Magnum Mania!

The Hotel Dick

Episode ID: 111
Episode Number: 6.5
Air Date: 10/17/1985
Writer: Reuben Leder
Director: Douglas Heyes
Producer: Chris Abbott
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Candy Clark (Leslie Emory), Phyllis Davis (Cleo Mitchell)

Guest Stars

Granville Van Dusen (Clyde Daltrey), Joe Moore (Willard X. Huxley), Norm Compton (Nick), Wayne Storm (Leo), Jeff Habberstad (The Catman)

Plot Outline

All that glitters isn't gold when Magnum is hired to prevent an elusive cat burglar from infiltrating an international convention of jewelry designers at an island hotel.

Rating

8.0 (16 votes) MM Episode Forum Thread & Poll

Notes

1 Candy Clark and Phyllis Davis begin their roles as Leslie Emory and Cleo Mitchell, two Waikiki call girls. Leslie will return again in "Straight and Narrow" (7.4), and Cleo will appear in "Murder by Night" (7.14), "The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company" (8.9), "Transitions" (8.11), and the series finale, where she marries Rick!

2 The "Hawaiian Gardens Hotel" is fictional. All of the hotel scenes were shot at the famous Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort in Waikiki. Other than the one brief scene at the King Kamehameha Club, the entire episode takes place at the hotel. This is one of the very few episodes to feature no Robin's Nest scenes.

3 In one of the scenes with Leslie at the hotel room (just after Magnum finds the phone number in the coat), Tom Selleck delivers a piece of dialog in a noticeably unusual way. His little "It Matters" speech seems almost mechanical in nature, with a strangely subdued tone [audio]. Normally, Magnum would say these type of lines with more anger and passion. It may be intentional on Selleck's part, a kind of "tip-of-the-fedora" salute to the title of the episode (and film noir Private Dick's). (Noted by IslandHopper & golfmobile)

4 It appears that Magnum's office in the hotel is the same soundstage set that is used for his bedroom at the guesthouse, only redecorated. The size of the room and the location of the door and closet are exactly the same in both sets. (Noted by eeyore)

5 A closeup of a computer screen at the hotel shows a date of "10-17-85", the same date that this episode originally aired.

6 Magnum is wearing reading glasses and he mentions to Higgins that his eyesight isn't as good as it once was. We will see him wearing his glasses more and more in future episodes.

7 Magnum's rooftop jump at the very end, where he overcomes his shaken confidence, is one of the most memorable "final frames" of the entire series. [video]

8 The beginning of the closing credits show the scene where Magnum chases the Catman around the pool, but the footage is slightly different than what was seen in the episode. It appears to be a different take, as Magnum almost collides with the Catman when the chase starts, and when they run around the backside of the pool no one is seen jumping into the pool, as was seen in the episode.

Quotes

1
Magnum: Higgins, if you are here on a siteseeing tour, I am busy, or do you miss me already?
Higgins: Hardly. As a matter of fact, the aura of pastoral serenity that has permeated the estate since your departure is positively delightful. The birds sing. The Lads frolic.
Magnum: The Lads frolic? What are you here for Higgins?

2
Leslie: Who cares? I'm gone tomorrow, so are you. It's not our problem anymore. What's it matter?
Magnum: It matters.
Leslie: ... Why?!
Magnum: It matters. It matters, because sometimes you get to a point where easy rationalizations don't cut it anymore. There's gotta be a place where you stop and examine your life, and if it isn't right then maybe you just gotta say no, and no more, ... or stop looking in the mirror.

Flubs

1 When Higgins first meets up with Magnum at his hotel office, look closely at Higgins' tie. For a split second, a small yellowish circle of light illuminates on the tie and then disappears! [pic] (Noted by MaximRecoil)

Wish to add something? Got a correction? Shoot me an email.

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