“Do Not Mutilate or Spindle”: See a Very Young Gene Hackman, as a Technology-Hating Serial Killer, in the Premiere Episode of the TV Detective Series of an Even Younger Burt Reynolds: Hawk, Shot on the Streets of New York, at WEJB/NSU (1966)! (Free, Complete, and Without Commercial Interruption!)

[TCM Has a William Friedkin Tribute on Thursday Night (Tonight!)]

By RM
thursday, september 14, 2023 at 1:46:00 p.m. edt

Here’s something you will like: a great early performance by Hackman in the premiere episode of HAWK, a terrific series from 1966 starring Burt Reynolds.

It was given the worst time slot possible (opposite Dean Martin and the Thursday night movies), so naturally ABC dumped it at midseason. It’s unique among NYC-filmed series in that it takes place mostly at nighttime (they actually filmed a brief scene on my old block!). The video quality isn’t great but at least the episode isn’t time-compressed like most youtube videos from this series. -RM

N.S.: The complete phrase, as printed on all IBM punch cards was, “Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate.” Were the producers afraid of a copyright suit from IBM, if they quoted it exactly? But people used to quote that line all the time. Maybe “fold” was too gentle for the story line.

Episode aired September 8, 1966