The Mysterious Case of Sgt. Hutchinson’s Mustache

I’m not trying to make excuses, honest, but a somewhat-unexpected class change this weekend has led to much reading and not much time for anything else. This blog post may not be the most intellectually deep I’ve posted, but I needed something light.

Still, the topic is intriguing: Detective Sergeant Hutchinson’s mustache.

In all its glory. Courtesy of chezflipper.skyrock.com.

Some people love it; some people hate it; some people don’t seem to think it makes any difference. The question is, why did Hutch grow a mustache in (or just prior to) season 4?

There are many, many ways you could explain this. These are just my thoughts on what some of those ways could be, and what my view may be personally.

You have to take into account the blend between actor and character. Ideally it shouldn’t be there of course, but especially in a visual medium like film, it is there. It just is.

I’ve researched and researched. Originally, I could only find evidence of David Soul having a mustache as Hutch. I was hoping that he only grew it for the character—and was about to make that conclusion, when I came across this photo:

Soul with Pamela McMyler. Courtesy of http://www.alamy.com.

According to Alamy, the photo is from May 17, 1978.

Now, you can never put your faith in the accuracy of these things online. But I’m not inclined to doubt the information, either. That date would put the photo squarely before filming started for season 4 of Starsky and Hutch (unless I have my timeline wrong, but I don’t think I do), which implies that Soul grew the mustache either for another acting role, or just for his own enjoyment. (Why anyone would grow a mustache for his own enjoyment is beyond me, but then, I’m not a man . . .)

I can’t find any evidence that suggests Soul grew the mustache for another role. That doesn’t mean he didn’t, but for now, I’m inclined to think he grew the mustache just for kicks. From pictures I’ve seen of him later in 1979 (from Salem’s Lot, and other music-related and off-set photos), it seems he shaved the mustache soon after Starsky and Hutch ended.

So why did he grow it? I have no idea. I can’t get into the man’s head. What I know is, he grew the ‘stache.

What he must have known was that, if he was going to keep the mustache into the fall of ’78, the mustache would radically change Hutch’s image. However, so would Soul’s longer hair, back brace, and necessarily baggy, untucked shirts. These things make Hutch appear much more casual, and to some viewers, less slender.

Of course, Soul couldn’t help his back injury. Perhaps he saw himself and realized Hutch wasn’t going to look the same anymore, no doubt about it, and he thought, What the heck, let’s keep the mustache too.

From what I know of Soul, he wouldn’t have kept the mustache without taking into consideration what it would do for the character of Hutch. Soul, along with Glaser, was incredibly invested in his character and character-building (they were the two who made Starsky and Hutch are deep as they were, I believe). He had to maintain a certain continuity . . . at least in basic personality. You could argue the mustache was a fashion change, a purely external change.

Yes, but it still changed how people viewed Hutch, and Soul had to know that. He knew he was changing his character, but for some reason went ahead with it.

Why the change? And why the fourth season? Soul had gone three seasons clean-shaven, the golden boy. Now, after several years, Hutch suddenly grows a mustache. Why would he?

Some say it’s part of the overall change of the character. While Starsky changed in the fourth season, too, he didn’t change nearly as much as Hutch. Some say Hutch, in the fourth season, has become so worn and wearied by police work (which is very probable) that he starts letting things go a little. See http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hutch%27s_Mustache.

Some people say Hutch’s attitude, even his personality somewhat, changed as well in the fourth season, which I think is easily backed up (see the previous link as well as the excellent Compendium, https://archiveofourown.org/works/5815615), but that’s for another post.)

Others say he grew his mustache to assert his masculinity, citing sexual tension between him and Starsky (see above Fanlore link)—which I toss right out the window.

Or maybe Hutch just wanted to have a little fun.

I’m inclined to believe the first view, because of another factor. It’s obvious David Soul and David Starsky were both aging (as if people don’t age!); even though only four years had gone by by the end of season 4, still, four years had gone by. Both men were closer to forty than thirty.

You can see this in Soul’s face by the end of season 3. Still, there is a drastic difference in season 4. It’s true that mustaches make men look older; perhaps the mustache or ever-lengthening hairstyle contribute to this impression. But there are lines on Hutch’s face in season 4; so many lines. It’s like the man aged a million years in a few months.

From “Class in Crime,” season 3 episode 18. Not the best shot, but you can see the aging even here. Courtesy of http://www.starskyandhutch.info.

 

From “Deckwatch,” season 3 episode 23, the last episode of the season. Courtesy of starsky-hutch.livejournal.com.

 

First episode of season 4, “Discomania,” and the ‘stache has appeared. Courtesy of http://www.pinterest.com.

 

Another shot from the same episode. The shirt is tucked in, but look at that face. Courtesy of http://www.gettyimages.in.

(That raises another question, of course, of how much time is supposed to have passed between seasons 3 and 4—but that’s not for this post.)

He just looks older. Starsky does, too, but at times he doesn’t. Hutch, on the other hand, looks older all the time.

I have a hard time believing Soul didn’t just miss that fact. I don’t know if he and Glaser got to see film of season 4 before it aired, but I would bet they saw something of themselves. If Soul (or the director, or producer) didn’t want Hutch to look so aged, he would have done something about it. Makeup, hair change, different lighting. Something. But obviously Soul was okay with the look.

Which tells me he meant for Hutch to look older. Which meant Hutch was undergoing some serious changes, and probably some serious struggles.

Which is why I support the first opinion I listed, that the brutality of police work is finally catching up to Hutch (it did take a long time, but hey, he can be pretty idealistic underneath the surface), and as a result of the stress—and the doubts he has, perhaps, of continuing in police work (see Targets Without a Badge especially)—he looks older.

Maybe I’m making a lot of assumptions. But I have to explain that ‘stache somehow, otherwise I might just go crazy every time I see it. (If you can’t tell already, I lean more towards the camp that doesn’t like the mustache—only because I’ve seen Hutch without one for so long. But, what can you do.)

Emergency! vs. Starsky and Hutch

This is post is longer than usual, but I hope it’s intriguing.

I am a huge fan of both shows; in fact, I was attracted to them both because of the strong, prominent male relationships they portray. However, as I watch more and more of both, I realize just how different they are.

These are just my observations. I’m sure you all have more, and may agree/disagree, so chime in in the comments.

Note: While I’m focusing on these two shows, I occasionally will mention Adam-12 too, usually as a show similar to Emergency! (R. A. Cinader helped create both it and Emergency!, so they are understandably very similar.) The only reason I don’t include Adam-12 more is because I have not watched much of it—yet.

Emergency! and Starsky and Hutch obviously have similarities, or I wouldn’t be watching them both. We’ll start there.

Similarities

Both shows focus on a very specific occupational group, and focus mostly on two main characters in that occupation. For Emergency!, it’s Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto, paramedics (and for Adam-12, it’s Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, two police officers). For Starsky and Hutch, it’s David Starksy and Kenneth Hutchinson, detectives. The two main characters are also more than just co-workers; they’re friends. (Same with Adam-12.) The shows make this very clear and focus intensely on this at times.

Also, the two shows might well be considered boring today. Emergency! certainly would, because of its emphasis on realism. All the episodes have some overarching plot, but some of those plots are very minor and inconsequential. In those episodes the paramedics simply go from call to call, with nothing connecting those calls. Any overarching plot is humorous; thus the show becomes very much like a “day in the life” of a paramedic: so realistic that only those who are truly interested in the field will watch.

Starsky and Hutch (S&H) might not be considered quite as boring today, but I still think it would be to some extent. A large reason is because our shows today are so action-packed and dramatic. They are so focused on the action that often even calmer, more character-focused scenes serve to move the main plot along. Even though S&H is very action-packed, and for its day was quite violent, there are many scenes that are very calm, even for several minutes. Some of these are simply Starsky and Hutch talking to each other, very casually. Certainly some of these conversations have to do with the plot, but others don’t, or even when they do, ultimately don’t contribute much to the plot or help push it along.

An example is the final scene of “Death in a Different Place.” While the conversation hints at the topic of the episode—homosexuality—the plot has already been wrapped up at this point. A final “tag” is always needed of course, but it didn’t have to be this exchange. (Please ignore the song in the background, this was the only clip of it I could find.)

But this scene does develop character—which leads us into differences.

Differences in Character Revelation and Storytelling

Other times—really most often—these moments happen in the very midst of the conflict being addressed. While not entirely pointless, Starsky and Hutch’s plot could be just as suspenseful, exciting, and successful without these moments, these details. What these moments do is reveal character. Like this scene:

You can see how seamlessly character is interwoven with plot here. And yet character still stands on its own, revealing information that transcends just this investigation, just this episode. The long moment of hand-tapping, and the line, “Don’t yell at me when I’m on the phone,” are, in terms of the plot, entirely unnecessary. (Aside: I’m not posting Emergency! clips only because there are very few to be found on the Internet.)

And even in this next scene, the main plot is alternately addressed and not addressed along with the pair’s chess game. Starsky and Hutch could simply be discussing the case, but in fact they spend more time staring at each other and the chess board and discussing the game. If you didn’t care about them as characters, as friends, you might think this scene is a bit boring.

There are plenty of exchanges like this in S&H. These moments reveal character—but that is pretty much it. The producer could have just as easily left them out; we learn a lot about the characters as they go about their work anyway (like in Emergency!). But the producer left these moments, or let them stand. (A lot of credit has to go to Soul and Glaser in terms of character development; they ad-libbed and improvised a lot, and expanded on the script greatly with their actions [i.e., Starsky’s finger-tapping].)

In order to keep the audience watching, these scenes require the audience to at least appreciate character and relationship. Maybe today’s audience wouldn’t find these scenes boring, but, with many modern shows’ continuous plots and constant tension, maybe it would. (One could argue that character is even more important in these modern plots that continue over episodes and seasons. Still, Starsky and Hutch’s close relationship is a large focus of Starsky and Hutch, and the show remains well-known for that even today.) Certainly if the audience just wanted an action-oriented, “cop” show, it would be disappointed.

Emergency! does not dive into character nearly as much, and when it does, the moments are very brief and typically separated from the serious action of the show. Starsky and Hutch, much as a good novel would, reveals character throughout scenes—and a lot of it, as we saw above.

A lot of the casual conversations that take place between Starsky and Hutch, even if in the midst of action, are just that: casual conversations. Exchanges any two friends would have on any given day. Thus the show is not just about plot; it’s about characters.

That’s not to say Emergency! does not have rounded, dynamic characters. The dialogue certainly reveals Roy’s quiet humor; Johnny’s buoyancy; Chet’s love of pranks and yet seriousness. (See fanfiction.net for all the character-based Emergency! stories.) But the show does not seem very concerned with real character development.

To be a good story, every show, like every novel or short story, needs a certain amount of character revelation and growth. And I’m no expert on modern TV shows. But in my mind, Starsky and Hutch focuses much more on character than Emergency! does, and than many shows today do.

Other Differences

Emergency! is more about realism, about portraying a certain occupation accurately, than about a good story. Starsky and Hutch, on the other hand, may be less realistic at times, but is a better story overall.

One obvious way we see this is in settings. Emergency! is set in Los Angeles, a real city. Starsky and Hutch, on the other hand, is set in fictional Bay City, California.

Interesting comments on realism in Starsky and Hutch were given by David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser in an interview on Dinah. Realistic portrayal mattered, but theatricality was a big part of the show as well.

Start watching at about 5:20:

Theatricality may take precedence over realism, it seems—I think to create a good story. This is very true with Starsky and Hutch. At the opposite end, we see Emergency! perhaps neglecting storytelling, character depth, etc., for the sake of realism.

The shows both contain what I would call two “types” of dialogue: on-the-job, and relational. The shows differ in the quality of these two types. Emergency!, with all its focus on realism, often (not always but most of the time) nails on-the-job dialogue. When Johnny and Roy are helping someone or calling Rampart, their words are very realistic.

But the dialogue between the firefighters in lighter moments is different—a bit cheesy. I wouldn’t call it bad cheesy; certainly if it was that bad I wouldn’t watch it. But it’s cute at times, lighthearted and fairly innocent, and often even if horrible stuff has happened earlier, the story ends happily. Subplots are usually funny and harmless, such as the Phantom playing yet another trick on Johnny, or Roy’s vacation not going as he planned.

S&H is different in this regard. While the show itself is less realistic for the field it portrays—no detective goes screaming around in a bright red-and-white sports car—the dialogue, especially the relational dialogue, is very, very good. At times the on-the-job dialogue is slightly poor; sometimes it just is, but other times it is because Starsky is saying it. In these cases the cheesiness is more of a self-conscious cheesy, and since Starsky’s always cracking stupid jokes anyway, any low quality speech from him is happily endured.

But it is the dialogue during the quieter moments, usually just between Starsky and Hutch, that really shines. Funny or serious, it doesn’t matter. This dialogue, as a rule, is not cheesy, but honest and realistic. In some ways, then, the shows are opposites of each other.

Titles

This could just be me over-analyzing, but I think even simply looking at the titles of the shows reveals differences. The title Emergency! makes one think of the action of the show: emergencies. In Adam-12’s case, the title makes one think of the call sign and patrol car; again, the job is emphasized. While the shows often spend a lot of time showing two specific men performing these jobs, the main focus is the occupation: firefighting/paramedicine, or patrolling.

Starsky and Hutch—what does that bring to mind? Well, if you at first knew nothing at all about the show, you might be a bit confused. Starsky and Hutch might be two things, or two people. But they’re proper nouns; no action involved. If someone then told you that the title referred to two men, you’d think, okay, that makes sense. Starsky is one guy, Hutch is another.

Of course, someone else could tell you the show is about detectives and catching bad guys, in which case you’d have a completely different perception of the show. But if you asked someone who knew what the two words meant, they would tell you Starsky and Hutch are two men. So the title makes one think of the two main characters. Friends. The life of two friends.

Thus even their titles distinguish these shows. Emergency! and Adam-12 are more action-focused; Starsky and Hutch is *more* relationship-focused. (I say *more* because the show was marketed as a “cop show,” and many would say it is equally action- and relationship-oriented.) The point is still that Starsky and Hutch, by its very title, allows for relationship to be, at times, the main focus of the show.

(Interestingly, the original title of the pilot was Nightside—implying, somewhat like Emergency! and other shows, an event, a thing, action, and not so much people. I’d be interested to know why William Blinn, the show’s creator, changed the title.)

It’s very interesting comparing shows like these, and especially interesting since they were made and aired during partially the same years, and during the same decade. It shows the wide variety of shows on TV at that time.

But as I said, these are just my thoughts. I’m sure there are more differences and similarities, and you may disagree with my comments. Please let me know what you think.