Television characters we follow, whether in books, the movies, or on television, exude personality. We recognize them immediately and identify with them like a member of the family or a friend. It takes time to know a person-how he thinks and feels, but it doesn’t take long to recognize him by his gestures, mannerisms, activities, or personal foibles. Mystery writers know this, and are happy to provide the necessary recognition gimmicks.
Charlie Chan has his Chinese proverbs and his Number One Son. In some of the episodes, there is also the superstitious, subservient Birmingham Brown-unfortunately yet another stereotypical racial throwback, while on the other hand admittedly highlighting Mantan Moreland’s special genius. The man was a better actor than either Sidney Toler or Roland Winters, two of the three who starred through the life of the series as Charlie Chan. Episodes without Birmingham Brown just aren’t as much fun.
Gimmicks are a really good way to elevate a character from the rest of the pack. Doubtless the reader is familiar with the most famous of all detectives? Consider some of the gimmicks in the life of Sherlock Holmes-the deerstalker cap-the pipe. Add a magnifying glass, a less-than-adept sidekick, and an incompetent Scotland Yard inspector, and you’ve found a winning package. Of course, we could go on about the artifacts in his apartment, such as the Persian tobacco slipper, forever. Then there is the habit occasionally alluded to, of involvement with cocaine…
Earl Stanley Gardner’s Nero Wolfe, has so many gimmicks he’s downright quirky. Besides supporting a live-in cook who makes a gourmet chef look like a fast-food hamburger flipper, Wolfe has an unbalanced love of orchids which dispossesses his love of women, whom he fears. His sidekick, Archie Goodwin, is the antithesis of Holmes’ Dr. Watson, as Wolfe can’t function properly without him. Part of it has to do with his immense weight, as well as Wolfe’s aversion to leaving home.
Miss Marple, the wizened product of Agatha Christie’s fertile imagination, shares an intriguing characteristic with most ordinary mortals who are not detectives. Sizing up a person’s psyche and manner of living, she compares what she discerns with similar features in someone else life. As that person would do, so this person will do, is her adage. Besides, who is unwilling to open up to a little old lady?
Peter Falk, starring as Columbo, is inundated with gimmicks. With his slovenly grooming, crinkled raincoat, cheap cigars, run down Peugeot, glass eye, and a cute but vestigial Basset Hound, this ingenious detective worries his delinquent quarry to the point they are ready to go to jail if only to evade their pursuer.
The most easily identifiable Hercule Poirot starred David Suchet who worked quite hard at becoming the master detective. Poirot, the Belgian master who had once been part of the police force, is continually being identified with the French-which irks him no end. He enjoys, excessively, being in the spotlight and recognized as the world’s greatest detective. In addition being fastidious in his personal toilet, Poirot avoids motor vehicles and is associated with everything of good taste, including the art deco decor seen all about him. He revels at his own “little gray cells.”
Angela Lansbury, in Murder She Wrote, played Jessica B. Fletcher-generally called J. B. Fletcher. Jessica was an author of mystery novels, a great convenience in explaining how a widow-woman would be well suited at crime detection. This is the chief gimmick for the series, yet it was amazing how many cases occurred in her obscure hometown, or among her relations and friends. Her supportive cast, including a doctor, a sheriff, a cousin (Grady), and friends from town, finding a central location at the beauty parlor. Perhaps the best of the gimmicks of this series was the guest starring of many formerly high-dollar acting talents.
The famous dancer-entertainer Buddy Ebsen appears in Barnaby Jones, starring as the private investigator, Barnaby Jones, backed by his pretty sidekick daughter-in-law, in real life known as Lee Merriwether. Old, but in top physical shape, perhaps due to the milk he perpetually quaffs, the lanky P.I. is always well-dressed and neighborly, as if to reiterate the invitation of his Beverly Hillbillies triumph, “C’mon back now, y’hear?”
Simon and Simon, also a show about private dicks, is a bit like the Odd Couple. Rick Simon is the rugged, cowboy sort of guy, popular with lots of females. A. J. Simon (Andrew Jackson Simon) is the prissy sort, popular with many other females. Rick does some pretty stupid, impulsive things. This is to be expected. When he was young, he was always getting into trouble with his mother, who strongly favored A. J. Nearly all the stories have our heroes being taken advantage of, whether by the client or by someone else.
Yet another private investigator, James Rockford, played by James Garner (in the Rockford Files), lived and worked out of a trailer. He was always being taken advantage of, ripped off, beaten up, and generally looked down upon by the very ones who you would think would be supportive-the police. He was particularly prone to being abused by the women one would ordinarily expect to be the love interest in the stories.
Extra Credit
Quick: for extra credit, can you list the gimmicks that went into the making of Diagnosis Murder, starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, or how about the television show named after the main character, Matlock, starring Andy Griffith? Then again, what about the animated “detective series,” Scooby Doo?
Agatha Christie – Poirot
The Museum of Broadcast Communications – Murder She Wrote
The Thrilling Detective Website – Barnaby Jones
The Thrilling Detective Website – Nero Wolfe
The Ultimate Columbo Site
