Search for a Whisper

Minus one star.

The debit here, which is very unusual for the series, "Search for a Whisper" is a remake of the very first episode. The story is intriguing, yes, but it seemed the writers did not go for originality. It's strange why this was all done, but that's what the producers wanted. Go figure.

The difference, if there is one, William Shatner replaces Paul Drake as the fabulously wealthy gentleman client. He wants Joe to dig up dirt --that may be used against him-- because he's considering a run for governor of California.

It would have been fascinating IF the producers recruited Ronald Reagan for the role, but he retired from acting nearly 10 years earlier. I am sure his name was bantered about, though. Why not?

Shatner, as always, is fun to watch with the usual Mister Nice Guy look, yet appears he's hiding something, a role he played many times, foremost on COLUMBO. Yvonne Craig, fondly remembered as tv's BATGIRL, guest stars. Yvonne said no matter what she did in her career, BATGIRL followed her everywhere, eventually becoming a cult figure at BATMAN conventions. Also with Susan Flannery, and two fine dramatic actors, Milton Selzer and Eddie Firestone, best in shifty roles.

One thing to note, compared to the 1967 episode, Joe Mannix is a lot cooler, a better dresser, and he's got the Dodge. We kids of the 70s loved it. The Colors.

Give it a watch, you can never go wrong with Bill Shatner. He's the whole show here. SEASON 6 EPISODE 21. Remastered color CBS/Paramount dvd box set. 6 dvds. Same box style as CANNON.

In an unusual move to save money, this episode is an exact copy of a season 1 show! So, if you've seen "Skid Marks on a Dry Run", you've pretty much seen "Search for a Whisper"...so you might want to skip the remake.

When the show begins, a rich guy (William Shatner) approaches Mannix with a strange proposition. He wants Mannix to dig and dig and dig and see if he can find any dirt on a man. Mannix at first declines...this isn't the sort of stuff he is willing to do. However, when the guy tells him it's HIM, Mannix is intrigued. Apparently the rich guy is considering running for governor and wants to see what sort of things reporters and his enemies might find if they, too, look. Well, this idea certainly is ridiculous...and the viewer needs to suspend disbelief in order to watch what follows.

I scored the original "Mannix" episode a 9. Despite being far- fetched, it was exciting. This one is equally exciting...but hardly original so it loses a couple points.

This is obviously just a scene by scene and line by line remake of the terrible Skid Marks on a Dry Run episode from season one. The plot doesn't make any sense and I didn't like the original episode and certainly don't like this one.

This is just a throwaway episode and it can be skipped.

Seldom do you get to see how an individual actor can shape a role without going to Hamlet or another classic play. Here we see distinct differences, and it's fascinating. Charles Drake is handsome and charming in the first version, as was William Shatner in the second. But Shatner adds a layer of vulnerability that underscores his love for his wife, and therefore makes his character more likeable. The real shocker though is the performance of Vincent Gardenia in the original as a secondary character whose wife is also endangered. It was an inspired performance, and Gardenia was given an extra scene to underscore his dilemna. Very interesting to have seen both versions.