Uninteresting attempt to make a series out of the successful radio show and 1951 movie. Robert Middleton is Lucius Crane a P.I. who is an intellectual and epicurean. While TV detectives of the day were quick with fist and gun, Crane is fast with brain and fork. Tony Travis is his assistant Bill Gregory.
“The Thirty-Two Friends Of Gina Lardelli” w/Rita Moreno – Model Gina Lardelli’s death is considered a suicide. Crane takes the case from Mario (Jan Aryan) who shows him a list of thirty-two friends who each contributed what they could to hire Crane.
Crane goes to a pier to talk with his police Lieutenent friend to get the okay to investigate. The police are looking in the bay for the body of racketeer Frankie Martel. They find it with a slot machine attatched to its leg.
At Gina’s apartment Crane turns the lights off. In walks Larry Scott, Gina’s boyfriend. He grabs some cash from behind the tap of the bathroom sink. Crane braces him. Gina and Larry had an argument the night before at a party given by mobster Royal Miliken. Larry says he didn’t kill her.
Crane goes to see Gina’s mother and her twin sister Maria (Rita Moreno). He doesn’t learn a whole lot. Outside three punks with knives are waiting. Bill comes to the rescue. Two punks get away,. The third says they were hired by some guy they don’t know. They were supposd to put Crane in the hospital.
Word comes that Larry has been filled full of lead. Crane and Bill go to the hospital and are joined by the Lieutenent. On his death bed Larry says Frankie killed Gina. That doesn’t make sense because Frankie’s been dead for some time.
Crane gets a visit from Royal and his bodyguard Charlie. Royal wants Crane to go to Paris and recover a painting he bought. A forgery was slipped in its place. He offers ten grand and he has an airplane ticket for the next day. Crane says he’ll have to wait until he finishes his current case.
Later Crane and Bill get a visit from Mario. He says Crane is no longer needed. Sitting at the harpsicord Crane plays some Bach and starts to figure it all out. There wasn’t anything to grab onto to make this a good mystery and the solution wasn’t a big deal. It was supposed to be surprising but it fell flat.
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