"Just One More Thing..." - The COLUMBO Discussion Thread

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  • edited June 2021 Posts: 6,682
    A few thoughts about those unproduced stories.
    Story in which the murderer was to be a filmmaker (by Brian De Palma and someone else)
    This sounds really cool; the idea of the murderer filming the crime is so arrogant and provocative. Also, Columbo being followed by a documentary crew would have been interesting.
    Story with Columbo in the Italian Alps involving a rock-climbing murder (by a French/Algerian writer)
    Just the story of how Peter Falk got to read this is splendid. I would have enjoyed the change of pace of a non-US, picturesque location.
    Story about a priest who commits murder (by the same writer)
    This is an often-reused storytelling concept (that is, a priest involved in murder in one way or another), but I would've liked to have seen it featured in the show. It makes me think of Columbo and the murderer developing a certain affection for the other. I imagine the ending could have been quite dramatic.
    Story about a woman who owns a perfume company and commits murder (by the same writer)
    This sounds too much like Lovely But Lethal; not much to say beyond that, seeing more details aren't available.
    A script by the same writer of By Dawn's Early Light
    Why not?
    Story about a murder in a reality show (idea mentioned by Peter Falk in an interview)
    This could have been okay, provided they cast the reality show cast members properly. I find it's easy to make these younger characters annoying (though they did very well with Matthew Rhys in Columbo Likes the Nightlife). But Columbo would have needed to interact with some older characters as well, otherwise the vibe of the episode would have been too different.
    A script titled Hear No Evil and later renamed to Columbo's Last Case, whose story remains unknown
    Someday...

    ----

    The idea of Columbo in Japan sounds intriguing too. There could have plenty of humor in it, with Columbo trying to adjust to Japanese traditions and customs.

    From the book The Columbo Collection, the premise of the story The Criminal Criminal Attorney sounds interesting, as well.
  • Posts: 6,682
    Actress Joanne Linville, who played Nelson Hayward's wife in Candidate for Crime, has passed away at age 93.

    https://deadline.com/2021/06/joanne-linville-dead-star-trek-romulan-commander-twilight-zone-hawaii-five-0-1234778979/
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    mattjoes wrote: »
    Actress Joanne Linville, who played Nelson Hayward's wife in Candidate for Crime, has passed away at age 93.

    https://deadline.com/2021/06/joanne-linville-dead-star-trek-romulan-commander-twilight-zone-hawaii-five-0-1234778979/

    Yes, saw that a little earlier. Sad news. She was very good in what was an excellent episode with a very memorable ending!
  • Posts: 1,545
    So, since this is what we do on this website--- who might do well playing Columbo now ? As we learned with the recent new Perry Mason, giving him and origin story which leads up to the character we recall, and using a performer who looks like the prior one would not be necessary. There sure were many episodes already made, so you'd not want to wind up repeating one. Maybe -- like Perry Mason -- it would work better in Long Form, using 6 to 8 episodes to resolve Columbo's solution of the mystery. Since so many Columbo episodes already were made, it could be more entertaining to have his grandson and granddaughter working together. With each of them having some of granddad's traits. One could be a police detective, as was Falk's Columbo, and the other a private detective. One could be very proper and upstanding, and the other more willing to bend or break rules. That trait could even switch back and forth between them, to surprise the audience somewhat. This need be a Columbo production, for that matter, and could be entertaining and interesting as "the whatever siblings" (Or twins, whom don't always look identical). I just started out with the Columbo idea since it could make the ol' granddad's traits, when seen, entertaining.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Remembering the great Peter Falk who died 10 years ago on this day, 23 June, back in 2011, aged 83.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,104
    I dusted off my Columbo Cigar Boxset time for a full 10 season rewatch. Initially I thought I would start with season 10 final movie and work backward, then I saw Murder with Too Many notes and thought I really don't want to watch that installment early in a rewatch lol. Murder with Too Many notes is for me the worst Columbo movie, its abysmal.

    I started with first episode of season 1 (I will watch the two pilots when I get to them on the disks) Murder by the Book is certainly one of the best episodes, directed by Spielberg and his potential and skill as a director is on show here.

    What is so great about the 70's Columbo movies is the genuine talent that wrote and directed during this time, the cast list is also phenomenal many from the Golden and International periods of Hollywood.
  • Posts: 6,682
    From a couple of scenes I watched of Too Many Notes, it struck me as too comedic compared with other episodes.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,104
    mattjoes wrote: »
    From a couple of scenes I watched of Too Many Notes, it struck me as too comedic compared with other episodes.

    Its a very weak light weight installment that's the best compliment I can give it.

    Thankfully Columbo's swan song was much better and more serious in tone, its a shame Peter Falk did not make any further films after Columbo Likes the Night Life, or alternatively Columbo Likes the Night Life happened earlier.
  • Posts: 6,682
    Oh yeah, that's a good one.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2021 Posts: 17,728
    mattjoes wrote: »
    From a couple of scenes I watched of Too Many Notes, it struck me as too comedic compared with other episodes.

    As much as it's nice to see Billy Connolly and Peter Falk together in an episode of Columbo (and singing together to boot!) Murder with Too Many Notes (2001) is sadly lacking in several areas. It's actually got a pretty good story reminiscent of the first episode of Columbo proper, Murder by the Book (1971). By that I mean the similarity with the murderer killing his more talented and ambitious partner in order to cover up his own resounding lack of talent. Of course there were other motives at play too in Murder by the Book such as the life insurance policy taken out for Jim Ferris. The murder plot is nice and complex and there are some great clues that Lt Columbo follows up.

    However, there is a lot of filler in the episode such as the interminable night driving scene that makes no sense and the scene where Columbo has to guess film theme tunes from the orchestra that he should already be familiar with. The other big letdown with the episode is the conclusion which doesn't make a lot of sense in terms of using evidence to catch the killer. As such, it just sort of ends as the killer being led away by policemen is what the series requires. I think the reported issues and problems on the set didn't help the finished product. And it's certainly not Patrick McGooghan's finest hour as Columbo director, either. Still, not the worst episode for me. There are plenty of other episodes that are worse, chief amongst them the truly awful Murder in Malibu (1990).
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I enjoy all the Columbo episodes but do prefer the first seven seasons, before they took a break.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2021 Posts: 17,728
    I enjoy all the Columbo episodes but do prefer the first seven seasons, before they took a break.

    Yes, I think most Columbo fans feel the same, including myself. The NBC episodes are definitely the best of the series. That's not to say there weren't good episodes in the newer ABC series because there were but they just weren't as plentiful.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited June 2021 Posts: 23,104
    The one from the ABC era that often stands out for me (probably because I watched it numerous times in my youth) is Murder, a self Portrait with Bond's Patrick Bauchau. I do like the atmosphere and setting of that movie.

    Admittedly Murder in Malibu does feel more Murder she Wrote than Columbo certainly the way it is shot, very much a sign of the times.

    I think I am going to watch Season 8 onwards then go back and watch the NBC era after. The first 7 season are brilliant I will save the best til last, I prefer the grittier realism of 70's TV and film with this genre.
  • Posts: 6,682
    What if Jeremy Brett had played a Columbo murderer?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    mattjoes wrote: »
    What if Jeremy Brett had played a Columbo murderer?

    He would've have been a good choice. Good actor. There were quite a few good British actors who appeared as guest stars on Columbo over the years.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I'm sure it was seen as a badge of honour to play a Columbo Murderer, I bet
    Billy Connolly was very happy to get the offer. Recently having watched the
    Monochrome episodes of The Saint. Listening to the special feature They
    mentioned that Patrick McGoohan was considered for the role But because
    of his strict Catholic upbringing ( I think he'd wanted to be a Priest at one
    point ) He refused to kiss any woman on screen as he was married. Which
    sort of automatically ruled him out of playing the Dashing Simon Templar.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2021 Posts: 17,728
    I'm sure it was seen as a badge of honour to play a Columbo Murderer, I bet
    Billy Connolly was very happy to get the offer. Recently having watched the
    Monochrome episodes of The Saint. Listening to the special feature They
    mentioned that Patrick McGoohan was considered for the role But because
    of his strict Catholic upbringing ( I think he'd wanted to be a Priest at one
    point ) He refused to kiss any woman on screen as he was married.
    Which
    sort of automatically ruled him out of playing the Dashing Simon Templar.

    Yes, I've heard he was a very devout Catholic. He said he didn't want to play Bond for the same reasons, namely the violence and the sex and the womanising the role represented. I find it somewhat ironic that he then went on to play the murderer in Columbo a record four times seemingly without any moral qualms! McGoohan also directed five episodes of the show as well. Actors are a funny breed sometimes, plus I've heard he was an alcoholic as well and many Christians don't believe in drinking at all. I suppose anyone can justify anything to themselves if they want to and then rail against something which is in fact fictional. It seems the wrong way around to me but there it is.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I even think when P Falk left the role Patrick McGoohan was asked to play Columbo but he sensibly refused saying that there was only one Columbo. He had a fantastic on screen chemistry with Falk, leading to some brilliant confrontations.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2021 Posts: 17,728
    I even think when P Falk left the role Patrick McGoohan was asked to play Columbo but he sensibly refused saying that there was only one Columbo. He had a fantastic on screen chemistry with Falk, leading to some brilliant confrontations.

    Interesting. I'd not heard that before, @Thunderpussy. I of course agree that there was only one Peter Falk and that he was perfectly cast as Columbo. Falk and McGoohan were good friends in real life too.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I heard it from one of the many Columbo review channels on YouTube. @Dragonpol
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    I heard it from one of the many Columbo review channels on YouTube. @Dragonpol

    Ah, I see. Yes, there's some good ones out there now and some good Columbo podcasts too. All the trivia about the show is very interesting to know and learn.
  • edited June 2021 Posts: 6,682
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    mattjoes wrote: »
    What if Jeremy Brett had played a Columbo murderer?

    He would've have been a good choice. Good actor. There were quite a few good British actors who appeared as guest stars on Columbo over the years.
    He brought such dazzling intellectual intensity to the role of Sherlock Holmes. I think that same quality could've made him a terrific guest star in Columbo, and if the writing was up to par, a real challenge for the Lieutenant, not unlike Robert Culp's Dr. Kepple.

    ---

    I'd like to read William Link's book, The Columbo Collection. It's not too cheap, though. An ebook release would be welcome.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2021 Posts: 17,728
    mattjoes wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    mattjoes wrote: »
    What if Jeremy Brett had played a Columbo murderer?

    He would've have been a good choice. Good actor. There were quite a few good British actors who appeared as guest stars on Columbo over the years.
    He brought such dazzling intellectual intensity to the role of Sherlock Holmes. I think that same quality could've made him a terrific guest star in Columbo, and a real challenge for the Lieutenant, not unlike Robert Culp's Dr. Kepple.

    ---

    I'd like to read William Link's book, The Columbo Collection. It's not too cheap, though. An ebook release would be welcome.

    Yes, Sherlock Holmes v Columbo would be an episode well worth seeing I'd say. Your comparison with Dr Kepple is a good one. A more intellectual killer using his special skillset to commit the "perfect murder".

    I have The Columbo Collection on my Columbo bookshelf. I can't recall what I paid for it in 2012 or so but I don't think that it was too much. Perhaps it's went up in value since then though. Mark Dawidziak's The Columbo Phile (1989) on the other hand was much more expensive though no Columbo book collection is complete withbout it. Plus, in 2019 it was reissued in an updated and more affordable version for the 30th anniversary of its original publication.
  • Posts: 9,730


    Perhaps columbo could of stopped Darth Sidious
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
  • Posts: 9,730


    The original Columbo interesting to see someone beside Falk play the character seems cigar smoking was always apart of the character
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Risico007 wrote: »


    The original Columbo interesting to see someone beside Falk play the character seems cigar smoking was always apart of the character

    Wow, so that's Enough Rope (1960)! Never thought we'd ever be able to see this. I'll look forward to watching it later! A great find there, @Risico007!
  • edited July 2021 Posts: 9,730
    I would love to see Dirk Benedict’s performance from 2010 though based on the photos I fear instead of getting to the route of the character he is doing an impersonation of Falk’s Columbo rather then play Columbo true it’s hard to remove falk from Columbo but it can be done

    And thanks @Dragonpol as soon as I saw it I had to post it much like Barry Nelson’s 007 it’s interesting to see the early takes
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