bumped off this guy for his money. They took a lawn mower, an electric lawn mower, and threw it right in the bathtub. Bzzzzzzzzzz! It fried him just like that! You better take showers.
Magnum: Guys!
T.C.: Come to think of it, you better stay out of the kitchen too, all sorts of things can happen in there - Gas, poisoning, garbage disposals.
Magnum: Garbage disposals??
Rick: And look on the bright side of it pal, at least nobody's shooting at you...

³
Higgins: I say Magnum, one shouldn't lie down in a suit of armor. It's quite impossible to get up.
Magnum: I did not lie down, I was knocked down!
Higgins: I recall reading about this knight in the Crusades who was chasing this Saracen woman. It seems he tripped and fell on his back while amorously aroused and eventually starved to death.

Flubs

¹ The "Colt .45 vintage 1860" in the gun cabinet that is mentioned by Carlton is actually a Colt Single Action Army (SAA). Oddly enough, a Colt SAA is used by Carlton and Magnum in the denouement when they pretend they are going to shoot Wilson MacLeish. (ID'd by MaximRecoil)

Shoot me an email if you'd like to have something added or corrected

---

---