Lassiter

 

This is a Tom Selleck project to cash in on his fame, as Magnum. ITV used to show it reasonably often in their NightTime slot in the late 1990s. So I have seen it before I have not seen it for years

The cast is not bad, not bad at all. Selleck, and Jane Seymour as well as Bob Hoskins, Warren Clarke in support. 

The story is simple Selleck plays Lassiter an American jewel thief living in London in 1939. Lassiter  is strong armed by Special branch and the FBI into stealing diamonds from the German Embassy. The diamonds are going to be used to pay for Nazi subversion in South America. 

Selleck has performed in a few historical dramas- Quigley, and Quigley Down Under- The High Road to China- and notoriously 1492 the Conquest of Paradise. Whence he plays Ferdiand of Aragon and won a razzie.  Harshly in my opinion. He has a few moments of screen time. Yes, Selleck looks nothing like the historical Ferdinand. Selleck is actually darker and swarthier -Selleck is there to let Isabella lead. 

It must be said that Magnum P.I is often a historical drama- the vietnam flashbacks throughout the series, Speaking of flashbacks, the Magnum P.I episode ``Flashback'' is the foundation upon which Quantum Leap will be build. There is also the  noir episode Murder by Night. The 

 This is also a taste of the alternate Indiana Jones we briefly see in Legend of the Lost Art. Selleck would have been Indy but for Magnum P.I

Well

Firstly there is a lot of sex and nudity. I remembered there was some. I was surprised how much there was in fact - Jayne Seymour is briefly bottomless. I would have assumed she was high enough  up the totem pole by this point, not to do such . It is not just shower scenes. The Nazi protagonists both have darker sexual desires. There is a scene of Warren Clarke adjusting his rear view mirror to watch Selleck and the Nazi frau in the back seat. 

 Now Magnum was shown at late prime time in the US at about 8pm. There are some dark episodes. Dealing with child murder, abudction and pornography- That said there were Magnum P.I toys. 

I mean why would you make an R rated film, if your star is going to make Three Men and Baby

Just an observation- we see a black bareknuckle boxer and a black jazz band, in 1930s London. 

This was not remarked upon at the time of production- nor does it seem out place. 

We see Hoskins try to strong arm Selleck. Despite him being a foot shorter than him 

The film is also violent. The death of Warren Clarke, after a struggle with Selleck, is done quite accurately. The pistols shots don't stop him. He staggers to his death, he bleeds and moans, before he expires. 

Again this is your prime time star?  Magnum actually was quite good of showing the lasting horror of violence - Rick seeing a woman casually murdered, Higgins standing in a room full of dead narco's

Speaking of the Hawaiian P,.I

The last half hour of the film- feels more like Magnum.  We see Selleck bully and lead his FBI friend into helping him, and a lot of misdirection. BTW Magnum and Sisko are very sinilar characters widowers who are incredibily manipulative 

While in Lassiter Selleck is always cool calm, and collected  in Magnum Tom plays against himself. Magnum is whiny and childish. His hair is a mess. He is dressed like a teenager.

 There is no Higgins for Magnum to play off- The script for Lassiter could have worked with an edit. 

Hoskins police officer is very judgemental towards Lassiter- as opposed to the FBI. More could have been done with this. I think it was an interesting choice- I think the better choice would have been for Hoskins to have been more of a comic foil than he plays here

Oh like Magnum- Selleck has to swim into a boat house. I felt sorry for Selleck, swiming in the pacific must be very different from a tank in a studio if he was lucky or if he was unlucky in docklands at bight 

You can see Battersea power station in the background of several shots.- still smoking. I think a piece was filmed close by St Mary's Hospital. 

Scotland Yard are quite nonchalant about automatic weapons being fired into the night several times

Jayne Seymour is lovely. I think she is supposed to have a cockney accent but doesn't quite carry it off

Which is I think the problem with Lassiter. It looks good- it just doesn't quite work