Birdman of Budapest (3.16)

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#1 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:46 pm

This is the official MM thread for Birdman of Budapest (3.16). All discussions and reviews for this episode should go here. If you wish to rate the episode, please do so with the poll. The avg. score will be the official 'community rating', which will be used on the episode page (updated monthly).

This thread is also linked in the episode page of the Episode Guide.

Original Air Date: 2/10/1983
Robin Masters believes that his mentor is in town to interview a reclusive bird expert, but Magnum learns that she really has murder on her mind.

#2 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:34 pm

Come on, you have to give this episode some bonus points for Higgins hunting cry of the peregrine falcon when he's running.

Absolutely hilarious!

I love this site. Great work!

#3 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:54 pm

Hehe.... He also uses it at the end to scare the KGB-trained attack Macaw, which then gets pureed by T.C.'s chopper! That whole scene is one of my all-time favorite "Campy" Magnum scenes. I actually have a flash video clip of it in the Video page - direct link here.

Overall though, a weak episode, IMHO.

Matt J · #4 Post by **Matt J** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:21 am

I like this episode and always thought it was the one that proved Higgins was not Robin.

N1095A · #5 Post by **N1095A** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:43 pm

Is it possible for a macaw to fight the downdraft of a helicopter's rotor and fly into it?

#6 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:12 pm

Good question! LOL!

What a surreal, hilarous, situation we have here. A KGB-trained attack macaw is scared away by Higgins' peregrine falcon calls. The macaw is apparently so distressed and flustered (no doubt because of Higgins' complete mastery of scaring macaws) that it doesn't see a helicopter in front of it (or maybe it did and it wanted to kill itself), and flies straight into the rotor blades! But wait, there's more! It appears that it's not possible for a macaw to commit suicide by flying through a helicopter's rotor blades! A macaw can't possibly fight through the downdraft of the rotor blades, so the scene is a flub! LOL!!

Oh man, I needed a good laugh today!

Doc, I change my mind about this episode. This one scene, and the inclusion of screen legend Sylvia Sydney, elevates this a bit for me. Shoot, the ending alone almost makes this a classic episode!

#7 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:35 pm

TRIUMPH!

Even though I know "One More Summer" is out of reach, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

golfmobile · #8 Post by **golfmobile** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:29 am

AND there is another reference to the "Hungarian acrobat(s)." When Sylvia Sidney arrives at Robin's Nest and draws Magnum away from Higgins and the guy toting her trunk, she says Robin has told her so much about Magnum and mentions the case with the Hungarian acrobat.

How many of these mentions have we toted up now?

golf

#9 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:32 pm

It sure seems like they've mentioned Hungarian acrobats a lot, but I can only think of one other episode - The Big Blow.

golfmobile · #10 Post by **golfmobile** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:26 pm

I mentioned it somewhere else recently, in another episode, but I can't remember which one it was right now (I'm pretty sure it wasn't "The Big Blow" as I haven't watched that one all the way through recently). Does the search engine here search text in forum posts? If so, that would find it.

golf

P.S. FOUND IT! "Of Sound Mind." And, yes, the search engine here DID locate it for me! Good planning, James!!

#11 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:52 pm

golf, my coffee intake has been lower than usual today, so that might explain why I'm missing it, but I just don't see a reference to "Hungarian acrobat(s)" in Of Sound Mind, in either the forum or the episode guide! Help!

golfmobile · #12 Post by **golfmobile** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:06 pm

James,

You must not have used your own search engine!!

The mention was actually in the "Shocking Flubs" thread, where I wrote:

Back on to flubs:

"Of Sound Mind" -- when the Grim Reaper breaks Magnum's cane (Magnum is in the suit of armor) and knocks him down, he's like a turtle on his back and can't get up. Higgins, as Henry VIII, comes in and with great effort, Magnum is helped back to his standing position.

Then Magnum charges after the Grim Reaper and does the slam-into-the-door thing twice, the second time breaks through and falls down. And then he CAN get up by himself. Granted, he's on his side and not his back, but this doesn't make much sense. In the previous scene he can't get up, can't even roll over -- now he can pop back up? Rather a quick contradiction in condition.

Oh, and this episode has another reference to the "Hungarian acrobat" -- Carlton apparently solicited one for Wilson MacLeish, the millionaire who supposedly left Magnum his $50 million.

If I recall correctly, this reference was made in the ending scene where Carlton had the gun pointed at MacLeish and was reciting the litany of Macleish's indignities inflicted on Carlton over the years.
Does this help?

golf

#13 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:34 pm

Aha! Thanks golf. I did use the forum search engine. I just didn't see it in the "Shocking Flubs" thread. My bad.

So, it appears that the "Hungarian acrobats" are a Season 3 phenomenon - Of Sound Mind, Birdman of Budapest & The Big Blow.

#14 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:47 pm

WHICH would also tie into the timeline of "Gypsy's Curse"!

wilko · #15 Post by **wilko** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:28 pm

A fun episode if for no other reason that seeing Higgin's ordered world be pulled apart and he cannot even raise a finger!

Birdman of Budapest (3.16)

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Birdman of Budapest (3.16)