This episode first aired September 15, 1971.
This episode was ranked #16 in TV Guide’s ‘100 Greatest Episodes of All Time’ list in 1997.
“Murder by the Book” was actually filmed after “Death Lends a Hand”, but it was considered the superior episode and so was moved up in the schedule and aired as the series premiere.
Instead of airing weekly, Columbo aired every third week as part of the NBC Wheel of Mystery alongside McCloud and MacMillan and Wife. According to series co-creator William Link: “I don’t think Falk would have done a weekly series. But beyond that, Columbo was too rich a brew for audiences to swallow every week. Every three weeks was good. It gave viewers time to anticipate and savor the next one.”
One of the production’s biggest challenges was finding writers who could deliver quality scripts. Series co-creator Richard Levinson summed it up: “The problem with Columbo was that you had no other characters, and the leading man didn’t enter until the second act, which is unheard of in television. You had to create a perfect crime that had a loophole, then provide a perfect clue. After the crime, since Bill and I refused to put any violence into the show, we had to have a conversation between two individuals for ninety minutes. The cat and mouse dialogue would create the tension.” Still, they did manage to land some quality writers.
This episode was written by a young Steven Bochco (who would go on to create Hill Street Blues and NYPD ?Blue) and directed by a 24-year-old Steven Spielberg. In order to land the job, Spielberg had to meet with – and convince – Peter Falk he was up to the task. Which he did.
Reflecting on his experience directing the show, Spielberg recalled: “Richard Levinson and William Link were the first producers who actually encouraged me to make choices that were weird and unconventional. They were always at dailies so every time they came to dailies, appeared on set or called me on the phone it was to give me a tremendous boost of confidence. That was my first experience with episodic television where the producers were encouraging me to make unconventional shots, whereas other television producers would beg me not to.”
Peter Falk was apparently at times difficult to work with given his drive for quality. According to producer Dick Irving: “He was difficult in terms of being a perfectionist. He never wanted to make the compromises that are necessary in television.” This resulted in longer shoots and cost overruns that, in the end, the network had to swallow to placate the star of their hit show.
This is the first episode that features Columbo’s signature Peugeot 403.
This is the first of three Columbo episodes featuring Jack Cassidy as a villain. Cassidy was the father of teen idols David and Shaun Cassidy, and married (and divorced) actress Shirley Jones who played mother Shirley Partridge on The Partridge Family.
The part of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) was apparently written for Cassidy who ultimately turned down the role that eventually went to actor Ted Knight.
During production of this episode in which he played part of a co-writing team, Cassidy would often jokingly inquire: “Who am I playing in this scene, Levinson or Link?”
Cassidy suffered from bipolar disorder and, following a night out, fell asleep on his couch while smoking. The lit cigarette ignited the couch and Cassidy lost his life in the ensuing blaze.
Actress Barbara Colby, who played the lovestruck Lily La Sanka, met an equally tragic death at the hands of a random and unprovoked gunman. Her murder has never been solved.
Martin Milner, who played Jim Ferris, was the visual inspiration for the original Green Lantern, Guy Gardner.
He is best remembered for his performance as Pete Malloy on Adam-12.
My thoughts in chronological viewing order…
I thought the clack-clacking of the typewriter over the soundless opening was pretty inspired.
Martin Milner giving me Robert Redford vibes.
Note the book he gifts Lily La Sanka is “Prescription Murder”, the name of the very first Columbo pilot.
If I was Jim’s wife, I would, in hindsight, find this call from Ken highly suspicious. It seems to come out of the blue given the circumstances.
I laughed when Jim took a seat on the couch…covered in plastic! My advice to anyone is to never walk into a place or get into a car covered in plastic.
No one in the vicinity of the cabin heard the shot? Hmmmm. Okay. I’ll let it slide.
Jack Cassidy is devilishly good and those panorama shots out the cabin window are absolutely beautiful.
I find it odd that Joanna invites a detective back to her place and allows him to cook for her. Even odder that he seems to put cheese in with the raw eggs BEFORE cooking.
Unlike the case of Leslie Williams in “Ransom for a Dead Man”, I can totally understand why Columbo is instantly suspicious of Ken here who offers up his theory that it was a professional hit. He seems to give up Jim for dead here and yet, later in the episode, he tells Columbo “I kept thinking Jim was alive.” Not very consistent.
Love the scene where Ken gifts Columbo a stack of the Mrs. Melville books. And the seemingly appreciative Columbo’s “Maybe I can pick up a few pointers.”
Also, much respect for Columbo who, unlike most detectives who don’t drink on the job, has no problem asking for “a drop of bourbon”.
I found it interesting that Columbo rattles Ken with his observation that Ken opened his mail before calling the cops. I think the Columbo of later seasons would have held on to that little tidbit.
Production note: why are the hot dogs sizzling so loudly when they are clearly boiled? P.S. I do appreciate the occasional food-related scenes – the chili in the last episode, the hot dogs here.
How smart is it to blackmail a murderer? I think not so smart, but I guess we’ll see.
And love the scene of Columbo backing his way into the room, his arms laden with books. There is NO WAY he read all those books! There must be 30 of them!
As it turns out, not so smart. Apparently Spielberg had to fight to keep the silent scream, an homage to Hitchcock. I’m not entirely convinced it works.
Nice moment of Columbo helping himself to some free candy at the crime scene on his way to discovering the champagne cork.
Don’t love the ending. In previous episodes, Columbo demonstrates his cleverness in setting up the murderers and catching them out. Here, he conveniently discovers some information – off camera – that he uses to confront Ken. It’s a shame because I was really enjoying this episode up until the last five minutes. So, even though most fans ranks this episode as the show’s best, I would rank it #3 after “Ransom for a Dead Man” (#2) and “Prescription Murder” (which remains my #1).
Finally, let’s consider the evidence Columbo has gathered against Ken Franklin. Would the parallels between a story idea and the presumed way the murder played out be enough to convict Ken? While I think it would certainly look suspicious, I don’t believe this would be enough evidence to convict. And so, in this particular case, I believe the suave Ken Franklin wins himself an ACQUITTAL.
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