Great Not Entirely Slimy Character: Gunnar Globle on Murder, She Wrote

In Murder, She Wrote, "The Corpse Flew First Class" (trope to be discussed in more detail later: the need for all mystery shows to have at least one episode in the air), a not entirely slimy character makes an appearance. 

Gunnar Globle (Pat Harrington), one of the first-class passengers, is a studio executive. He is presented as a kind of used-car salesman, the man "in the green plaid parka." Loud and obnoxious, he insistently drops the names of all the people he knows to anyone in his vicinity, boldly inserts himself into conversations, badgers Jessica into reading a screenplay, associates "good" with money ("You must be a good writer--you're flying first-class").

And he is totally lovable. In the airport lounge, he calls his secretary. "Who called? Joan? Rivers? Collins?"

Typical bombastic pomposity, one thinks. Except then he says, "Oh, Joan, my wife! Oh, I love her. Tell her I love her." He is entirely sincere. 

On the plane, while watching the obviously "B" action-film, he is totally captivated. 

And when Jessica later tells him that the script he forced her to read Aliens The Second Coming has "artistic potential," they both agree it won't work for the big screen.

Great character actor!