When I think of a tough and resilient private detective my mind immediately goes to Joe Mannix from the Mannix TV series as portrayed by actor Mike Connors.
The TV series Mannix set new precedents when it came to action/crime stories. Quick editing, the elimination of enter and exit scenes and clever camera work moved each story at a fast pace.
Mike Connors willingness to do most of his stunts and his superb acting ability made him the perfect choice for the role.
The show is credited for its innovative approach to filming and post production. Many of today’s detective/crime TV shows owe a great deal of debt to Mannix’s groundbreaking work.
Mannix was all adrenaline and action. Gunplay was frequent.
Joe Mannix had the unfortunate talent for being shot, blinded, beat-up, suffer broken bones and still, somehow, managed to catch the bad guys.
The show also has the distinction of having a black female co-star, something practically unheard of in the 1960s and early 1970s.
In fact, many believe there was a romance between Mannix and his black secretary Peggy Fair-a single mother who policeman husband was killed in the line of duty.
He and Mannix were good friends.
Mannix was known to do things his way and had an uncanny knack for sniffing out clues and getting to the truth.
This talent did not necessarily make him popular with some in law enforcement.
The show ran eight seasons and always rated in the top TV shows. It was cancelled because of the outrage by some individuals about too much violence in TV.
Compared to today’s cop shows Mannix was tame. Regardless, it was a great show and always delivered powerful stories.
The Mannix Third Season DVD was released by CBS/Paramount.
1 Peter 5:6 (KJV) “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time”
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