P.J. (1967) User Reviews (21)

A decent yarn told with some panache.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 24 December 2020]

George Peppard is very amiable as the title character, a down-on-his-luck private detective who'll take just about any paying gig. He is hired by a supremely arrogant fat cat, William Orbison (Raymond Burr), to act as bodyguard for his not-exactly-secret girlfriend Maureen Preble (Gayle Hunnicutt). This, despite the fact that Orbison is already married to a fairly pathetic woman named Betty (Coleen Gray). Eventually, after he has accidentally killed a man, P.J. is smart enough to realize that he's been set-up from the start. But for what purpose?

The script by Philip H. Reisman Jr., based on a story by him and Edward Montagne, manages to stand out a little for being rather humorous and sometimes witty. Also, director John Guillermin does a pretty stylish job, giving some life to the entertaining story. The story is not necessarily a great one, but it does entertain, and even adds up at the end; one of its best assets is that eventually you do learn something interesting about one of the side characters that has actually motivated the whole con job. Wonderful location shooting in a Caribbean locale helps, too, and the jaunty pop score by Neal Hefti is a true delight.

Peppard is all too human here (he takes some lumps here and there), and is a believable, compelling main character to watch. He has genuine chemistry with the enticingly sexy Hunnicutt, whom the camera clearly loves. Burr is superb at playing the kind of heel the viewer will love to hate. The supporting cast is superb and full of familiar faces: Wilfrid Hyde-White (as a governor), Brock Peters (as a cheerful police inspector), Jason Evers (as Orbison's employee), and Susan Saint James (as Orbison's opinionated niece), as well as Severn Darden, George Furth, Herb Edelman, John Qualen, Bert Freed, and Ken Lynch. Anthony James appears unbilled as a bartender.

Overall, this is a pretty good example of the private eye genre at a time when it was being revitalized, thanks to efforts like Paul Newman's "Harper". It contains effective amounts of sex appeal and violence, as well as elements that would be unlikely to fly in the present culture.

Seven out of 10.

Not bad, but not good either.

[GMJames · 6/10 · 7 August 2012]

My memories of the gritty but not totally successful private eye drama "P. J." are rather hazy and incomplete. As several other writers have mentioned, the movie was heavily edited for television after the movie's original release. Even as an impressionable kid, I wondered why P. J. (George Peppard) was badly beaten up without knowing who did it and what happened to the guy on the subway platform that threatened P. J.'s life? The two sequences, as well as several others edited scenes, made "P. J." on TV a rather bland and disjointed mess.

On a hunch, I was able to finally see an unedited, pan-and-scan version of "P. J." a few days ago. Regrettably, the movie was not as good as I remembered. This is despite good performances by Peppard and Raymond Burr, who probably relished the offer of playing a bad guy after many years as Perry Mason, as well as Gayle Hunnicutt as the femme fatale.

The musical score by Neil Hefti and the New York locations certainly set the mood. (Some of Hefti's interludes sounded a lot like his score from the movie "The Odd Couple". "P. J." was released a few months before "The Odd Couple".)

I don't consider "P. J." a classic because of some misguided creative decisions by the writers and director and production choices in which scenes that were obviously filmed on the Universal back lot took me out of the story on occasion.

However, I believe that movie studios are doing themselves a disservice to the public by not releasing this and other movies to the web or on DVD. There are horrible movies in the past few years that are on the web or released on DVD but a 1968 film that was not necessarily a classic and did not win any awards is shown illegally on a popular web page. To Universal, release the film on a widescreen format and let the public decide if the movie is worthy.

Update: The film was finally released on DVD and Blu-Ray by KL Studio Classics in October 2020.

A Private Detective Protecting a Wealthy Man's Mistress

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

This film begins with an extremely rich and ruthless businessman by the name of "William Orbison" (Raymond Burr) hiring an unidentified assassin to kill someone. The specific name of the target isn't given and the scene then shifts to a private detective named "P. J. Detweiler" (George Peppard) engaging in an unethical business enterprise in order to pay off some serious debts that he owes. One thing leads to another and soon P.J. is hired to be a bodyguard for an attractive prostitute by the name of "Maureen Preble" (Gayle Hunnicutt) who has become convinced that somebody is out to kill her. It is only later revealed that Maureen has only one client and that man just happens to be William Orbison and it's this relationship that imperils Maureen's life-at least, that is what P.J. is led to believe. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a nice little mystery film for the most part with some decent acting and several twists and turns along the way. One particular flaw, however, is the film goes to great strides to appear sexy and sophisticated but there are no scenes of an amorous nature to be found anywhere. That said, from what I understand there were several scenes deemed too explicit at the time of production which were subsequently edited out to satisfy certain film standards in effect back then. Not only does that explanation makes sense but it also sheds some light on why some parts of the film ended somewhat abruptly and seemed rather bland and incomplete. In any case, even without these scenes the movie itself was still enjoyable enough for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Needs to be seen in its original form

[c532c · 18 July 2003]

PJ was originally released in the late 60s when movies were rated either "G" or "M"; anything with any questionable content was rated "M" and Studio execs, with the wisdom of their breed, realized they might as well put in as much as they could get away with. The result was some delightfully tasteless sex and violence in films like NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE, GUNN, TONY ROME... and PJ. Unfortunately, when these were released to TV, the studio execs, with the wisdom of their breed, cut out all the best parts and substituted banal "made for tv" scenes. As originally made, PJ contains some really gritty moments that really capture the sleazey aspects of the PI genre. Hopefully, someone will make this available on Video soon.

Odd film-Studio bound and street gritty at the same time

[Rich359 · 6/10 · 1 July 2016]

After years of trying to see the original release version of the film, I finally acquired an uncut copy from a collector and must say I was puzzled with the outcome. There was the original, infamous subway scene intact, as well as the gay-bar beating. There are some really gritty location shooting in NYC, but its mixed with the most banal, studio bound bland scenes. If you can image a film that intercut the "French Connection" with an episode of "The Rockford Files" then you would get a good idea of how this film plays out. Not bad, but a disappointment. Don't even bother watching it if its the TV version, which cut out most of the gritty scenes.

A pleasantly surprising movie for a person of my generation

[JayeBean90 · 7/10 · 23 April 2014]

I came upon this movie online. I must say, I found it intriguing and quite good. The acting is superb! George Peppard as a down-on-his luck P.I., was a tremendous delight. He was believable! Even Raymund Burr as William Orbison was excellent. He was sinister without even trying to be sinister. But my only misgivings was that I kind of knew what was going to happen even before it happened. But all in all, I liked how the actors portrayed their respected roles. They did their best to put on a stellar performances, in spite of some of the dialogue. I am quite sorry that I cannot find a a decent copy to add to my collection of good movies. They don't make P.I. movies like they used to.

Re-release this film!

[pendoc-1 · 10/10 · 5 February 2006]

This is a film about a smart, irreverent PI who gets pulled into a conspiracy and sorts it out. Excellent script, dialog, and plot.

This film, in its theatrical release version, may have been suppressed. There's a fair amount of non-PC gay bashing which could have ruffled some feathers.

The film was cleaned up for TV in the mid-70's. It was heavily re-edited, objectionable portions were removed, and possibly there were new scenes shot that were not in the theatrical release -- some of the plot twists are different. The TV version lost much of the punch of the original and is deservedly forgotten.

I've been looking for a print/tape/DVD of the theatrical version for years, but I doubt one will ever surface.

I'd call it gritty

[Lucius-5 · 5/10 · 4 June 2007]

I would like to see P.J. again. I need one more time to make sense of the ending.

I saw it twice when it first came out. The second of these two times was on a U.S. Navy ship, and the gay leather bar scene had been removed, presumably to protect sensitive sailors; in the edited version P. J. suddenly appeared beaten up with no explanation. (The irony is that a gay leather bar is a very subdued place, where the only fights are non-physical disagreements over china patterns and over recipes.)

What I remember forty years later are several scenes: the bad guy dragged by the departing subway train; the gay bar scene, of course; and P.J.'s paying hubcap thieves to protect his car. Yes, I'd call it gritty.

Great movie that should be released on video.

[leebey · 9/10 · 14 May 2001]

The private eye genre had something of a rebirth in the late 1960s, most notably with Paul Newman's excellent "Harper,'' Frank Sinatra's "Tony Rome'' movies and James Garner doing a nice turn as "Marlow.'' But George Peppard merits a tip of the fedora for his work in this forgotten goodie, "P.J.'' Peppard's PJ is hired as a bodyguard for a fat-cat's (played by a menacing Raymond Burr) mistress, unleashing a plot of double-crosses and, eventually murder. Peppard is great as a wisecracking P.J. Detwieler and the above average script is perfectly matches to his rapid-fire, half-bemused delivery. Gayle Hunnicutt is great as the kept woman, the fantastic (and overlooked)Brock Peters turns up in small, but pivotal role and a young, "pre-MacMillan and Wife'' Susan Saint James spews a few deliciously catty lines. And there is a great ending. Sadly, "PJ" can't be found on video or DVD. And I haven't seen it aired on tv since I saw it (and recorded it, luckly) when a Chicago station aired it 1986. Too bad. This little gem deserves to be seen.

Peppard at his best!

[sbrowan · 9/10 · 17 August 2004]

I saw this movie many years ago and it has stuck in my mind. I have always felt that someone made a huge mistake by not having George Peppard reprise this role for a TV series...it was classic George Peppard...definitely at his best. It is my understanding that it has never been released on video, DVD, etc. If someone knows otherwise, I would certainly like to know, too. After all, we don't have George Peppard or Raymond Burr anymore and they were both excellent in this film. The character seemed to be created just for George Peppard and he was certainly up to the challenge. I have seen clips from this movie used in later films (i.e., the scene of the car coming down the mountain with no brakes and him running it along the wall on the right and into garbage cans, etc. on the left). Wish I could see the whole movie again.

lost film

[c532c · 9 July 2002]

If you've only seen PJ on Television, you haven't really seen it. In the late 60s, censorship was temporarily relaxed: Ratings were "G" for Nothing Offensive, and "M" in case there was anything objectionable. With the wisdom of their breed, Studio execs quickly realized they should try to get away with as much as possible, and films like GUNN, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE and NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY were filled with raunchy (for those days) sex and violence. However, with an eye to TV showing, the studio execs also had alternate scenes shot for these films and the resulting Tv showings were tepid at best. The movie version of PJ has a seamy, tasteless feel totally appropriate to a cheap Private Eye film.

A rough, tough 'lost' thriller

[rohosmit · 8/10 · 7 May 2005]

This was the first 'X' certificate film I was able to see, under the UK title 'New Face In Hell' (at 103 minutes as opposed to the original 109 minutes). I've never forgotten it and have been searching for a copy of it for years. Can anyone explain why it's disappeared and has never been available? It was an exciting, smart, brutal thriller with a great cast, very slickly put together by a respected director. Here are some of the things I remember: a slow tracking shot going up to a white-haired Raymond Burr sitting at a desk as he explains to George Peppard what he wants him to do for him; George Peppard saying there'll be a "New face in hell for breakfast" when threatening somebody; a man being killed, very messily, under an underground train - a guard shouts "Somebody get a first-aid kit", to which George Peppard replies, "You're gonna need a big one"; and a huge splatter of blood when somebody's shot dead in the final scene. Not to mention various vicious fist-fights ... and the gorgeous young Gayle Hunnicutt. This was 'sex and violence' at its best! Come on, Universal, find it in your archives and get it released!

An interesting PI film set in 1968 NYC well acted by Peppard and Burr.

[Palomar68 · 19 July 2003]

This Private Eye drama, set mostly in New York City in 1968, is an above-average film which is largely (and unfortunately) passed over by both network television and the movie rental industry. The low-key acting by Mr. Peppard is superb; indeed, he is probably at his best in this gritty PI flick which takes one from the dark subway stations of 1968 New York, to the glamour of a Carribean island, and back again. All the while, there is fantastic music, from the opening score to the recurring theme of "P.J." Raymond Burr is interesting and convincing as William Orbison, a rich, arrogant, scheming tycoon who hires P.J. Detweiler (Peppard) to protect his mistress Maureen Preble (Gayle Hunnicutt), but whom we always suspect of having other, darker motives. Coleen Grey, in a somewhat lesser role, is excellent as Orbison's bitter, scornful wife. Overall a very good, well acted drama, with plot twists, catchy music, and of course, a bit of Peppard's trademark dry humour.

Oldie but goodie

[pipo63 · 9/10 · 22 September 2007]

Why hell Universal Pictures does not release P.J. in DVD ? Does this film studio forgot this movie as one of the best thriller ever made in the 60' and 70' ? I saw "Syndicat du meurtre" (french title) only one time 35 years ago, on the 1st french TV channel, black and white broadcasting! So that my memories are black and white and that's perfect for this kind of movies (Can you imagine Asphalt Jungle in Technicolor?) As said in an other comment, P.J. is at the same level as Paul Newman's Harper, Sinatra's Tony Rome or Widmark's Madigan. This movie was really modern for the time, and I really miss it has been let beside as long as mediocre movies block video shop shelves. And never proposed on VOD either. That's too bad...

Realistic private eye.."I'll handle this case Bogey"

[chrislyons12 · 10/10 · 16 June 2006]

I saw this film as New Face In Hell when it was first released and enjoyed it, in fact I saw it over 10 times I thought it was that good. I remember it was very realistic especially in it's depiction of violence. The scene were he gets beaten up in a gay bar and manages to get to the juke box and play an all American record was very daring particularly here in Britain. I thought that George Peppard made an excellent private eye, cleaning up someone else's crap, I think he compares very well with Humphrey Bogart. I haven't seen the film for years and doubt very much if it will ever be shown in it's original release form here in the UK.

An interesting PI film set in 1968 NYC well acted by Peppart and Burr.

[Palomar68 · 19 July 2003]

This Private Eye drama, set mostly in New York City in 1968, is an above-average film which is largely (and unfortunately) passed over by both network television and the movie rental industry. The low-key acting by Mr. Peppard is superb; indeed, he is probably at his best in this gritty PI flick which takes one from the dark subway stations of 1968 New York, to the glamour of a Carribean island, and back again. All the while, there is fantastic music, from the opening score to the recurring theme of "P.J." Raymond Burr is interesting and convincing as William Orbison, a rich, arrogant, scheming tycoon who hires P.J. Detweiler (Peppard) to protect his mistress Maureen Preble (Gayle Hunnicutt), but whom we always suspect of having other, darker motives. Coleen Grey, in a somewhat lesser role, is excellent as Orbison's bitter, scornful wife. Overall a very good, well acted drama, with plot twists, catchy music, and of course, a bit of Peppard's trademark dry humour.

A near classic - still not available in 2018

[wvmcl · 9/10 · 23 February 2018]

I happened to see this movie in it's original release and thought it was terrific. Then years later I caught a network TV showing, and thought I was watching a completely different, and much worse movie. The butchery by the censors was truly breathtaking. Almost every aspect of the film, including most of its more memorable scenes, were deleted and replaced by some other plot that was about something else entirely.

Recently I came across a (bootleg) copy of the original uncut film, and it mostly confirmed my positive memory. P.J. is one of the most entertaining action movies of the sixties, and deserves to be seen in its original form. P.J. Detweiler (Peppard) is a former Marine and Korea vet whose career as a private eye is not exactly flourishing - he works out of a New York bar and seems to owe everybody money. Things start to look up when he is hired by super-rich William Orbison (Raymond Burr) as a bodyguard for Orbison's high-priced mistress Maureen (Gayle Hunnicutt). Turns out that Orbison and Maureen are surrounded by a grotesque entourage of relatives and flunkies - who's out to kill whom anyway? After a series of violent and sexy set-pieces, and a side trip to a Caribbean island, P.J. starts to think he is being set up and decides to solve the mystery on his own dime.

One of the main reasons the original film has been suppressed is a scene in which one of the characters lures P.J. to a Greenwich Village gay bar ("The Gay Caballero") where he is attacked by a gang of thuggish leather boys. That scene would not be handled the same way today, but it is a fairly small incident in the context of the film. Another of the many scenes deleted or censored in the TV version is the opening credits sequence, in which P.J. participates in a motel-room entrapment of an unfaithful wife.

The 6.4 rating here on IMDB is almost certainly skewed by people who saw only the TV version. The original deserves much higher, at least a 7.2. I can't quite call it a classic, but it is without doubt one of the most enjoyable action movies of its era. It's very much a sixties film, filled with bright primary colors, eye-winking sexiness, and tongue-in-cheek humor almost from the James bond mold. Peppard is a very likable hero and makes you wish for the never-made sequel. It's also fun to see Burr revert to his pre-Perry Mason persona as a heavy.

You will enjoy this movie - if you can find it, that is.

Where's the DVD?

[dizzhrt · 8/10 · 18 July 2007]

I haven't seen this movie since it came out, and I sure would like to see it again -- whole & unedited, of course. It was a lot of fun and very 60's. Raymond Burr was great, Gayle Hunnicutt was very sexy, and George Peppard was at his most flippant. I still remember the scene where Orbison orders his long-suffering secretary to type all letters using a half inch margin in future, and do a study for him on the savings over using the prior margins. I have worked for guys who would have done that. I can even remember the calypso welcoming song the hopeful residents did for Orbison when he and his entourage arrived on the island. Bright, beautiful scenery, snappy dialog -- just a really entertaining movie.

What's up at Universal? They have treasures in the vault like this that are totally unavailable.

On the money late 60's private eye winner

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 25 November 2020]

Down on his luck private detective P.J. Detweiler (well played with rumpled grace and conviction by George Peppard) finds himself embroiled in murder and conspiracy after he takes a job as bodyguard to Maureen Preble (a sturdy and enticing portrayal by the lovely and classy Gayle Hunnicutt), who's the mistress of fastidious and overbearing millionaire William Orbison (Raymond Burr in peak deliciously despicable form).

Director John Guillerman relates the enjoyable and engrossing story at a snappy pace, makes nice use of New York City locations, stages several thrilling action set pieces with skill and flair (a fight sequence set in a gay bar in particular rates as a definite hysterical highlight), and expertly crafts an engaging breezy'n'easy tone with a strong underlying feeling of moral decay and cynicism. Philip H. Reisman's smart script boasts plenty of sharp dialogue as well as offers a colorful array of seedy and/or desperate characters.

The fine acting by the tip-top cast rates as another significant asset: Brock Peters as amiable chief inspector Waterpark, Wilfrid Hyde-White as the jolly and debonair Billings-Browne, Jason Evers as smooth flunky Jason Greenoble, Coleen Gray as Orbison's browbeaten wife Betty, Susan Saint James as brash tart Linette, Severn Darden as mincing butler Shelton Quell, George Furth as the persnickety Sonny Silene, and Herb Edelman as friendly bartender Charlie. The slick cinematography by Loyal Griggs provides a pleasing polished look. Neal Hefti's smooth and jaunty jazzy score hits the swinging spot. A very worthwhile and satisfying mystery thriller.

impossible - too long ago

[karlericsson · 9/10 · 19 June 2009]

I saw this when it was new in Italian Switzerland (=Ticino) with subtitles in two different languages and remember it as being one of the best films I had ever seen together with these other films Peppard did in the late sixties: Pendulum, The Executioners, House of Cards and maybe The Third Day. These films were unique and Peppard was never better. I doubt that he understood it himself, since he only did BS after this. I would even go so far as to claim these films as unique in cinema history, creating an atmosphere all of their own but depending heavily on a George Peppard supplying the uniqueness maybe just by playing roles that were "beneath" him as an actor and therefore charged with surplus that comes across as unique atmosphere - I don't know. All I know is that these were damn good films and are nowhere to get now except the Executioners in Spain.

Forgotten but very good.

[vespatian75 · 8/10 · 20 November 2011]

This is an excellent PI film of the late 60's. George Peppard is perfect in the lead as the classic Private Eye, world weary but basically honest. A Korean War vet who describes that conflict as World War II&1/2. He takes on a job for a ruthless tycoon played by Raymond Burr to protect his truly gorgeous mistress, the ravishing Gayle Hunnicutt, and of course the plot thickens. Great scenes of the old somewhat seedy New York that I grew up in. I loved the description of Red Hook, "by the river, in the river if you're not careful" Nice contrast with the Caribbean locales later on. Well cast with a tight yet witty script and no nonsense direction. I'm surprised that there were no sequels or TV spinoffs. Maybe not so good as the classic " Maddigan" , which deals with New York around the same time, but well worth a look.