Kwan Hi Lim Movies
- 1987
Rick (Larry Manetti) is arrested for the murder of a hit man who had been hired to kill the missing Ice Pick (Elisha Cook Jr.). Though Magnum (Tom Selleck) would like to prove his friend's innocence, this may be an impossible task: Rick has already signed a full confession. The ending of this episode is curious indeed, suggesting that the producers were preparing to write "finis" to Magnum, P.I. at the close of the seventh season--a theory that would seem to be borne out even further by the NEXT episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Season Seven of Magnum, P.I comes to spectacular conclusion--one that was originally intended to be the series' final episode. Wounded in a violent shootout, the comatose Magnum (Tom Selleck) hovers between life and death. From his vantage point in "Limbo", Magnum tries to communicate with his friends, to warn them that his ex-wife Michelle may soon be murdered. Coming to Magnum's rescue--in a manner of speaking--is the spectre of his old Navy buddy "Mac" MacReynolds (Larry Manetti). Though Magnum, P.I. had indeed been cancelled at the end of its seventh season, the series was brought back the following year by public demand--necessitating a hasty "rethinking" of this episode's now-famous closing image. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Though a murdered Magnum (Tom Selleck) was seen wandering off to Heaven in the final episode of Magnum, P.I.'s seventh season, the public demanded the return of both the character and the series. Thus, Season Eight begins with Magnum still in a coma, the result of a violent shootout. In this state, the detective has an out-of-body experience, in which he is guided Heavenward by his old friend "Mac" MacReynolds (Jeff MacKay, who plays a dual role in this episode). Fortunately, he awakens to find himself back in the "real" world--whereupon he grimly sets out to find the surviving member of the criminal trio who nearly caused him to cash in his chips. Featured in small but significant roles are series star Tom Selleck's mother Martha Selleck and son Kevin Selleck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Temporarily assuming Higgins' duties at Robin's Nest, the normally freewheeling Magnum (Tom Selleck) begins behaving in the strict, stuffy manner usually associated with Higgins (John Hillerman)--who, conversely, is comporting himself in the footloose "Magnum manner" while on vacation! The reason for Higgins' giddiness is a beautiful woman with whom he is carrying on a secret romance. Convinced that the woman is a nothing more than a golddigger, Magnum turns to a most unusual source to advise him how to rescue Higgins from the lady's clutches. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Magnum (Tom Selleck) is devastated when police lieutenant Tanaka (Kwan Li Him in his final series performance) is killed during an undercover assignment. Though the death is officially reported as accidental, Magnum is convinced that there's a police coverup afoot--and in the course of his own investigation, he discovers that Tanaka's demise was inextricably linked with an amazingly wide-spread drug operation. Providing a light touch to these grim proceedings is a winking reference to star Tom Selleck's previous "life" as the insufferably successful private eye Lance White on The Rockford Files. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Barbara Rush guest stars as Magnum's beloved Aunt Phoebe, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright known for her extremely vivid imagination. When Phoebe insists that she is being stalked by a murderer, Magnum (Tom Selleck) wonders if the old dear is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimers'. As it turns out, she is--but that doesn't necessarily mean that her life isn't in danger. As an added complication, Magnum must do all of his investigating on the sly: thanks to a bureaucratic oversight, his detective's license has expired. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
- R
Two gorgeous women -- Donna (Dona Speir) and Taryn (Hope Marie Carlton) -- operate a airplane cargo delivery service in Hawaii. Their latest shipment includes a very large, very nasty snake destined for the local zoo. But the delivery is interrupted when they stumble on a cache of diamonds that were to go to a ruthless drug dealer, Seth (Rodrigo Obregon). Seth sends a transvestite to kidnap the owner of a restaurant, Edy (Cynthia Brimhall), so his men can torture her with a female bodybuilder into revealing where Donna and Taryn are. Luckily for all the good guys, Special Agent Rowdy Abilene (Ronn Moss) has a bazooka, and he knows how to use it. And unluckily for Seth, that nasty snake has broken out of its box. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ronn Moss, Dona Speir, (more)
- 1986
In the conclusion of Magnum, P.I.'s two-part Season Seven opener (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Magnum is still in Los Angeles, still trying to solve the murder of comedienne Marti Jensen with the help of sexy entertainment lawyer Cynthia Farrell (Dana Delaney). Along the way, Magnum and Cynthia have fallen in love--and thus are both in the crosshairs of the well-connected drug cartel which ordered the murder. And back in Hawaii, teenage murder witness Kenny (Alfonso Ribeiro) continues to elude Magnum's friends, who are trying to prevent him from becoming the next victim. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
French detective Claude Fornier (Paul Verdier), whose exploits have inspired several of Robin Masters' novels, is murdered just after presenting Magnum (Tom Selleck) with the "PI of the Year" award. Though anxious to solve Fornier's murder, Magnum finds that he'll have to wait in line as every other detective attending the awards ceremony (many of whom closely resemble popular TV gumshoes!) insists upon taking a crack at the case. Elisha Cook Jr., usually cast as shady businessman Ice Pick, reprises his characterization of weasely "gunsel" Wilmer from The Maltese Falcon in a dream sequence; and appearing as chief of security at the ceremony is prolific TV producer Stephen J. Cannell. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Season Seven of Magnum, P.I. begins with a two-part episode (originally telecast in a single two-hour timeslot) largely set in Los Angeles. Magnum (Tom Selleck) arrives in La-La-Land to deliver some legal papers on behalf of Robin Masters. Befriending a comedienne named Marti Jensen (Mona Miller), Magnum ends up a prime suspect when the woman is found murdered in his hotel room. In his subsequent efforts to clear himself and find the real killer, Magnum works side by side (and sometimes closer than that!) with attractive entertainment lawyer Cynthia Farrell (Dena Delany). Meawnhile, back in Hawaii, Rick (Larry Manetti), T.C. (Roger Mosley) and Higgins conduct an intensive search for teenager Kenny (Alfonso Ribeiro), who has witnessed two murders. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Magnum (Tom Selleck) dons a clown suit to pose as a roustabout with the "Inky Gilbert Travelling Carnival and Midway". An old friend of Higgins (John Hillerman), the aforementioned Inky (Clive Revill) has been plagued by a number of suspicious accidents, suggesting that someone is trying to force him out of business. In his confrontations with such sideshow regulars as Gus the Geek (Geoffrey Lewis), Charles the Dwarf (Tommy Madden) and a taciturn knife-thrower known as The Chief (Skeeter Vaughn), Magnum hopes to get to the bottom of the mystery--and to solve a murder that occurs in the course of events. Featured as one of the "carnies" is former Playboy Playmate Karen Elayna Price. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Deputy DA Carol Baldwin (Kathleen Lloyd) begins to suspect that her beloved mentor, Judge Hannibal Kearns (Michael Constantine), has been accepting bribes. Even more disturbingly, it appears that Kearns is in the pocket of shady businessman Ice Pick (Elisha Cook Jr.), who happens to be the role model and spiritual godfather of Magnum's friend Rick Wright (Larry Manetti). The likelihood that their respective idols have feet of clay results in a bitter quarrel between Carol and Rick...and there's worse to come. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Magnum is hired by one Dan Wolf (Morgan Stevens) to locate Dan's missing father, a disreputable character named Theo Wolf (Clu Gulager). Only when it is too late does Magnum discover that "Dan" is actually a professional hit man, hired to murder Wolf before he can testifying in a mob trial. Before the episode runs its course, Magnum is himself shot and seriously wounded--and while hovering between life and death, the detective experiences some truly weird visions, notably his friend Rick (Larry Manetti) in Humphrey Bogart guise! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
This episode is the conclusion of a two-part "crossover" story, which began as "Novel Connection", an episode of Magnum PI. While in Hawaii to help one of her myriad of friends, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) crosses paths with freewheeling private detective Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) and Magnum's mysterious boss Jonathan Higgins (John Hillerman). Although he's reluctant to do so, Magnum accepts Jessica's help when he is accused of murdering a hit man whose target remains unknown--and then is tagged for a second murder. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
When a priceless Torah is stolen by a particularly mean-spirited smuggler, Magnum (Tom Selleck) teams with Higgins' old friend, Rabbi Asher Solomon (Nehemiah Persoff), to retrieve the sacred document. A battle-scarred survivor of European persecution against the Jewish race, Rabbi Solomon had managed at great personal sacrifice to save the Torah from destruction during the Holocaust, and he's not about to give it up to thieves at this point. Not surprisingly, as the case progresses, the viewer learns that there is lot more than the Torah at stake! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Magnum (Tom Selleck) is contacted by legendary French detective Jean Claude Fornier (Paul Verdier), whose exploits have served as inspiration for several of Robin Masters' novels. M. Fornier needs Magnum's help to locate a missing heir, or so he claims. The two detectives' investigation ultimately leads to a drug-trafficking ring--and, possibly, to an early grave for Assistant DA Carol Baldwin (Kathleen Lloyd), who idolizes Fornier. The episode's high point is Tom Selleck's ear-shattering rendition of "Misty" in a karaoke bar! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Ms. Madeline Jones (Margie Impert), the rules-are-rules Hall of Records clerk who has made life difficult for Magnum (Tom Selleck) in several early episodes, now turns to the detective to help. Her husband Ray (played by Sam Anderson of Lost fame), a computer expert, has turned up missing--and more ominously, Ray has committed to memory several megabytes of top-secret information that certain disreputable characters would love to get their hands on. Ray Austin, who directed this episode, shows up in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Country-western singer Lacy Fletcher (Dennis Weaver) hires Magnum (Tom Selleck) to locate five lost love songs, written by the legendary George Lee Jessup just before his fatal plane crash in 1954. The investigation hits a roadblock when Laurie Crane (Susan Oliver), the fabled inspiration for the songs, not only insists that the tunes never existed, but also denies that she ever even met Jessup. This episode can be regarded as a family affair, with guest star Dennis Weaver's sons Robby Weaver) and Rusty Weaver appearing respectively as the late Georgie Lee and as the younger Lacy Fletcher. And there's also a whole lot of singin' goin' on, with Robby Weaver performing his dad's compositions "Cheatin' Kisses" and "I Just Want to Hold You", and singer-songwriter Amanda McBroom rendering the standards "Texas (When I Die)" and "When Will I Be Loved". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Ron Pennington (played by Magnum, P.I.'s stunt coordinator Robert L. Minor), an old basketball-player friend of T.C. (Roger E. Mosley), is murdered during a robbery. It turns out that Ron's estranged son Ronny (Larry B. Scott) was acquainted with the killers--and that the supposedly random robbery was tied in with a large-scale drug operation. Magnum (Tom Selleck) must act quickly to solve the murder and save Ronny from himself, if for no other reason than to bring peace of mind to the boy's anguished mother Sheila (Sheila Frazer). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
To publicize his latest novel, Robin Masters stages a million-dollar treasure hunt, with the clues adroitly hidden with the pages of his book. Unfortunately, one of the contestants doesn't see the need to play fair, and before the day is over Magnum (Tom Selleck) and the other treasure-hunters (among them several of the series' regulars) are being held at gunpoint on the edge of a steep cliff. In fact, the episode begins with this perilous situation, then works itself backward in the form of tantalizing flashbacks. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
Magnum (Tom Selleck) is simultaneously solicited by Higgins (John Hillerman) and Robin Masters (still unseen, but voiced by Orson Welles) to help them with a pair of delicate and potentially damaging cases. Higgins is being blackmailed for helping a woman with an illegitimate son, while one of Robin's friends has been implicated in an embezzlement scheme. Unable to handle both cases at once and do justice to both, Magnum reluctantly returns to fellow private eye Luther Gillis for help. A cute inside reference to Citizen Kane is heard in honor of what turned out to be Orson Welles' final "appearance" on Magnum P.I.. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
When Higgins (John Hillerman) is stunned into semi-consciousness by an errant croquet ball, Magnum (Tom Selleck) must take over supervision of a "Great Gatsby" costume ball held at the Masters Estate. In the course of the evening, some valuable jewels are stolen, and the chief suspect is none other than Higgins--who, still in a daze, imagines himself to be that eminent Shakespearean actor "Sir Fearing Pangborn." In order to solve the case and clear Higgins, Magnum must rely on his knowledge of Agatha Christie mysteries, as gleaned from a recent movie marathon on TV. Part of the fun in this episode is watching the series regulars cavorting in their celebrity costumes, with Magnum dressed Dashiel Hammett, Rick (Larry Manetti) made up as Charlie Chaplin, and T.C. (Roger E. Mosely posing as Paul Robeson in the role of "The Emperor Jones"! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
Magnum's latest client is a little Vietnamese street kid named Tran Quoc Jones (Ronald Harrah III). An illegal alien, the boy has come to Hawaii in search of his missing dad, an American G.I. Can it be that Magnum's friend T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) is the man Tran Quoc seeks? And why has pompous politician Dick Hasley (Rick Lenz) chosen to exploit the child's plight as a means of publicizing his campaign? The answers, of course, are not immediately forthcoming--in fact, it will require a murder for the truth to be revealed! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
As a personal favor, Deputy DA Carol Baldwin (Kathleen Lloyd) asks Magnum (Tom Selleck) to investigate the alleged murder of a young mother, a death witnessed by the victim's little daughter. It is highly possible that the woman committed suicide and that the main suspect may be guilty of an even worse crime, but Carol hopes to spare the youthful witness the trauma of testifying. But how can Magnum get his job done now that he has been deprived the use of Robin Masters' Ferrari? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
The King Kamehameha Club is robbed by a trio of thieves wearing animal masks: a "pig", a "gorilla", and a "rabbit." The three eyewitnesses to this crime are Higgins (John Hillerman), T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) and Rick (Larry Manetti), who in true "Rashomon" fashion provide contradictory stories of the incident in which each witness claims to have been the "hero" of the hour (their respective flashbacks are elaborately staged in various pop-culture formats) Magnum must separate fact from fancy in order to determine who was responsible for setting up the robbery. Real-life Hawaiian TV personality Emme Tomimbang) appears as herself in this final episode of Magnum, P.I.'s fourth season, which also marks the rather spectacular exit of series semi-regular Patrick Bishop (Keoke the bartender). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
