Mannix (TV Series) Death in a Minor Key (1969) User Reviews

A story about the new South.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 11 July 2013]

The way Mannix gets this case is a bit unusual. Peggy has a boyfriend (Yaphet Kotto) and he seems to be hiding something, as he ran off when he was performing in a jazz club. It turns out that this is because a guy in the audience recognizes him--and the guy in the audience is a cop (Anthony Zerbe). It turns out that the boyfriend is a wanted man--as he ran away from a road gang in the South. He had been convicted of several crimes--including a hit and run killing. However, he swears he didn't do it and Mannix decides to head South to investigate.

The investigation portion is interesting. After all, it IS the South, the boyfriend is black and Mannix is an outsider--so Mannix ASSUMES the cops are out to railroad his client and Mannix is downright nasty towards the police. However, in an interesting twist, the cops are just doing their job and they are NOT stupid, inbred racists. Can SOMEONE get to the bottom of all this and determine WHO actually committed this nasty crime? As I mentioned above, the Southern cops were not jerks nor racists. I appreciated this as it flies in the face of the easy stereotype the show could have taken--and in the process Mannix learns a bit about humility! Worth seeing.

One of the really good ones

[Guad42 · 9/10 · 19 November 2020]

I really like this episode for a number of reasons. One episode after Joe went with his gut and was proven right as to who the bad guy was, in this episode he is totally wrong. He assumes the stereotype of good ol boy Southern policemen framed a black guy for a hit and run. Turns out Joe is wrong and the police are doing their job. Second reason is Anthony Zerbe. Always liked him and he does great here as the sheriff who knows he is being stereotyped and has fun with it. Third reason is the nice twist with the cab driver at the end. I think this town setup would have been a great series with Anthony Zerbe as the sheriff - basically 'In the Heat of the Night' type show 15 yrs before that came on. Conlan Carter (Doc from Combat) as a supporting role as a deputy. A slight downgrade of a star for two things. This episode starts when the Sheriff is in a jazz club in LA and recognizes the escaped criminal. What are the odds? It happened in an earlier episode when Mannix runs into a Korean War buddy in a crowd in LA. Lots of million to one occurrences start off Mannix cases. The second reason is Mannix hears the supposed truth from a woman in a phone booth. If he tells the sheriff the case is over but he decided to go after the man himself and this creates more trouble and Mannix is wounded in the process. Joe is shot again and this one he could have avoided. A good episode with Anthony Zerbe in the forefront. Makes me miss the Harry O series.

Mannix-style '60s fun down south

[Jelevision · 9/10 · 7 August 2022]

All the fun that happens when LA Mannix travels down south. Complete with a good, believable plot that keeps you guessing. Plus some mid-'60s racial politics. And shootout in a multi-level lumberyard.

Evans Evans is a blue-eyed actress so cool they named her twice.

And Peggy gets an edgy boyfriend. Excited to see how that relationship plays out in upcoming episodes. ... Oh well.

NOW YOU SEE 'EM, NOW YOU DON'T!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 18 May 2022]

Director Stuart Hagmann worked on both MANNIX and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and had the opportunity to get behind Anthony Zerbe --only this time he wasn't a villain!

Here, he portrays a (southern?) cop in a very good story that was also one of the first larger roles for Gail Fisher. I am sure lots of viewers wrote in and recommended Gail get some extra scenes.

Yaphet Kotto plays Peggy's musician boyfriend who has skeletons in his closet and disappears. Zerbe (ready to lock this guy away) claims he's responsible for a hit and run death in addition to many other crimes and only has prison to look forward to. Naturally, Peggy comes to Joe for help in what turns out to be a tidy little mystery.

Good scene with Joe dodging bullets, boxes and crates in a lumber mill. The episode takes place in the south, but you can spot some California plates on the cars. To note, even as a copper, Zerbe still looks suspicious! Zerbe played a cop (in a regular role) in the mid 70s on HARRY O starring David Janssen.

In later years, Anthony Zerbe taught acting and could you imagine being a student in his class?

Worth an extra cup of late night coffee.

SEASON 2 EPISODE 18 remastered CBS box set.