Under the Gun (Sledge Hammer!)
Encyclopedia
"Under the Gun" is the first episode of the television series Sledge Hammer!
. It originally aired on ABC
in the United States on September 23, 1986. The episode introduces the series' title protagonist (played by David Rasche
), as well as his partner Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin
) and Captain Trunk (Harrison Page
). While the Sledge Hammer character is clearly based on the eponymous character from the 1971 film Dirty Harry
., the episode's plot perhaps more closely resembles the second sequel The Enforcer
.
) is distressed when he hears that his daughter Francine (Judie Aronson
) is kidnapped by masked assailants for a ransom of $1 million. Upon seeing a news report of suspended Inspector Sledge Hammer being interviewed after casually killing a couple of armed robbers at a liquor store, he orders Police Chief Reisner (John Lawlor
) to lift Hammer's suspension and put him on the kidnapping case. While target shooting in his apartment, Hammer receives a phone call and is notified that he is back on duty.
On his way to the precinct, he stops to see police officers confronting a sniper from the top of a building. Hammer pulls a bazooka
from the trunk of his car and destroys the building with it. Later on, he is heavily scolded by Captain Trunk for his reckless action.
Hammer and Trunk arrive at Mayor Flambo's office, where they meet Detective Dori Doreau, an expert on terrorist psychology. She briefs them on the kidnapping and the culprits - a small terrorist group called AVON
, led by Weird Willard Luxley (D.W. Brown
). Hammer is informed that he will be partnered with Doreau on the case, to which he initially objects. Before leaving City Hall, Hammer stops a purse snatcher with his car. After being told by Doreau not to display excessive force in front of City Hall, Hammer tells the snatcher to punch himself and knock himself out.
Hammer and Doreau trace one of the terrorists' license plates to a motel. There, they nab Kurt Kurggle (Don Stark), who is in the middle of having a massage. Back at the precinct, Hammer uses unusual methods of interrogation on the Kurggle, including pouring a pot of coffee on his shorts and doing target practice on him blindfold. Finally, Kurggle admits that Luxley was being paid heavily by an inside man. After Doreau checks Mayor Flambo's financial records on the computer, the duo conclude that the inside man is a member of Flambo's family. Before going further, Trunk informs them that Kurggle is suing them for violating his rights.
The duo return with Flambo's wife handcuffed. Furious over the treatment of his wife, Flambo orders Hammer back on suspension and informs them that AVON have called with delivery instructions. Doreau arrives at the warehouse with a briefcase in hand. She confronts the members of AVON and Francine, whom Doreau reveals to be the mastermind of the kidnapping. She discovered on computer records that Francine and Luxley went to college together. Francine then orders her men to kill Doreau, who then questions them about doing so over a briefcase of shredded paper. After she throws the briefcase to them, they open it to discover it filled with confetti
. Suddenly, Hammer falls through the skylight and attacks AVON. He throws a grenade, toppling a stack of crates on the thugs. Hammer then confronts Francine, who takes Doreau as hostage and tells him he wouldn't dare shoot a woman. In response, he shoots her gun off her hand.
Back at Flambo's office, Hammer and Doreau give their report on the case. Flambo, however, gives all credit to Doreau. After insisting that Hammer be congratulated as well, she turns down her promotion offered to her and walks away with Hammer.
, the episode was originally an hour long, but was cut to fit the half-hour sitcom length. Seven minutes of the original cut were restored on home video releases.
During the episode's initial broadcast, the San Francisco newspaper was censored to disassociate the city with Hammer.
John Vernon played the mayor of San Francisco in Dirty Harry
. His role in this episode parodies his film performance.
During the filming of the sniper scene, bystanders actually thought another Dirty Harry movie was being made.
The episode pays a small homage to Get Smart
in the motel scene. The two adjacent doors are numbered "86" and "99", the agent numbers of Don Adams
and Barbara Feldon.
On the original cut of the episode ending, Doreau said to Hammer, "Thank God you followed me here." Hammer responded, "Don't thank God. Thank gun." Worried that the dialogue would offend censors and sponsors, the lines were re-dubbed as, "Thank goodness you followed me here," followed by, "Don't thank goodness. Thank gun."
Sledge Hammer!
Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character,...
. It originally aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the United States on September 23, 1986. The episode introduces the series' title protagonist (played by David Rasche
David Rasche
-Early life and career:Rasche was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a minister and farmer. Rasche started in theatre, but also has appeared on numerous movies and television series. He became a member of the Chicago Second City, after John Belushi moved on to Saturday Night Live...
), as well as his partner Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin
Anne-Marie Martin
Anne-Marie Martin is a Canadian actress and writer who is perhaps best known for playing Sgt. Dori Doreau in the American television comedy series Sledge Hammer! from 1986 to 1988....
) and Captain Trunk (Harrison Page
Harrison Page
Harrison Page is an American television and film actor who has appeared in many popular shows, including Cold Case, JAG, ER, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, Quantum Leap, The Wonder Years, 21 Jump Street, Murder She Wrote, Fame, Gimme a Break!, Benson, Hill Street Blues, Webster, The Dukes of Hazzard,...
). While the Sledge Hammer character is clearly based on the eponymous character from the 1971 film Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
., the episode's plot perhaps more closely resembles the second sequel The Enforcer
The Enforcer (1976 film)
The Enforcer is a 1976 American film, and the third in the Dirty Harry film series. Directed by James Fargo, it stars Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, Tyne Daly as Inspector Kate Moore and DeVeren Bookwalter as terrorist leader/main antagonist Bobby Maxwell.-Plot:In Marin County,...
.
Plot summary
Mayor Flambo (John VernonJohn Vernon
John Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
) is distressed when he hears that his daughter Francine (Judie Aronson
Judie Aronson
Judith M. Aronson is an American actress who has starred in many films and a television show. The television series in which she starred was the short-lived Pursuit of Happiness as Sara Duncan from 1987-1988....
) is kidnapped by masked assailants for a ransom of $1 million. Upon seeing a news report of suspended Inspector Sledge Hammer being interviewed after casually killing a couple of armed robbers at a liquor store, he orders Police Chief Reisner (John Lawlor
John Lawlor
John Lawlor is an American actor. His best known roles are Supervisor Leonard Marsh on the television series Phyllis from 1976–1977, and later of Headmaster Steven Bradley on the television series The Facts of Life from 1979 to 1980....
) to lift Hammer's suspension and put him on the kidnapping case. While target shooting in his apartment, Hammer receives a phone call and is notified that he is back on duty.
On his way to the precinct, he stops to see police officers confronting a sniper from the top of a building. Hammer pulls a bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
from the trunk of his car and destroys the building with it. Later on, he is heavily scolded by Captain Trunk for his reckless action.
Hammer and Trunk arrive at Mayor Flambo's office, where they meet Detective Dori Doreau, an expert on terrorist psychology. She briefs them on the kidnapping and the culprits - a small terrorist group called AVON
Avon Products
Avon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.-Business Model:...
, led by Weird Willard Luxley (D.W. Brown
D.W. Brown
D. W. Brown is the co-owner and head instructor at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California. He began his acting career early at the age of 15 in his hometown theater company in Tucson, Arizona Starring in "Desire Under The Elms"...
). Hammer is informed that he will be partnered with Doreau on the case, to which he initially objects. Before leaving City Hall, Hammer stops a purse snatcher with his car. After being told by Doreau not to display excessive force in front of City Hall, Hammer tells the snatcher to punch himself and knock himself out.
Hammer and Doreau trace one of the terrorists' license plates to a motel. There, they nab Kurt Kurggle (Don Stark), who is in the middle of having a massage. Back at the precinct, Hammer uses unusual methods of interrogation on the Kurggle, including pouring a pot of coffee on his shorts and doing target practice on him blindfold. Finally, Kurggle admits that Luxley was being paid heavily by an inside man. After Doreau checks Mayor Flambo's financial records on the computer, the duo conclude that the inside man is a member of Flambo's family. Before going further, Trunk informs them that Kurggle is suing them for violating his rights.
The duo return with Flambo's wife handcuffed. Furious over the treatment of his wife, Flambo orders Hammer back on suspension and informs them that AVON have called with delivery instructions. Doreau arrives at the warehouse with a briefcase in hand. She confronts the members of AVON and Francine, whom Doreau reveals to be the mastermind of the kidnapping. She discovered on computer records that Francine and Luxley went to college together. Francine then orders her men to kill Doreau, who then questions them about doing so over a briefcase of shredded paper. After she throws the briefcase to them, they open it to discover it filled with confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
. Suddenly, Hammer falls through the skylight and attacks AVON. He throws a grenade, toppling a stack of crates on the thugs. Hammer then confronts Francine, who takes Doreau as hostage and tells him he wouldn't dare shoot a woman. In response, he shoots her gun off her hand.
Back at Flambo's office, Hammer and Doreau give their report on the case. Flambo, however, gives all credit to Doreau. After insisting that Hammer be congratulated as well, she turns down her promotion offered to her and walks away with Hammer.
Production notes
According to series creator Alan SpencerAlan Spencer
Alan Spencer is an American television writer and producer, known for creating the 1980s satirical police series Sledge Hammer!. He was one of the youngest people ever to join the Writers Guild of America, writing for television at the age of fifteen...
, the episode was originally an hour long, but was cut to fit the half-hour sitcom length. Seven minutes of the original cut were restored on home video releases.
During the episode's initial broadcast, the San Francisco newspaper was censored to disassociate the city with Hammer.
John Vernon played the mayor of San Francisco in Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
. His role in this episode parodies his film performance.
During the filming of the sniper scene, bystanders actually thought another Dirty Harry movie was being made.
The episode pays a small homage to Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
in the motel scene. The two adjacent doors are numbered "86" and "99", the agent numbers of Don Adams
Don Adams
Don Adams was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart in the television situation comedy Get Smart , which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart...
and Barbara Feldon.
On the original cut of the episode ending, Doreau said to Hammer, "Thank God you followed me here." Hammer responded, "Don't thank God. Thank gun." Worried that the dialogue would offend censors and sponsors, the lines were re-dubbed as, "Thank goodness you followed me here," followed by, "Don't thank goodness. Thank gun."