This episode first aired February 20, 1968
This episode was adapted from a stage play of the same name adapted from an episode of The Chevy Mystery Show called “Enough Rope” which was based on a short story titled “Dear Corpse Delecti” by writers Richard Levinson and William Link.
Actors Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby were offered the role of Columbo but turned it down due to scheduling concerns – specifically, in Crosby’s case, it was the possibility the commitment would interfere with his golf game.
The painting that sits in Dr. Flemming’s reception in this episode will later (presumably be swiped and) make a reappearance as one of the stolen paintings in the episode “Suitable for Framing”.
The climax of this episode takes place in the Stahl House, a modernist home in the Hollywood Hills designed by architect Peter Koenig. It has made appearances in numerous films and t.v. shows including Galaxy Quest and The Simpsons.
“Prescription Murder” was produced as a stand-alone one-off movie and not a television pilot as Columbo creators Levinson and Link, and star Peter Falk, had no interest in committing to a series. All the same, NBC was surprised by the strong ratings and, three years later, would convince the trio to produce a second pilot…
This was an excellent start to the rewatch. It’s been a good long while since I watched this episode and I was pleased with how strongly it all held up. My thoughts in chronological viewing order –
Dug the very 60’s jazz score and the Rorschach-themed opening credits that were, I believe, used once more.
Dr. Flemming’s excuse for leaving his wife is that his patient is having an anxiety attack? What? THAT’S the best excuse he could come up with?
Patio door windows sure were a lot brittler back in the day.
I thought the build-up to the murder was great. And surprisingly graphic for the franchise which would later shy away from such displays of onscreen violence.
My favorite line of this episode comes from the doctor who tells Flemming: “If it’s any consolation, the one thing she said was your name.” Brilliant.
Columbo appears 32 minutes into this movie! His late episode arrivals would become a consistent point of contention for the network.
I like how Columbo just shows up in this guy’s house and lights up without asking. His character is a lot more assertive and a lot less quirky (and less slovenly in appearance) than the version we would all come to know and love, but its interesting to see how Falk refines the role as he truly makes it his own.
We get the first variation of the quintessentially Columbo line: “Just one more thing” in this one.
Did anyone else think Flemming’s secretary looked a lot like his wife? In my case, so much so that I had to check to make sure she wasn’t played by the same actress.
How the hell does Columbo have the extra key to this guy’s home and how can he just let himself in? I understand it was a crime scene, but it’s private property.
Speaking of odd, I can’t attest to police procedures in the old days, but I’m pretty sure that civilians were not usually permitted to sit in on the interrogation of murder suspects.
Loved Flemming referring to Columbo as “a sly little elf” and I thought the scene of the two of them enjoying a hypothetical conversation about a brilliant murderer pretty damn brilliant in its own right.
While I thought certain elements of the ending were very clever, like the fact that Columbo uses a body double to trip up Flemming in parallel to Flemming effectively using a body double of his wife as part of his murder plot, I didn’t find the conclusion wholly satisfying. I thought Flemming’s late act unraveling a little too convenient. I get that it’s set up in the previous office conversation I mentioned, an establishment of hypotheticals that continues here, but it seems to me that Flemming’s dismissal of his former love interest was an uncharacteristically reckless admission and one that just felt a little too plot convenient – given that Columbo’s entire case rested on that confession.
And what exactly was Joan thinking? Presumably she was on the fence about testifying against Flemming and had to be convinced – but what if Flemming hadn’t thrown her under the bus and actually broken down and clearly mourned her death? Would she have just stepped out of hiding and professed her love for him assuming he wouldn’t have minded her setting him up and all would be forgiven?
Or maybe I’m overthinking things and Columbo is simply a sharp judge of character and knew exactly what type of man Flemming was and how he would respond in the situation. But even if I concede this point, I still don’t understand Joan’s reasoning.
Small note, but that ZOOM IN on the face of the female body double who pretended to be Joan’s corpse was unnecessary and confusing. For a couple of seconds there I briefly wondered “Who is that? Am I supposed to know her?”
Okay, casting aside Joan’s complete lack of common sense (but, to be fair, she WAS young), my minor quibble with this episode is an ending that relies on our villain to slip up rather than truly be caught out. Still, I thought this was an exceptionally strong start for the franchise.
So, what did you all think?
[Edit: Adding an addendum to each episode review that includes my thoughts on whether the murderer in the episode will face CONVICTION or ACQUTTAL given the evidence Columbo has gathered at the Gotcha moment. In this case, given the fact that Flemming’s accomplice will actually testify against him, I think it’s safe to assume CONVICTION. But moving forward, I’m sure there will be cases where we’ll disagree on the probably ultimate fate of our baddie).Discover more from Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog
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I agree with most of your comments. The mistress was young and her waterproof makeup was impressive. She came out of that pool at the beginning and it wasn’t smudged, at all. 😉
I loved seeing the decor/hairstyles/makeup from that time period. The green shag carpet in the bathroom was amusing.
I asked my hubby if he would show more emotion on my “murder” than Dr Flemming displayed. He started quoting the Conehead movie: “If, for some reason, your life functions ceased, my most precious one, I would collapse, I would draw the shades, and I would live in the dark. I would never get out of my slar pad or clean myself. My fluids would coagulate, my cone would shrivel, and I would die, miserable and lonely. The stench would be great.” – Beldar Conehead
A very moving quote
It’s one of his favorite quotes.
I don’t remember Peter Faulk looking that young even back then.
That is a gorgeous house, I grew up in a mid century modern never giving much thought to my dad explaining to visitors how one big beam held up the kitchen, dining and living room or why it was open plan, but now I’d love to own.
Love that 60’s architecture. How long did you live in that house?
I’ve never seen a full episode of Columbo before so this is going to be a wild ride! I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would the murderer be a mystery until the final reveal like Agatha Christie? Or would we see the murder happen and the entertainment is seeing Columbo figure it out? In the end it was something different. The show was mostly about the events leading up to the murder and the lengths the murderer went to to cover his tracks and avoid capture. Even though Columbo was on to him immediately it was mostly mind games rather than police investigation that eventually solved the crime. I haven’t watched many crime shows but this style is unique in me experience.
I enjoyed “Prescription Murder” a lot! I loved Dr Flemming’s meticulous planning. He’d thought of everything and I was genuinely convinced that he would get away with it. Like you, I found the ending pretty weak because Flemming was so quick witted I didn’t find it plausible that he would get caught out so easily. There was so little evidence there’s no way a jury would have convicted him without a confession. The only weak part of his plan was his mistress. Even though she held up very well to Columbo’s questioning it was inevitable that she would break. And her forgetting the gloves and calling him immediately he returned home from holiday were rookie mistakes. Flemming should have arranged for her to be sent away somewhere for a few weeks so she was out of the way.
I literally laughed out loud when the doctor said Flemming’s wife’s last words was his name. Delicious irony.
Flemming being present for the interrogation seemed weird until he realised that Columbo had set up the whole thing in order to trick Flemming into divulging information he shouldn’t know unless he was the murderer. But Flemming was too smart for that.
This was a really strong start to the show and I’m excited to see where it goes!
Good point on the interrogation but, all the same, it did look very strange.
Regarding the necessity for an admission of guilt – I’ve found that most crime shows, the gotcha moment rests on pretty circumstantial evidence that won’t realistically hold up in court. I’m thinking of adding an addendum to each episode review and weighing in on whether we think the evidence will hold up in court resulting in a conviction or acquittal. In this, it’s safe to fall on “Conviction” given his accomplice will testify against him.
Alas, I forgot it was Monday. 😛 I got busy rearranging my spice cabinet. However, I have watched this episode many times, and I remember the first time I watched it back in the day (it may have even been the first airing – all I know is that I was very young, and that I also loved staying up late).
My childhood memory – All I remembered about the episode until I saw it many years later as an adult was this: a man strangled a woman and she didn’t die. At least, not right away. As a child I thought the girlfriend was the wife after she had recovered…lol.
Now, some thoughts: I like this episode very much, but it’s not my Columbo. I’d like to think this is the guy who just made detective and is trying to impress his superiors. Perhaps he doesn’t have many cases solved yet, and so isn’t at liberty to relax and be himself. At least, that’s how I see it. Either that, or he’s newly married and his wife is still dressing him before sending him off to work. 🙂 That could explain some of his attitude, as well…
The Flemming ‘confession’. Perhaps it’s just a trope, but as in superhero movies and the like, the villain must boast of his cleverness. He was too arrogant to be accused of being in love with such easy prey. It would be beneath him. Thinking himself safe from arrest because his accomplice is dead (or so he thinks), he wanted to set the record straight that he could never love such a simple, needy girl. Yeah, I saw that as fairly accurate for a person with psychopathic tendencies…and my guess is that Columbo did, too. Columbo, as you suggest, is a fantastic judge of character. And it’s always the little things that he picks up on early in the game that sets him on the trail of the killer.
Joan’s thinking: She has emotional issues, but she’s not a psychopath. Columbo knows this. She is feeling twinges of guilt. She’s an accomplice to murder. She may even be subconsciously questioning Flemming’s loyalty. That is how normal people work. She is the weakest link, and as such Columbo is able to persuade her to cooperate. She is persuadable, Flemming is not. He could never be persuaded to admit guilt, but he could be tempted to boast of his brilliance, especially to a man (Columbo) who he recognizes as a formidable adversary, albeit not as cleaver as himself. Oh, how wrong the bad doctor was!
Yes, the plan was risky but it worked, setting the stage for many more ‘gotcha’ moments to come.
das
Yes, this sums up both personality types quite well. Joan is young, and very human, ruled by emotion which guides her decision to act as an accomplice to murder, so I suppose it wouldn’t be surprising that she would crack. Flemming, on the other hand, is psychotic.
Yes, psychotic and egocentric – ergo his need to boast about his cleverness. Columbo taught me a lot about this type of personality, one that you see today in the exact same type of killers featured in the episodes – the rich and famous who will do anything to stay in power or get ahead or maintain their fame and fortune. The successful business man to the politician to the famous entertainer – we know who they are, and so does Columbo. Once in a while an episode will show us how a good person can break, but those are the exception to the rule, and we’ll get to those in due time. 🙂
das
Out of curiosity, Das, have you watched the entire Columbo run?
Yes, even the newer ones (which aren’t as good, imho). I’ve watched the older ones several times over and definitely have favorites, which usually include Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp, or Patrick McGoohan. Ah, but I have one that is my all-time favorite – it should strike a chord with you, too. 🙂
das