CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — With the death of actor Peter Falk this week at the age of 83, it’s a good time to reflect on what the public came to see as his signature role, that of Lt. Columbo.
Interestingly, when “Columbo” series creators Richard Levinson and William Link were seeking an actor to play the role in the TV movie “Prescription: Murder” in 1967, they wanted either Lee J. Cobb or Bing Crosby. Only after those actors turned down the part, and Universal Studios producer Richard Irving suggested Falk, did Levinson and Link agree to hire the then-40-year-old actor. See video montage of Peter Falk’s life.
After one more pilot, “Ransom For a Dead Man” in 1971, “Columbo” became part of “The NBC Mystery Movie,” a fondly remembered rotating series of glossily produced 90-minute to two-hour presentations that included “McMillan and Wife,” “McCloud” and other shows.
Here, then, are the five best “Columbo” episodes. All seven seasons of the original NBC CMCSA, +0.92% series are available on DVD from Universal Home Entertainment, in a price range of $15 to $25 each.
1) “A Friend In Deed.” Original airdate: May 5, 1974 — the final episode of the show’s third season.
During “Columbo’s” first season, each episode was 90 minutes long. NBC decided to extend the shows to two hours for the next season, and some of the episodes from 1972-73 show the strain of trying to fit in another half-hour.
By the third season, however, “Columbo’s” show runners had truly mastered the two-hour format. In “A Friend In Deed,” Columbo is presented with his greatest challenge — how to catch a killer who is also his supervisor. Richard Kiley plays Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Halperin, who helps establish an alibi for a rich man, Hugh Caldwell, who has just killed his wife.
Halperin then kills his own wife, Margaret, and forces Caldwell to help him make the murder look like the work of an unknown assailant. Columbo, of course, finds contradictions and inconsistencies in both murders, and we follow him as he unravels the truth.
The final showdown with the murderer — always a “Columbo” highlight — is particularly tense, and the look on Kiley’s face when he realizes he has been tricked, and can’t avoid a lengthy jail sentence, is unforgettable.
2) “Now You See Him.” Original airdate: Feb. 29, 1976 — from the show’s fifth season.
Jack Cassidy, who starred in three “Columbo” episodes, is often considered its best villain. Here he plays Stefan Mueller, a Nazi concentration-camp guard who escaped justice to become a magician known as the Great Santini (the episode aired three years before the Robert Duvall film of that name was released to theaters). Mueller kills the one man who could identify him as a war criminal.
“Columbo” episodes let us see the murderer execute his crime early in the show, and “Now You See Him” has one of the cleverest set-ups, as we see Santini locked into a metal container that is placed into a locked glass tank filled with water. He then effects his escape, disguises himself, kills the owner of the nightclub where he is performing, and emerges from the tank, to the applause of the audience.
Once Columbo suspects Mueller/Santini, it’s fascinating to watch him play cat and mouse with the murderer before revealing the one seemingly slight clue that tripped him up.
3) “Double Exposure.” Original airdate: Dec. 16, 1973 — from the third season.
Robert Culp, best known as secret agent Kelly Robinson on NBC’s “I Spy,” became another of the outstanding “Columbo” murderers, making three appearances. In “Double Exposure,” he portrays Dr. Bart Kepple, a motivational research scientist who kills a man he had been blackmailing (Robert Middleton) who had threatened to reveal the extortion to the police.
Kepple is an expert on subliminal programming — and uses it to lure his victim to his shooting death. He seems to have a perfect alibi because he was narrating a film when the fatal shots were fired. But complications arise, and Columbo becomes sure Kepple is responsible. He uses Kepple’s own methods to snare him.
4) “Etude in Black.” Original airdate: Sept. 17, 1972 — the second season’s premiere.
The first of “Columbo’s” two-hour episodes is a triumph, avoiding the padding problems endemic to some of the second-season shows. John Cassavetes stars as symphony-orchestra conductor Alex Benedict, a married man who murders his lover, Jennifer Welles (Anjanette Comer) and makes it look like a suicide.
One of the series’ best clues, a boutonierre Benedict left at the scene of the crime and tries to hide, creates suspense from early in the show. There are also problems with the supposed suicide note, as well as the maestro’s car, that bother Columbo.
Cassavetes proves his mettle as a “Columbo” villain, coming off as smug and egotistical — and then finally humbled by the work of the man in the rumpled raincoat.
5) “Negative Reaction.” Original airdate: Oct. 6, 1974 — from the fourth season.
Dick Van Dyke, playing against his nice-guy image, stars as photographer Paul Galesko, who kills his nagging wife Frances (Antoinette Bower) and frames an ex-con for an apparent kidnapping and murder. He then kills the ex-con (Don Gordon) and makes it look like self-defense.
Columbo finds all kinds of difficulties with the case, however, including the fact that Galesko had taken pictures of the ex-con for a book project, and the fact that he seemed to have shot the “kidnapper” before he found out where to locate his wife.
In the end, as so often, the villain is so sure of himself that he reveals something that only the murderer could have known, and Columbo has captured his quarry.
FAQs
Falk's own favorite Columbo episodes were "Any Old Port in a Storm", "Forgotten Lady", "Now You See Him" and "Identity Crisis".
How much did Peter Falk make per episode of Columbo? ›
Peter Falk Columbo Salary: At the peak of the series in the late-1970s, Peter earned $300,000 per episode which is the same as earning around $750,000 per episode today after adjusting for inflation.
Was Columbo's wife ever seen? ›
The miracle of Mrs Columbo is that although she is never seen or heard, she makes her presence felt throughout "Columbo". Without ever showing her face, she remains a major character in the show, capturing our imagination and affection. Her success is a testament to the power of good writing in "Columbo".
Who was first choice for Columbo? ›
According to the show's co-writer-creator William Link, Bing Crosby was first offered the role of Columbo. However, citing the fact that he didn't want to commit to a TV series, he refused the role. He also said, jokingly, that doing the series would interfere with his golf game.
Was Columbo a drunk? ›
“He drank and smoked incessantly, loved boozing with his friends and was an inveterate womaniser,” says Lertzman. “He was a negligent husband and an absentee father. Yet he became one of the most iconic stars of his generation.”
Who was the killer the most on Columbo? ›
Patrick McGoohan played a Columbo murderer more times than any other actor – four times. Jack Cassidy and Robert Culp each had three appearances as killers.
Who guest starred most on Columbo? ›
McGoohan holds the record for most recurring Columbo killer, having appeared as a murderer four different times.
Did Columbo really smoke cigars? ›
Columbo handles and works his prop cigar to perfection, like a man born to the art – so it's a bit surprising that in real life, Peter Falk is not a cigar man. Falk is a lifelong cigarette smoker, who enjoys a cigar just occasionally.
Why was Columbo cancelled? ›
Despite being off screens since May 1978, when The Conspirators drew the curtain on Columbo's first decade, the show was never officially cancelled. Negotiations between Falk and the studio simply petered out. Columbo was quietly discontinued, but the will was still there to keep him alive in some capacity.
Did Columbo carry a gun? ›
Firearms. Columbo rarely carries a gun, and is never shown to exercise much physical force. In some episodes he allows himself to be placed in a predicament in which the killer believes he or she will be able to kill Columbo and escape.
Peter Falk had a glass eye that led to Columbo's signature squint. Columbo's famous one-eyed squint wasn't an acting choice, but rather a condition of Falk's glass eye he had from childhood cancer.
What is LT Columbo's first name? ›
What is Lieutenant Columbo's first name? Columbo's first name is never explicitly revealed in the series. However, when Columbo flashes his badge in the episode "Dead Weight" (Season 1 Episode 3), the name 'Frank' can clearly be seen on his ID.
Was the dog in Columbo his own? ›
Like his character, Henry was found at an animal pound in Burbank, California by his trainer, Ray Berwick, but after his Hollywood days were over, Henry lived out his life as a beloved pet and ultimately passed away of old age.
Who turned down lead in Columbo? ›
In 1968, the same play was made into a two-hour television movie that aired on NBC. The writers suggested Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby for the role of Columbo, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down because he felt it would take too much time away from the golf links.
Did Columbo ever not solve a case? ›
8) Did Columbo ever lose a case? Columbo always figured out who committed the murder -- usually within his first few minutes at the crime scene, but occasionally after more prolonged puzzlement, as in Columbo Cries Wolf.
Did Columbo really fall? ›
When Columbo walks down a steep, grassy hill to inspect the wreckage of the Jaguar, he loses his footing and stumbles, taking a big fall and landing on his back. This wasn't staged; it was Peter Falk, not a stuntman.
Why are Columbo's cigars green? ›
Caption Options. The most obvious corollary would be Peter Falk's Columbo, but “cigar” and “detective” is their only superficial overlap as characters. Columbo favored short, green cigars—the color of inexperience—which he constantly puffed, chewed, and waved around in performative ignorance.
How old was Columbo when he lost his eye? ›
Did You Know: Peter Falk's classic squint in Columbo was actually due to a prosthetic eye. He lost one eye to cancer when he was just three years old. Blanca Teresa Gonzalez Mereles and 645 others like this.
Was Columbo filmed on a cruise ship? ›
The ship where this was filmed was called the Sun Princess at the time. It was later sold many times and renamed Ocean Dream. It was abandoned off the coast of Thailand on February 27, 2016 and sank.
Was Columbo's wife murdered? ›
Mrs Columbo, of course, is alive and well. Columbo never even gave her the marmalade in the first place because he suspected Vivian's ill intent and had it checked by the forensics team. He's been onto her from the start and her bid for revenge never had a chance of success.
Kate Columbo, wife of the famous lieutenant, solves crimes as a reporter, while raising her little daughter. Mrs. Kate Columbo, wife of the famous lieutenant, solves crimes as a reporter, while raising her little daughter. Mrs.
Which of Columbo eyes was glass? ›
Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 16, 1927, in New York City, and grew up in Ossining, N.Y., where his father owned a clothing store. At 3, his right eye was removed because of a cancerous growth, and he was given a glass eye.
What was the longest Columbo episode? ›
Boasting the longest title of any Columbo episode, Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health first aired on February 20, 1991.
Who poisoned Columbo? ›
He makes himself toast with marmalade. While Columbo pretends to be dying of poison, Dimitri confesses to all three murders. He then breaks character, and tells her that he'd suspected her all along, and had the marmalade tested as soon as she gave it to him.
Who was the boy genius on Columbo? ›
A boy genius played by Lee Montgomery is named Steve Spelberg: add an "i" and you have the director of "Columbo: Murder by the Book." (But he hadn't yet made "Jaws.") Columbo's basset hound, Dog, makes one of his infrequent appearances.
Was Columbo big in Japan? ›
Columbo has fans all around the world, but he enjoys a very special popularity in Japan.
How much is Columbo's coat worth? ›
At an admittedly much higher reserve, the coat and shoes went unsold at auction in November 2017 after initially seeking bids in the region of $80-$120,000.
What did Columbo used to say? ›
When fans hear Lieutenant Columbo's trademark phrase “just one more thing…” we know he's about to crack the case wide open. The unconventional detective, played brilliantly by Peter Falk, first appeared on our screens in 1968.
What country is obsessed with Columbo? ›
In Romania, people loved Columbo. They loved it so much that when the show's 1974 season ran out of episodes, they began revolting. And the government got very worried. As you can read in that tweet, Twitter user John Frankensteiner dug up a 1989 Chicago Tribune article describing the incident.
What kind of car did Columbo drive? ›
Back to Lieutenant Columbo and his Peugeot 403 convertible. It was common knowledge that Peugeot wasn't that happy about how Columbo took care of his 403, or lack thereof, as his car was always dirty, had a patched paint job and seemed to smoke regularly.
In 1910 the company opened its plant at Sochaux, France, where the cars are still made today. Columbo's car, the Peugeot 403, was introduced in 1955, selling in England for 1,129 pounds. It was an immediate best seller.
Did Columbo have kids? ›
In "RIP, Mrs Columbo" he claims he and his wife never had any children.
How many cars did they use in Columbo? ›
During Columbo's second run, Falk and ABC collected three 403 convertibles for series use, one of them a 1960. Peter Falk was blind in his right eye, losing it to cancer at age three.
Why did Columbo drive his own car? ›
It's rumoured that the actor chose the vehicle personally after seeing one parked in the studio car park. Perhaps not the smartest of choices for a police detective to drive, though. After all, the classic drop-top boasted a maximum speed of around 80 mph and a 0-60 time of over 20 seconds.
What did Peter Falk think of Mrs Columbo? ›
Reception. Peter Falk expressed his disapproval of the spin-off, calling it a "bad idea" and "disgraceful". When Columbo returned to the air in 1989 on ABC, it was further established that Lt.
Did Peter Falk like Robert Culp? ›
Robert Culp, Nice Guy, Killer, Spy
Peter Falk once told me that of all the actors who played killers on Columbo, Robert Culp was one of his favorites. "He was perfect," recalled Falk.
What was Columbo's favorite meal? ›
Perhaps eating chile peppers is the culinary expression of an adventurous spirit and a fun-seeking nature." It is established very early, in one of the "Columbo" pilot movies, that Columbo is a dedicated chili-head. to everyone and enjoyed most by the average slob.
Did Columbo smoke in real life? ›
Columbo handles and works his prop cigar to perfection, like a man born to the art – so it's a bit surprising that in real life, Peter Falk is not a cigar man. Falk is a lifelong cigarette smoker, who enjoys a cigar just occasionally.
Did Columbo have a child? ›
Children. Columbo had children, but no details were ever disclosed about them. As with his wife, their actual existence within the show have been questioned, but as with his wife there is evidence that they were real.
Who turned down the role of Columbo? ›
4. Bing Crosby was considered for the role of Columbo. The famous crooner was thought to be a perfect fit for the role of Columbo in the early conception of the series by its creators. Crosby ended up turning down the role, not wanting to be tied down to a network television schedule.
In 1968, the same play was made into a two-hour television movie that aired on NBC. The writers suggested Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby for the role of Columbo, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down because he felt it would take too much time away from the golf links.
Did Columbo use his own dog? ›
In “real” life, the actor who portrayed Columbo, Peter Falk, wasn't keen on having a dog as an occasional co-star, but NBC insisted, and Falk relented after seeing “Henry,” the Basset Hound who would play “Dog.” “Columbo” wasn't Henry's first rodeo, so to speak.
Did Peter Falk remember Columbo? ›
The actor, Peter Falk, cannot remember that he played the role of 'Columbo' in the popular television series, his doctor has said. Stephen Read told a Los Angeles court that he had been shocked by the sudden decline in the actor's health over the past year.
Which is Columbo's glass eye? ›
Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 16, 1927, in New York City, and grew up in Ossining, N.Y., where his father owned a clothing store. At 3, his right eye was removed because of a cancerous growth, and he was given a glass eye.
Did Columbo's Dog have a name? ›
An adorable Basset Hound without no known name leapt into collective hearts and minds on 17th September 1972, when a dozy beast, who would later simply be known as 'Dog', made his screen debut in Columbo Season 2 opener Etude in Black.
Did Columbo have a lazy eye? ›
Did You Know: Peter Falk's classic squint in Columbo was actually due to a prosthetic eye. He lost one eye to cancer when he was just three years old.
