"Just one more thing...": Rewatching Columbo

[Mel O'Drama]

A Stitch In Crime is one of my favourite episodes, definitely in my top 10 best episodes, possibly in my top 5.

Oh great. I can see why.

As I'm coming up to the end of Season Two I had at the back of my mind that I'd like to try ranking the episodes I've watched so far. Trouble is I'd probably end up doing a great disservice to some, especially since some details of those early episodes are already fading in my memory.

So many elements come together to make it one of the greats: a strong plot, clever murder, great performance from the murderer, fascinating interactions between Columbo and the murderer and a really good gotcha.

Absolutely. It's a really well crafted episode - strongly written and played.

One of the great Columbo scenes because he is usually so cool and laid back so when he losing his temper you can't help but to take note that it's something significant.

Yes. And I found myself second-guessing if he'd actually lost his temper or he was doing it as part of a broader strategy. There's so much reading between the lines with this character because he usually seems to be going somewhere with his trains of thought.

I remember vividly the look of surprise on the face of Leonard Nimoy's character, it's almost fear, when Columbo bangs the water jug on the table.

It was priceless, and who can blame him. That was a heck of a wallop the desk took, and it seemed to come out of nowhere.

Great description of the man and why I thought he was an interesting murderer. Sadly, he was played in a way that didn't give him a particularly strong screen presence and that weakened the impact of the episode.

I certainly felt that having watched it very close to the Leonard Nimoy episode. But I also enjoyed that he had a different kind of energy and was quite difficult to pin down.

It's not one of the best but it's still a good middle-ranking episode. I thought the premise of the murder was an intriguing one and I really liked the gotcha.

Yes, that sums up how I feel about it as well.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Double Shock

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Considering the widely known idea of the Columbo formula, I’m pleasantly surprised at the frequency with which episodes add their own spin. Double Shock is yet another example of this.

While it doesn’t stray from showing us the killer, the fact that Martin Landau is playing identical twins means that there’s a genuine whodunnit mystery for the audience as we can’t be sure which of the two we actually saw do the nasty deed: the old blender in the bathtub routine, which certainly shows a flair for the dramatic.

Landau is great as gregarious TV cook Dexter and grey banker Norman. His voice and body language are different enough to tell them apart, but he also throws in a scene in which one brother imitates the other, casting further doubt on what we’ve seen.

The back of his hair looked very wet in a number of scenes. The first time I thought he was meant to have just got out of the shower or taken exercise, but as the episode progressed I found myself wondering if he was finding the studio lights a bit too hot.

There are some very familiar faces in the supporting cast. Peyton Place’s Tim O’Connor is Michael Hathaway, the corrupt family lawyer who blackmails the twins into offering him a lucrative continued position with them in exchange for him getting rid of a will which leaves everything to Clifford’s young fiance, only for them to frame him for her murder. Catwoman Julie Newmar is the almost bride of Uncle Clifford who becomes the second victim when it emerges she’s due to inherit the bulk of Clifford’s estate. I did question why the need to murder her if she’s not interested in the money and was willing to hand over her paperwork relating to the inheritance. Why not kill Hathaway instead? But I suppose it was an either/or, and this was the route with more dramatic flair which seems to be the twins’ forte. Newmar is as game as ever, and there are some terrific lighthearted moments, from Columbo's initial observation to someone that he'd noticed she was a "healthy" girl to her bending double exercising while Columbo watching appreciatively as they talk.

There's also Dabney Coleman as Detective Murray, whose persistent and violent gum chewing irritated the hell out of me.

The comedy in this episode is perhaps as broad as it’s got, but it worked really well.

A highlight of the episode is the legendary scene where Columbo is called up to help Dexter on camera in front of the audience. Columbo’s awkwardness and inability to speak properly is thoroughly endearing, Martin Landau plays off Peter Falk wonderfully and the entire scene feels spontaneous, natural and warm. It’s a lovely little interlude.

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[Mel O'Drama]

Double Shock



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Even the murder has a gallows humour to it. After the electrocution blows the circuits in the house, Mrs Peck the housekeeper becomes mildly distraught when her television set switches itself off while she’s watching the medical drama with young Marc Singer as a Dr Kildare type (his TV debut, apparently). She is even more upset when it switches back on and she finds everyone is purple. Then there’s the discovery of old Clifford’s body, which has been placed on his electric exercise bike, draped forward over the handlebars, his top half rocks back and forth while underneath his legs continue to pump madly round from his feet being placed on the pedals. It’s incredibly undignified and quite a comical image, even under the circumstances.

Jeanette Nolan, who plays Mrs Peck, is a voice I’m most familiar with from her uncredited role as Norma Bates in Psycho. She’s great in this episode. There’s a running gag with her shouting at Columbo for his sloppy ways. It begins when he drops ash on the floor. Then he panics at her reaction and smashes a decanter. And it gets worse from there, with a cycle of Columbo creating a mess and Mrs Peck overreacting then apologising. Their interactions are so much fun. Columbo appears terrified of her Possibly the funniest moment is when he tries to do the right thing by flicking his ash into an ashtray, only to find out otherwise:

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There’s a great scene where Columbo makes a little speech to her about their situation, leading to a truce. But it's short-lived:

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The lead up to the Gotcha was enjoyable. Especially the running gag with Mrs Peck’s TV set. Columbo's experiments to work out the time it would take to get from the bathroom to the fusebox meant he kept knocking out Mrs Peck’s TV every time she was trying to enjoy her medical drama. Including one moment where it came back on looking as though it was fixed, but then switched to purple again.

Obviously Columbo worked out there needed to have been two of them in order to get the power back on so quickly and move the body. It seemed quite obvious to me that the two of them would have worked together, though I suppose this was a less hackneyed idea in 1973, and the way it was presented remains original. Columbo also claimed to have contacted the telephone company to prove the brothers had been in contact despite claiming otherwise. It’s kind of a shame it was sprung upon the audience without giving us the chance to work out how he’d put it together. But it is definitive evidence, at least. Certainly enough to be reasonably satisfying.

 

[Angela Channing]

Double Shock is one of my favourite Columbo episodes even though it strays from the usual format of the show. It's a shocking murder (excuse the pun) but the episode has a huge amount to humour including Mrs Peck's ongoing annoyance with Columbo dropping cigar ash and generally making this presence unwelcome. I normally prefer episodes that stick to the normal format which is:

• The show begins with scenes set in Los Angeles to introduce the characters (who are usually middle class professionals) and establish the motive for the upcoming murder.
• We see a well planned murder and cover up.
• Columbo investigates including several conversations with the murderer which, bit by bit, establishes information which helps to uncover the facts of the crime.
• A final scene in which Columbo reveals how he discovered who the murderer was and how they carried out the crime.

However when they mix it up a bit, the episode either stands out as something special or it falls flat and you wish they didn't bother. In this case it works spectacularly. We know one of the brothers committed the crime but which one and in a final twist, it turns out to be both of them. Brilliant!

Landau is great as gregarious TV cook Dexter and grey banker Norman. His voice and body language are different enough to tell them apart, but he also throws in a scene in which one brother imitates the other, casting further doubt on what we’ve seen.

Martin Landau was a much underrated actor until late in his career when he pulled out some outstanding performances in Hollywood films. I think his performance in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), for which he was nominated for an Oscar, was his best work but in many ways his performance in this Columbo was just as good. Playing twins and giving them both different personalities can only be pulled off convincingly by a really good actor but having one of the twins mimic the other in a scene is a touch of acting genius. I always thought it was a shame that he wasn't invited back more to play more other murderers.

(Just typing that paragraph makes me want to see Crimes and Misdemeanors again: I've not seen it since it was released in 1989)

The comedy in this episode is perhaps as broad as it’s got, but it worked really well.

Sometimes too much comedy in a otherwise serious show about a police murder investigation seems a bit forced and out of place but here, like you say, it works really well and provides a nice balance and relief from the seriousness of the scenario they are in,

A highlight of the episode is the legendary scene where Columbo is called up to help Dexter on camera in front of the audience. Columbo’s awkwardness and inability to speak properly is thoroughly endearing, Martin Landau plays off Peter Falk wonderfully and the entire scene feels spontaneous, natural and warm. It’s a lovely little interlude.

Another acting masterclass from both Martin Landau and Peter Falk. The scene is essentially a filler as it doesn't take the plot any further and if it was cut from the show the overall storyline would still remain intact. However, they turn it into something quite special.

You rightly say the scene feels spontaneous and I do wonder how much was scripted and how much the actors ad libbed. In the scene when Dexter pours the sauce from the blender on the plate that Columbo is holding, and some gets spilt, his reaction seems real and when Columbo says "That was your fault" and Dexter laughs, it all looks way too natural to be anything other than an ad lib. This is one of my favourite Columbo scenes ever.

 

[Alexis]

I am really enjoying reading through this thread. It's making want to go back an watch all of Columbo again now! I loved the Anne Baxter episode as well as Lee Grant's, Robert Culp was always great, I also really loved Suitable For Framing. As much as I love Columbo for it's story and clever writing I also adore it for the sets and the look of the show. Especially that 1970s Hollywood look. Suitable For Framing is a really nice to look at episode for me in that regard.

But just reading through the episodes here is putting a smile on my face when I think of all the great guest stars that clocked in at Universal for Columbo. It really is such a luxurious and pleasurable show to watch. You just feel absolutely spoiled.

I am sure it was discussed back on the old forum, and I have just forgotten but does anyone know why there was such variation in episode length. Some seem more feature length or like a TV movie others seem less so? It seems strange for a network show. Normally regular run times are enforced and shows often have to cut stuff to fit their allocated hour or whatever. Why was Columbo different?

 

[Angela Channing]

I am really enjoying reading through this thread. It's making want to go back an watch all of Columbo again now! I loved the Anne Baxter episode as well as Lee Grant's, Robert Culp was always great, I also really loved Suitable For Framing. As much as I love Columbo for it's story and clever writing I also adore it for the sets and the look of the show. Especially that 1970s Hollywood look. Suitable For Framing is a really nice to look at episode for me in that regard.

But just reading through the episodes here is putting a smile on my face when I think of all the great guest stars that clocked in at Universal for Columbo. It really is such a luxurious and pleasurable show to watch. You just feel absolutely spoiled.

I am sure it was discussed back on the old forum, and I have just forgotten but does anyone know why there was such variation in episode length. Some seem more feature length or like a TV movie others seem less so? It seems strange for a network show. Normally regular run times are enforced and shows often have to cut stuff to fit their allocated hour or whatever. Why was Columbo different?

I think the standard length of a Columbo episode was about 90 mins but when the show became popular the networks wanted to cash in on its money-making potential and demanded a few longer episodes so they could accommodate some more commercial breaks. I believe there are shorter edited version of the longer episodes which were produced for international markets which wanted more consistency in episode lengths.

The cast of Columbo episodes is really impressive, some of the greats of Hollywood and TV have appeared including Don Ameche, Faye Dunnaway, William Shatner amongst many others.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I normally prefer episodes that stick to the normal format which is:

• The show begins with scenes set in Los Angeles to introduce the characters (who are usually middle class professionals) and establish the motive for the upcoming murder.
• We see a well planned murder and cover up.
• Columbo investigates including several conversations with the murderer which, bit by bit, establishes information which helps to uncover the facts of the crime.
• A final scene in which Columbo reveals how he discovered who the murderer was and how they carried out the crime.

Same here. You've perfectly described the winning formula. I always love seeing how writers take these plot points and work with the limitations to make getting from A to B thoroughly fascinating.

when they mix it up a bit, the episode either stands out as something special or it falls flat and you wish they didn't bother. In this case it works spectacularly.

Definitely. Tweaking perfection can go either way. As you said, this was a definite case of it working in the show's favour.

Martin Landau was a much underrated actor until late in his career when he pulled out some outstanding performances in Hollywood films.

Just last week I watched him in one of his last films, Remember with Christopher Plummer. It was an absolutely amazing performance.

Sometimes too much comedy in a otherwise serious show about a police murder investigation seems a bit forced and out of place but here, like you say, it works really well and provides a nice balance and relief from the seriousness of the scenario they are in,

I really loved this episode for the comedy. It was so funny to see Columbo meet someone who wouldn't put up with his slobby ways.

You rightly say the scene feels spontaneous and I do wonder how much was scripted and how much the actors ad libbed. In the scene when Dexter pours the sauce from the blender on the plate that Columbo is holding, and some gets spilt, his reaction seems real and when Columbo says "That was your fault" and Dexter laughs, it all looks way too natural to be anything other than an ad lib.

Definitely. The entire scene felt ad libbed. I was also conscious that both actors had a literal studio audience, and thought this might have fed their performances as well. If the audience were responding well to it they had an instant gauge of how far they could go.

As much as I love Columbo for it's story and clever writing I also adore it for the sets and the look of the show. Especially that 1970s Hollywood look. Suitable For Framing is a really nice to look at episode for me in that regard.

Definitely. The sets and the location interiors are all so sumptuous and opulent.

when I think of all the great guest stars that clocked in at Universal for Columbo. It really is such a luxurious and pleasurable show to watch. You just feel absolutely spoiled.

Definitely. I love seeing who's going to show up - not just as the killer and victim, but also the supporting cast. So many familiar faces.

does anyone know why there was such variation in episode length. Some seem more feature length or like a TV movie others seem less so? It seems strange for a network show. Normally regular run times are enforced and shows often have to cut stuff to fit their allocated hour or whatever. Why was Columbo different?

I'm not sure I have a definitive answer, but I know at times Columbo had really short seasons because it was part of a "wheel" in rotation with other series, so this could have influenced it.

It seems to have been really carefully scheduled, and I'm sure the network would have had no qualms about moving things round to fit during its original run. Especially if they could get a few 2 hour slots rather than the usual 90 to maximise advertising revenue.

Of course, it would then be difficult to syndicate, but from what I've seen, Columbo episodes were often treated like films when it was repeated, rather than having regular slots.

 

[Angela Channing]

Just last week I watched him in one of his last films, Remember with Christopher Plummer. It was an absolutely amazing performance.

It's on my list of film to watch along with Crimes and Misdemeanours and Ed Wood.

Definitely. The entire scene felt ad libbed. I was also conscious that both actors had a literal studio audience, and thought this might have fed their performances as well. If the audience were responding well to it they had an instant gauge of how far they could go.

That's a really good point, they had an audience to play to and react to which would have impacted on the energy of that scene.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It's on my list of film to watch along with Crimes and Misdemeanours and Ed Wood.

I haven't seen Crimes and Misdemeanours, but you've certainly put it on my radar of films to watch. It's many years since I've seen Ed Wood. Not since it first came out. Perhaps I'm due a rewatch of that sometime as well.

That's a really good point, they had an audience to play to and react to which would have impacted on the energy of that scene.

Yes. It's a really unusual situation for a crime drama. It practically changed genres to pull this off. But then Columbo is not your typical crime drama, and so perhaps not easily defined by a genre anyway.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Season Three (1973-74)

Lovely But Lethal

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Jeannot Szwarc’s name is best known to me from Jaws 2 and Supergirl - two franchise entries known for not being anywhere near as impressive as their predecessors. Jeannot himself, however, seems to be known for being enthusiastic, creative and generally good with people (Roy Scheider might have begged to differ however). I’d say I went into this expecting an episode that was nicely put together and pleasant to look at, but still with an emphasis on efficiency. And that’s pretty much what we got.

There’s nothing as extremely eye-catching as the “glasses effect” or lava lamp shots. But the cinematography is very attractive. Scenery looks attractive, whether it’s a sense of depth that comes from seeing Columbo approaching Viveca from the other end of the corridor or a lovely aerial shot of the Plymouth Cricket on the book which looks as though it’s lifted from a showroom brochure.

How unusual to see a fairly ordinary British car being driven on this show. The Cricket was simply a badge-engineered Hillman Avenger, which was a common sight on UK roads throughout the Seventies and Eighties.

It’s a stretch to say that Columbo could ever be truly camp, but with an episode set in the beauty industry in which Vincent Price flamboyantly exchanges bitchy barbs with Vera Miles and her huge bouffant, and which sees both vying for the formula to the perfect vanishing cream, this episode has to at least be considered to be entering this territory. Even one of the clues hinged on the colour of Viveca's eyebrow pencil. In addition, the episode features death by drugged cigarette and - most tellingly of all - a scene in which vanishing cream is applied to the face of an unwitting guinea pig and we watch her wrinkles vanish before our eyes.

Sian Barbara Allen as the treacherous ingenue was fascinating. She’s not a great actress by any means and she’s clearly not a natural with a cigarette, despite her character’s chain smoking habit (she mostly just lit the cigarette and held it for the rest of the scene. As a longtime ex-smoker I still find amateur smoking really frustrating. Either smoke properly or don’t bother, I say). But the actress herself had a very special presence. Something about her reminded me of - variously - Karen Allen, Neve Campbell a young Michelle Phillips or Kathleen Beller. There’s a vulnerability to her, along with a sweetness and a kind of sadness behind the eyes.

Martin Sheen was a good-looking young man. It’s fun to imagine the green room discussions between this hardcore liberal and lifelong Republican Vera Miles, though I doubt they worked together long enough to get onto politics.

The Gotcha and arrest scene was satisfying enough. Again, perhaps not as conclusive as it might be, but the poison ivy in the glass from the slide was still a great piece of deduction, and the episode came with a sense of closure.

I wouldn't say this is top-tier Columbo. But it's still perfectly watchable.

 

[Angela Channing]

The best thing about Lovely But Lethal is seeing Vincent Price on the screen and the worst thing about this episode is that he isn't in it long enough. Why didn't they bring him back to play the murderer in a future episode? Vera Mills is ok as the murderer but she doesn't have the screen presence of Vincent Price. It's a solid episode but one I would put in the "it's good but not great category".

 

[Alexis]

Reading about this episode made me remember that when I originally watched it I thought that the health spa or clinic or whatever it was, was the same house used as the Turkish villa where Rashid Ahmed is killed on Dynasty. I think it's this episode, or maybe I mixed them up? I think it's a Hollywood home with a central courtyard and maybe a fountain in the middle? I don't think I ever checked if it was the same house on Dynasty but it really seemed it was at the time.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The best thing about Lovely But Lethal is seeing Vincent Price on the screen and the worst thing about this episode is that he isn't in it long enough.

Agreed. I was surprised he wasn't featured more. If he could only film for a brief window he'd have made a memorable victim, which probably has more kudos than the role he had. He was great fun though.

Why didn't they bring him back to play the murderer in a future episode?

Yes - he was a natural for this.

Vera Mills is ok as the murderer but she doesn't have the screen presence of Vincent Price. It's a solid episode but one I would put in the "it's good but not great category".

Agreed on all counts.

Reading about this episode made me remember that when I originally watched it I thought that the health spa or clinic or whatever it was, was the same house used as the Turkish villa where Rashid Ahmed is killed on Dynasty. I think it's this episode, or maybe I mixed them up? I think it's a Hollywood home with a central courtyard and maybe a fountain in the middle? I don't think I ever checked if it was the same house on Dynasty but it really seemed it was at the time.

Yes indeed. It's where Columbo goes thinking he's visiting Vera Miles on her farm, but it's actually a fat farm, with lots of full-figured women in tracksuits. And she opens the gates to a different areas to show him the nude bathers, which freaks him out.

A closer look shows you're absolutely right. It is exactly the same place used on Dynasty.

 

[Alexis]

I should also note that Vera Miles' wig in this episode amused much more than it should have. It's really something to behold!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I should also note that Vera Miles' wig in this episode amused much more than it should have. It's really something to behold!

It's formidable indeed. And as wide as it is tall.

Even Columbo's hair seems to be trying to climb away from it in that first image.

 

[Angela Channing]

I should also note that Vera Miles' wig in this episode amused much more than it should have. It's really something to behold!

I know it was the 70s but her fashions were also terrible. That double collar beige number she's wearing in your first photo is truly hideous.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Any Old Port In A Storm

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Knowing this is one of @Angela Channing's favourite episodes and a firm favourite with Columbo fans, it’s fair to say my expectations of this episode were higher than usual. This always comes with a concern at the back of my mind that I might be disappointed.

I needn’t have worried. As things unfolded, it quickly became apparent why this is such a highly regarded episode. And this only became more evident as the episode drew to a close.

That’s not to say I didn’t have my quibbles with the episode. Let’s get them over with first.

My gravest doubt isn’t so much about the Gotcha - which is first class - but about the choices made by Carsini which gave Columbo the opening for his Gotcha. Namely: why on earth would he risk spoiling his precious wines by switching off the air conditioner in the first place? It seems to me he’d find some other way - any other way - to do the deed.

Then there’s the practical question of how he got a body into a wetsuit when it’s been dead for some five days. Wouldn’t rigor mortis have been an issue? And even though it was accepted that Ric suffocated rather than drowned, wouldn’t it have been apparent that he had been in the water for hours rather than over a week?


It also seems a risk to leave his brother alive - even if he is unconscious and bound. But since Carsini is a man who lives on the edge, I can believe that level of risk-taking.

As I said, expectations were high, so perhaps this is why I’m being extra nitpicky with some of my concerns. Overall, though, the episode was simply firing on all cylinders for me.

There are some nice Columboisms in this episode. Columbo’s unofficial theme tune makes its debut in this episode as he whistles This Old Man more than once. There’s a tease when he says he might bring his wife along to the dinner, but it turns out they couldn’t get a babysitter (is this the first we hear of Columbo having kids? I can’t remember a previous reference). While we don’t meet Mrs Columbo, we do at least see his end of a phone conversation with Mrs Columbo where they discuss… the weather.

And that’s just the beginning off this episode’s greatness. There’s a whole lot of ground for me to cover with this one.

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[Mel O'Drama]

Any Old Port In A Storm​

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My God - Peter Falk taking Donald Pleasence and Julie Harris out to dinner. Be still my heart. To be a fly on the walls of those dressing rooms with the stories they'd have to tell. But even putting the main guests aside, Carsini would no doubt approve of the fact that - with one exception - the casting of smaller roles in this episode showed a meticulous attention to detail.

From the wine cohorts impressed with Carsini who don’t bat an eyelid when he makes a toast worthy of Dr Evil to the drunk man in the bar who keeps talking at Columbo while he’s trying to listen to the news report to the hipsters swinging by the pool. They’re all cast with care.

Waiter and Maitre D’ at the posh restaurant who added a terrific finishing touch to one of the most memorable scenes in Columbo history with the synchronised rapid gibberish they spoke to one another (at the same time) after their customers had walked out which stopped instantly when Columbo returned. Then came that hilarious sip of the port and multiple lip smacks. Hilarious.

My favourite of the small roles was the Italian caretaker at Carsini’s vineyard. His small exchange with Columbo was a really nice touch.

The only performance I didn’t care for was that of Joyce Jillson who lacked any kind of inflection in her speech. One sensed that she’d mastered memorising and reciting the dialogue, but it didn’t go any deeper than that. And I’m fairly sure she would have struggled had Peter Falk started ad libbing during their conversations. The moment where she had to leave the poolside in tears of grief was particularly awkward. Fortunately, her screen time was short enough for it not to ruin things.

Julie Harris is, as always, a gem. In her hands, Karen Fielding is a truly compelling character in her own right. There’s so much subtext there. Like the way she seems to barely tolerate Columbo’s presence as he makes his phone call, and yet can’t help listening. Even when he apologises for getting off on the wrong foot, the coldness is there (I think she politely asks him if he knows the way out).

There’s a great scene where Columbo comes to see her at her home. She informs him there’s an Alan Ladd film she’s planning to watch at eleven o’clock and they end up discussing This Gun For Hire as Columbo makes a phone call to Carsini, ostensibly to apologise after Miss Fielding clears his name. One can really sense the wheels turning for both of them. There’s so much more to the scene than what’s on the page.

The efficient old spinster secretary with a crush on her boss is a cliché, but here it has depth. Such is the extent of the loyalty that comes across from her that when she eventually presses her suit under threat of blackmail it seems like a more terrible betrayal than even Carsini killing his sibling.

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[Mel O'Drama]

Any Old Port In A Storm​

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Donald Pleasence is an actor I associate with characters who are filled with an intense obsessive mania. Whether they’re masterminding an escape from Stalag Luft; having agents devoured by piranhas for failure; or pursuing a masked serial killer, Donald’s characters always seem to be on the verge of going right over the edge with catastrophic results.

He frequently plays quiet and meek too. And can effectively swing between this more gentle side and sudden terrifying outbursts. He’s frequently the impotent everyman who turns out to be far more threatening that he first appears. One of my favourite Donald Pleasence performances is in Polanski’s 1966 film Cul-de-Sac because of how his bizarre otherworldly eccentricities are embraced.

At the back of my mind I had wondered if his outraged shouty side might be just a little too much for the world of Columbo. It turns out it isn’t at all. His furious tirades over people or situations not meeting his exacting standards are incredibly entertaining. At times they’re comical because of how over the top they are over a detail most of us would consider trivial. But at the same time they’re quite frightening because he seems truly unhinged.

Of course, this makes his unplanned killing of Ric completely truthful. It happened in a moment of impassioned anger, and one can truly believe he didn’t even know what he’d done until after the event (although his final words to his brother might suggest intent and, of course, the cover up afterwards was coldly planned out).

I love his haughty reaction from behind those thick glasses the first time Columbo dares to enter his office without being announced. One can really feel his contempt that someone has dared to break this rule of propriety.

His righteous anger throughout contrasted wonderfully with Columbo’s more externally laid back persona. It’s easy to understand why these two might grow to respect one another. They’re two people with an eye for detail who will not give up in their pursuit of their respective obsessions.

Carsini’s controlling nature extended to his relationships. Obviously that’s partly why the murder happened. But it’s perhaps best clearly seen with his secretary Karen Fielding in the scene where they’re leaving for dinner. He informs her that - for one night only - she will be permitted to call him Adrian. When her heart plainly melts at being thrown these crumbs he goes on to say he might consider dropping the formalities permanently. And yet by the end of the evening, he’s making it clear she was never anything more than an employee.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Any Old Port In A Storm



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Even for Columbo, taking a suspect out to dinner to set them up is an extreme, but the restaurant scene is without question one of the best in Columbo history. All the pieces are carefully laid out, with Columbo asking to speak to the wine waiter beforehand.

Carsini on his guard is at his most delightfully mercurial, and he sets the tone on arrival by immediately berating the waiter for daring to seat him near the kitchen. I don’t think he actually says “Don’t you know who I am”, but that’s the essence. And it’s very clear that the waiter does know who he is and wouldn’t have dreamt of seating Carsini there had he known because it’s more than his life is worth. Donald Pleasance has everything going on in this moment: the control and power (it’s clear he’s spent years making the staff aware of his foibles in order that they can give him the level of service to which he feels he is entitled); the mercurial nature (he swings between shouted outburst and warm, polite conversation).


Naturally this amazing scene builds to a memorable and hugely entertaining climax:

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Serving this iodine. It’s an insult… An exciting meal has been ruined by the presence of this liquid filth.

As a viewer, I like to be surprised, but I also enjoy when the writers allow me to feel a bit clever by spelling it out without initially saying it. This was the case with the port. At some point during the scene I realised it was going to be from Carsini’s cellar, taken while Columbo was “locked” in. And this added to my enjoyment.

The Gotcha was enjoyable enough, as Columbo waited at Carsini’s car on the clifftop as he returned for more spoilt wine to destroy (with a nice zoom for effect). All the “T”s were crossed and the “I”s dotted, with Carsini even agreeing to give a confession.

But this episode went one better with a post-Gotcha scene, which would be unnecessary in most episodes. We saw the two bonding over a drink chosen by Columbo, having studied well. It harks back to earlier episodes in which Columbo often bonded with his quarry over a drink mid-episode. Here it made an already satisfying episode even more so. The “Liquid filth” scene might be more memorable, but this final scene shows us a real depth to both characters, with great chemistry between the actors. It’s one of those episodes that I felt really sorry to leave, and so this final scene of Carsini accepting his fate, while feeling reflectively sad to leave the vineyard in other hands, was most bittersweet, quite touching and very welcome.