# Johnny Staccato vs. Peter Gunn **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766 "2016-07-13T00:59:33Z")\ **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:** [July 13, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/1 "2016-07-13T00:59:33Z")
Staccato was a rip off of Peter Gunn, but I liked it better than Gunn. It was more _film noire_, and featured confrontational subjects, like McCarthyism. Besides, Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) who doesn’t share my interest in _film noire_ or old TV series, speaking of John Cassavetes, said, “At least that guy was cute.” It is a shame that Cassavetes quit the series so that he could direct. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/2 "2016-07-13T01:19:29Z")
I think the best-written episodes of Johnny Staccato are more intense and real-seeming than most of Peter Gunn. Unfortunately Staccato had a lot of dud episodes, and if I’m not mistaken suffered from restricted budgets as it went on. I like how Cassavetes actually seems like a guy who might hang out in a subterranean jazz club, or at least would be familiar with habitués of that milieu. His distinctive, vernacular-style of acting works well and often elevates the acting of the rest of the cast. Whereas with Peter Gunn, Craig Stevens, by his own admission, was basically doing a Cary Grant impersonation. Both shows are highly entertaining, but I concur that, all things considered, I’d rather watch Staccato given a choice. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/3 "2016-07-13T02:38:57Z")
There’s no doubt that Cassavetes was a better actor than Stevens, but let’s get down to what really counts. [Johnny Staccato theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hddnMwcvmY) [Peter Gunn theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSkH-p1EW1o) Plus, Peter Gunn had [Lola Albright](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/20/00/d1/2000d139c2ea66466bceff83110dd08a.jpg). Score 2-1. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2016, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/4 "2016-07-13T11:16:28Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > Whereas with Peter Gunn, Craig Stevens, by his own admission, was basically doing a Cary Grant impersonation. I am surprised that he admitted that. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/5 "2016-07-13T12:03:42Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > There’s no doubt that Cassavetes was a better actor than Stevens, but let’s get down to what really counts. > > [Johnny Staccato theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hddnMwcvmY) > > [Peter Gunn theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSkH-p1EW1o). The Johnny Staccato theme is OK, I guess. But Peter Gunn is iconic. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/6 "2016-07-13T14:53:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I am surprised that he admitted that. I can’t remember where I read that to be honest, but in this little write-up about the show it’s asserted that Blake Edwards had Cary Grant in mind for the character: [http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/peter-gunn](http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/peter-gunn) ---
**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:** [July 13, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/7 "2016-07-13T15:13:17Z")
Thanks, Ellis. Upon watching Peter Gunn for the first time, I wondered, “Why the hell is he acting like Cary Grant?” ---
**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:** [July 13, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-staccato-vs-peter-gunn/759766/8 "2016-07-13T23:54:32Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Plus, Peter Gunn had [Lola Albright](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/20/00/d1/2000d139c2ea66466bceff83110dd08a.jpg). Score 2-1. Yeah, I watched _The Frog_ tonight. She is really cute when she pouts. Spoiler for a sixty year old TV show: Loretta the Cat Lady didn’t screw around. Double taps bad guys with a big ass revolver. Edit got a kitten.