Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

James Lawrence Actor Darren McGavin plays private detective Mike Hammer. In the space of 30 minutes, he normally escapes a couple assassination attempts, beats at least one man to a pulp, flirts with one or more beautiful women, fires off some 50s tough-guy slang, and solves a perplexing mystery. The pace is very fast.The premise of the show is that the world is an evil, violent place, and the strong and upright must be as tough as the bad guys to set things right. But that doesn't mean they can't have a little fun along the way, enjoying broads, booze, or other masculine entertainments as circumstances present themselves. I do not know that I have ever seen a TV character so quick to use his fists or a gun when trouble arises. And, when Mike Hammer beats you, he does not just knock you down or knock you out. He continues beating you as the blood spurts out and you beg for mercy, then he beats you some more. Even innocent witnesses are pushed around until they give up their information. That he is not imprisoned for his frequent violent assaults is a miracle. He does frequently fall afoul of the police, receiving threats, being questioned, and sometimes being locked up, but only temporarily.In the world of Mike Hammer, there is no such thing as a flat-chested or overweight woman, except for the occasional wife or grandmother. The show is populated by beautiful, large-breasted women with well-coiffed hair, wearing tight dresses that show off their curves, and push-up bras that are so stiff and lift breasts so high they threaten to poke out your eyes. Mike flirts with and openly leers at these women in a way that would surely make viewers uncomfortable today. With only 30 minutes to play with, the characters are often one-dimensional. Women, except when evil sluts, are weaklings dominated by men. They are either helpless victims, or madly attracted to Mike, or incidental holders of information he needs, or mere eye-candy populating his world. Sometimes they are the tool of a bad guy, used to lure Mike into a trap, then sent on their way. Men are not treated much better. The line between good and evil is starkly drawn, and the most complex a character (other than Mike) usually gets is when someone thought to be good turns out to be evil. There are many pluses. A lot happens. The evil plots are often complex and ingenious. The show employs a great deal of humor and tries not to take itself too seriously. In the final analysis, Mike Hammer is on the right side. He fights against crime, and bravely protects the weak, despite the risk to himself. If you had trouble, and were in the right, there is no one better you could have on your side. He is strong, violent, cynical and testosterone-fueled, the epitome of 50s cool. Despite the shortcomings of the show, it is entertaining, and the fast pace ensures you will not get bored.

louisecard Darren McGavin was the quintessential Mike Hammer. Others paled by comparison. He played him with toughness, irreverence and humor. Back in the 50's, when TV censorship was at its strictest, he went as far as you could go. He'd call women "Chickie" and had no qualms at roughing them up to get to the truth. I especially liked his scenes with Nita Talbot, who took everything he dished out. In another review, revtg001 claimed that Anthony Quinn played Mike Hammer. Although, Mr.Quinn appeared in a movie of a Mickey Spillane novel, "The Long Wait",the character he played was JOHNNY McBRIDE. In my opinion, the second best Mike Hammer was Ralph Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly".

rosco1947 This series ran from 1956 to 1949; which means I was age 9 through 12 at the time. Yet, despite this, I remember it as one of the most impressive Private Dectective series ever. A much younger Darrin Mcgavin took part in a great many " physical " encounters with the bad guys. Unlike the stereotype " good guy ", with Mike Hammer, anything goes. I mean chairs, tables anything. Those stunt guys had their work cut out for them. So it was truly a joy to see that this actors' career continued successfully. In fact, Jerry Lewis" first movie after his split with Dean Martin, " Delicate Delinquint " starred Mr. McGavin. When he showed that he could comedy as well ( " Christmas Story " ), it was great. Of course most people will remember him as " Kojak " - and I truly enjoyed that series. But for me, he will always be the very feisty Mike Hammer.

Jaws007 If you liked Darren McGavin in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, he is more avant-garde, irreverent, and disrespectful of authority is this series than any other character he has played since. Laced with his constant humor and bungling case solving attempts, the guy is a blast to watch. Considering that there have been 78 episodes should give anyone and indication that this series had great appeal. He gets into more situations than Colombo, Rockford, or that Hawaii 5-0 team put together. Maybe if we are lucky enough this series will be re-released on TV Land channel. Not doubt in my mind that this could up any channel's ratings. This is definitely one of TV-dom's classic efforts.