# Darin McGavin's Mike Hammer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708 "2016-08-04T02:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/1 "2016-08-04T02:54:21Z")
He beats the holy snot out of the bad guys. Kicks a guy out of his office by knocking him to the floor and kicking him in the ass several times as he crawls towards the door. Beats a guy to the floor, and falls on him with his knee in the guy’s gut. Several times he throws a guy out the window of his sixteenth floor office. This is the man I want with me in a bar fight! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/2 "2016-08-04T05:22:44Z")
79 episodes in only 2 years (1958-59) and I never heard of it. I would have been 9-10 then, but it sounds like it was pretty violent, so maybe my parents didn’t watch it. Or it was on after my bedtime. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/3 "2016-08-04T08:07:15Z")
Oh yeah, baby. I had major adolescent lust for McGavin. And the theme song, “[Riff Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9s_4t7ilf4),” is one of the greatest TV themes of all time. Where are you watching this? McGavin was also good in _[Riverboat](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052506/)_, as a Mississippi River captain. His pilot was a very young Burt Reynolds. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/4 "2016-08-04T12:30:32Z")
Darrin McGavin is a freakin’ American icon, and I say that as somebody who never knew he played Mike Hammer. Kolchak in _The Night Stalker?_ That’s where I first came to know his work. The evil henchman in _The Natural_? Terrific. But he’ll always shine brightest as the Old Man in _A Christmas Story_. “It’s a major award!” “Fra-jee-lay … must be French!” “Nadafinga!” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/5 "2016-08-04T12:46:46Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Where are you watching this? I came across it on youtube, and bought the first season on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/6 "2016-08-04T13:01:45Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > Kolchak in _The Night Stalker?_ That’s where I first came to know his work. Me, too. In an interview he said he hated doing it; to film night scenes they were working in the wee hours of the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/7 "2016-08-04T18:48:56Z")
I met him and got an autograph in the late 80’s. Nice guy. I was a huge \*Night Stalker \*fan. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darin-mcgavins-mike-hammer/761708/8 "2016-08-04T19:08:30Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I met him and got an autograph in the late 80’s. Nice guy. I was a huge \*Night Stalker \*fan. Very cool.