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

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  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Yes, I know it's wrong but I'd say it's because you had longer to get to know them
    than other detective shows, but I did sympathise with several of the murderers.....
    ..... or I'm just Evil ! :D
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Yes, I know it's wrong but I'd say it's because you had longer to get to know them
    than other detective shows, but I did sympathise with several of the murderers.....
    ..... or I'm just Evil ! :D

    I suppose you could say the same about Robert Culp as Brimmer in 'Death Lends A Hand' or Johnny Cash as Tommy Brown in 'Swan Song'.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Yes, most murder shows. People are killed by right evil dudes, you'd be happy to
    See hang. Although even a few Poirot's have him feeling sorry for the killers( because
    They have very good reasons for killing ) The most famous Murder on the Orient Express.
    The end of which he lets the murder off, because of the crime they were avenging. Even
    Though it went against his strict Christian views.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited May 2016 Posts: 17,728
    Yes, most murder shows. People are killed by right evil dudes, you'd be happy to
    See hang. Although even a few Poirot's have him feeling sorry for the killers( because
    They have very good reasons for killing ) The most famous Murder on the Orient Express.
    The end of which he lets the murder off, because of the crime they were avenging. Even
    Though it went against his strict Christian views.

    Yes, I read that one - very good I recall. Columbo also let the killer away in 'Forgotten Lady'.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Yes, but only because she had a terminal illness.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Yes, but only because she had a terminal illness.

    Yes, true. Actually, not one of my favourite episodes.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    No not one of mine either. The ones with the returning actors were always fun,
    Like Robert Culp, Jack Cassidy ( a favourite of mine) and Patrick McGoohan.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    No not one of mine either. The ones with the returning actors were always fun,
    Like Robert Culp, Jack Cassidy ( a favourite of mine) and Patrick McGoohan.

    Yes, I love all of those chaps but Robert Culp is my all-time favourite Columbo villain. Such a great actor.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    He was the master of looking completely p*ssed off with Columbo. :))
  • He was the master of looking completely p*ssed off with Columbo. :))

    Culp's third Columbo had its origins in a writer's strike. Stephen J. Cannell, who worked as a writer-producer at Universal, wrote a Columbo to keep busy during the strike (which was *not* OK under union rules). After the strike, he dropped it off with fellow writer-producer Dean Hargrove.

    Cannell had grown a bit tired of the sympathetic killer and wanted to write one with a plain evil (but brilliant) guy. Culp got cast and delivered big time.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I remember seeing that name (Stephen J. Cannell) all the time when watching old tv series. He was quite a force in his day, I assume.
  • bondjames wrote: »
    I remember seeing that name (Stephen J. Cannell) all the time when watching old tv series. He was quite a force in his day, I assume.

    Co-creator of The Rockford Files, co-creator The A-Team, creator 21 Jump Street and various other TV shows.

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004798/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    He based the whole subliminal cuts storyline on his thesis.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I think another episode "Double shock" with Martin Landau won an emmy or other
    award because of the interaction of Columbo and a housekeeper who hated him.
    Because he accidentally broke her TV. There are some great scenes with them,
    Columbo getting berated by her.
  • Posts: 14,799
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Agreed. I also felt for her character, she did have a good reason for getting rid of
    That bloke. As she said it was a pitty Columbo wasn't the detective in charge of her
    Niece's death.

    Yes, true. She is one of the more sympathetic killers on Columbo. That was the great thing about Columbo - as an 'inverted mystery' you saw everything initially at least from the killer's viewpoint.

    That's one thing I loved. In the best episodes at least. Is it only me or could we consider the murderer the main character of each episode? And often we sympathize, or at least empathize with him or her.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I agree, in many a story the Killer had a very good reason for doing what they did.
  • Posts: 14,799
    I agree, in many a story the Killer had a very good reason for doing what they did.

    Well I sure hope so! If you're going to murder someone you better do it for a good reason.

    Anybody remembers the episodes written by Ed McBain/Evan Hunter? Recycled stuff from his 87th Precinct novels. I love the author but it just did not fit well with Columbo.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    No, you don't need a reason... it's a hobby of mine. :P
  • Posts: 14,799
    No, you don't need a reason... it's a hobby of mine. :P

    Well that's a good reason.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    I did a double feature last night with Robert Vaughn who sadly died November 11th 2016.

    Troubled Waters and Last Salute To The Commodore.

    Troubled Waters has to be one of the very best episodes. It is taking place entirely on a big cruise ship where Columbo and his wife are on holiday.

    One of the running gags throughout this episodes that Columbo is searching for his wife, or phoning with her, and of course, you never see her :D

    Like in Murder, She Wrote tradition soon after the ships departs a murder happens.

    This is one of the most elaborate murder plans in the series. Robert Vaughn plays his part so perfectly.

    Also this episode may have one of the best ensemble cast in the series too.

    Patrick Macnee is the Captain of the ship. There is also Jane Greer, Dean Stockwell, Bernard Fox, Robert Douglas.
    Faces you immediately recognise.

    Last Salute To The Commodore is one of the very few episodes where the scenario plays out differently.

    First you don't see the murder happening, you only see it after the fact. Robert Vaughn is seen getting rid of the murder victim.
    Then it's normal game, Columbo suspects Robert Vaughn early on and is on to him.

    Sadly, this first 45 minutes are quite dull. If you don't know what to look for that is.
    Because the second half of the episode is bloody great, in the middle of the episode happens one of the most surprising plot twists ever in a Columbo show.
    The second half plays out like a regular Agatha Christie plot. Quite great.

    Still, overall because of the seemingly uninteresting first half, it's a rather forgettable affair.


  • For Last Salute to the Commodore, Robert Vaughn was cast specifically because he had played a killer before. It was part of playing with the expectations of the audience when a plot twist occurred.
  • Posts: 15,785
    I should collect the Columbo episodes on DVD. I used to watch it quite a bit in syndication and the late 80s-2003 revivals. One of my favorites of the later Columbos was "Columbo Goes To College".
  • edited November 2016 Posts: 6,432
    I did a double feature last night with Robert Vaughn who sadly died November 11th 2016.

    Troubled Waters and Last Salute To The Commodore.

    Troubled Waters has to be one of the very best episodes. It is taking place entirely on a big cruise ship where Columbo and his wife are on holiday.

    One of the running gags throughout this episodes that Columbo is searching for his wife, or phoning with her, and of course, you never see her :D

    Like in Murder, She Wrote tradition soon after the ships departs a murder happens.

    This is one of the most elaborate murder plans in the series. Robert Vaughn plays his part so perfectly.

    Also this episode may have one of the best ensemble cast in the series too.

    Patrick Macnee is the Captain of the ship. There is also Jane Greer, Dean Stockwell, Bernard Fox, Robert Douglas.
    Faces you immediately recognise.

    Last Salute To The Commodore is one of the very few episodes where the scenario plays out differently.

    First you don't see the murder happening, you only see it after the fact. Robert Vaughn is seen getting rid of the murder victim.
    Then it's normal game, Columbo suspects Robert Vaughn early on and is on to him.

    Sadly, this first 45 minutes are quite dull. If you don't know what to look for that is.
    Because the second half of the episode is bloody great, in the middle of the episode happens one of the most surprising plot twists ever in a Columbo show.
    The second half plays out like a regular Agatha Christie plot. Quite great.

    Still, overall because of the seemingly uninteresting first half, it's a rather forgettable affair.


    Dean Stockwells hair is out of control in the former, I have always liked that episode and watched it as much as any other. I think the latter is a experiment in that the bizarre scenes on the boat early on in the episode, are a kind of abstract representation of the inner workings of Columbo mind.
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    I should collect the Columbo episodes on DVD. I used to watch it quite a bit in syndication and the late 80s-2003 revivals. One of my favorites of the later Columbos was "Columbo Goes To College".

    I picked up the full series cigar box set for £40 a couple of years ago, great value for the full set despite no extras.

  • edited November 2016 Posts: 4,599
    This thread has reminded me of the quality within the series so thanks for all of the posts. I found this very nice clip:

  • Posts: 15,785
    Slightly off topic, Peter Falk did a great spoof of the Bogart films called THE CHEAP DETECTIVE (1978). For those who loved Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon and To Have and Have Not, the film is packed with subtle and not so subtle in-jokes. Pretty funny and Falk is great as the Bogart type character.
  • Murder by Death Is a must for Falk fans also great movie.
  • Posts: 15,785
    Murder by Death Is a must for Falk fans also great movie.
    That's great, too. Almost works as a companion piece to The Cheap Detective.

  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited November 2016 Posts: 9,020
    @patb thanks for the clip, that was hilarious and reminds me somewhat of Hugh Laurie's acceptance speeches which also have me in stitches every time.

    After doing the double feature of Ray Milland earlier this year and having done the double feature of Robert Vaughn I decided to go on with double features with actors that appeared more than once as the main villain.

    Patrick McGoohan

    McGoohan may be my favourite of the returning actors in the Columbo series. I absolutely love to see him, no matter in what.
    He had quite a career but always remained a name that wasn't recognised, but of course if you see a picture of him, you'll instantly recognise him.

    He did four Columbo episodes:
    -By Dawn's Early Light (1974)
    -Identity Crisis (1975)
    -Agenda For Murder (1990)
    -Ashes To Ashes (1998)

    Watched them all and let me tell you this about them:

    By Dawn's Early Light: Definitely one of my favourite episodes, Top 10 for sure and maybe it's the best ever performance of an actor in Columbo. McGoohan is captivating as Col. Lyle C. Rumford who is leading a Military Academy and has murdered the chairman of the board that wanted to turn the Academy into a mixed college.
    The whole episode is taking place in the Academy and it's a great, great setting. The incredibly real scenario is marvelous and I guess all the cadets were real, except for maybe two or three actors.
    The story is simple, the murder is simple, yet very sinister and Columbo is really going after the Colonel.
    Patrick McGoohan won an EMMY for his performance in this episode, and it's so deserved.

    full.gif

    Identity Crisis: This episode sees a weak first half with a hard to follow plot, but at least it has Leslie Nielsen playing the vicitim at the beginning.
    It's Columbo vs the CIA. A spy, pardon, a secret agent story.
    McGoohan plays a high level CIA operative, one of the best in the field, maybe even the best ever as some photos of him show that Columbo gazes at in McGoohan's home.
    What saves the episode is the second half where Columbo goes after McGoohan, it's again a great duel of actors. A treat to watch!

    full.jpg

    Agenda For Murder: From the newer Columbo episodes this is a favourite of mine. Also thanks to Patrick McGoohan who devilishly well plays a lawyer that helps a governor to get on the ticket for Vice-President in the upcoming election.
    Oscar Finch. I love this character which comes to life with brilliant acting.
    Also this features one of the funniest scenes ever in the series.

    full.jpg

    Two quotes from the episode:

    Columbo telling a joke to lawyer Oscar Finch. The reaction of Finch has to be seen to be believed. Sadly I couldn't find a clip of it.
    Lt. Columbo: "There was this Jewish lady walking down Beverly Drive, and coming the other way, this flasher guy in his overcoat. When he gets up to her, he whips open the coat. She looks at him and says, 'You call that a lining?'"

    Oscar Finch: [Refering to Columbo's Peugeot] That oxidated relic is yours?

    Ashes to Ashes: McGoohan's last appearance in Columbo and also one of the last Columbo episodes.
    This one has a great ensemble cast, Sally Kellerman, Rue McClanahan, Richard Riehle, Ron Masak and others.
    It's quite a funny episode and a bit morbid too as it plays in a funeral home with Eric Prince (McGoohan) the owner of the company as the murderer.
    I think the actors in this one make it worthwhile, but overall this is probably the weakest of the four McGoohan episodes.

    McGoohan had quite a run with 24 years between his first and last appearance. Also of note, he directed 5 Columbo episodes himself including three of the four he appeared in.

    full.jpg

    <iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hm8ZfS0Thec"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
  • ToTheRight wrote: »
    Murder by Death Is a must for Falk fans also great movie.
    That's great, too. Almost works as a companion piece to The Cheap Detective.

    I hate to admit it I don't think or rather don't remember watching The Cheap Detective, I'll have a look on Amazon.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Just coming back to this thread makes me want to watch all the Columbo episodes from scratch again. Such quality tv. They sure don't make them like this anymore. I really enjoy some of the Season 7 episodes, including The Conspirators, Make Me A Perfect Murder, How To Dial A Murder and Try & Catch Me.
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