This episode aired September 19, 1972
The Benedict’s home would later appear in the opening credits of Benson (1979).
Because the show found early success in a 90 minute format, the network, of course, decided to tinker with what worked by insisting on longer episodes. As a result, Steven Bochco’s original 90 minute script was rewritten by writer-producer Dean Hargrove to fit the requested 2 hour format. Said series co-creator Richard Levinson: “Against all our advice, they pushed the show to two hours. They did it for financial reasons. You could charge more for more commercials. That part of it made good business sense, especially with an expensive show. It was easier to justify going over budgets. But the show was bloated at two hours. It was too long for this show to hold.”
Bochco felt much the same way: “Columbo was crisp at ninety minutes. It worked best at ninety minutes. At two hours, it was a bit indulgent and inflated.”
Series star Peter Falk felt much the same way: “Some of the two hour shows are alright. As a rule, you were safer at ninety minutes. You can tell the story better in ninety minutes.”
Series producer Dean Hargrove would, 14 years later, reuse the same flower clue for his pilot of Matlock (1986). Levinson would later remark: “Well, you can’t copyright a clue.”
The network kept on asking the producers to give Columbo a young sidekick, so Levinson and Link responded by giving them a dog. Falk, however, was not enamored of the idea. He revealed: “[Director]] Nic Colasanto loved the idea. My reaction was, he has the coat, the car, the car, the wife. That’s enough. He doesn’t need anything more. Nic said “Can I show you the dog?” I was “Well, if you want to, Nic, but I tell you, I’m against it.” Then he brought in the dog. I said “You’re right. That’s Colombo’s dog.“ There was no name you could give this hound – just Dog.”
Sadly, the original canine performer to play Dog passed away at some point during the show’s run and was replaced by a younger pooch. According to Falk: “The second dog was much younger than the original, so they had to put make up on the second dog to make him look older. Now I’m no time at all in makeup – one, two, three and I’m ready to start shooting. I’d go in early in the morning, I’m sitting in one makeup chair, and they’re making up the dog right next to me. I’m out in no time and waiting to start because the dog is still in makeup.”
Although he was called Dog on Columbo, the basset hound got the proper name of Henry, the fire house on the t.v. series Emergency where he was a recurring character as well.
John Cassavetes, a friend of Peter Falk’s, agreed to appear in the episode in exchange for Falk agreeing to star in his next film, A Woman Under the Influence (1974), and financing half the movie’s $250,000 budget.
Director Nicholas Colasanto would later find fame as Ernie ‘Coach’ Pantusso on the television series Cheers (1982).
Actress Blythe Danner was pregnant with Gwyneth Paltrow during the filming of this episode.
My thoughts in chronological viewing order:
Why does that suicide note look like a wedding invitation?
Right from the get-go, Alex Benedict is pretty suave – the early promise of worthy adversary!
Some ten minutes in and I have to say, this is a pretty dynamic, well-directed episode. Apparently Falk shared directing duties with Cassavetes on this one.
No one notices him running around in broad daylight or parking his car out front of the murder house? Hmmmm.
Great cutaway to the screeching bird for the killing blow.
Jenifer spelled with one N? At first I thought “He misspelled her name. That’s how they’re going to get him!” But no. Apparently, there was an adult film star named Jennifer Welles at the time so the production elected to spell their Jenifer with the single N.
Aha! Wifey reacts to hubby knowing Jen’s number off by heart!
Great sequence cutting back and forth between the concert and the crime scene.
The freeze-frame on Benedict’s realization he dropped his flower is truly a cinematic choice of its time.
Columbo adopted a senior dog, rescuing him from certain death! My kind of guy!
Why would Columbo be investigating a suicide? I mean, I do love the scene where he explains why he can’t accept the prospect this beautiful young woman took her own life, but wouldn’t the decision to investigate be up to the department and not him?
“I’d like to see everyone die of old age.” Nice.
I love the fact that his new dog is an actual character and running gag throughout this episode.
Why is this douchebag wearing sunglasses indoors? It would make me instantly suspicious – and annoyed – of him.
Also very much enjoy Columbo’s occasional mentions of his wife, like the fact that they both enjoy listening to the Maestro’s music.
Paul’s freakout over Jenifer’s death feels weirdly brief. He’s in and out in less than a couple of minutes.
Love this precocious youngster reprimanding Columbo for locking his dog away in his car.
It’s a young Pat Morita as…”The Houseboy”?
I see Columbo is back to smoking his cigars – in people’s homes no less. A fun little scene but this is clearly little more than padding, one of the extra scenes added by Hargrove to hit the requested 2 hour run time.
Columbo makes $11k/year. That’s about 80k/year today.
Benedict: “Who’s that (sitting in my car, revving my engine)?” Mechanic: “Don’t know. He said he was a friend of yours.” Wut? “Oh, you’re a friend of his you say? Well then he are the keys to his car. Help yourself!”
Columbo, the animal lover, notes the victim did not make plans for her beloved bird. Nice catch.
Columbo’s hypothesis on what is wrong with his car “To tell you the truth, I think the engine is missing.” is a great line.
Love Columbo playing Chopsticks at The Hollywood Bowl. Over and over and over again!
Another great catch re: the typewriter not being aligned!
The speedometer! One more piece of circumstantial evidence.
“Just one more thing…” It’s now being investigated as a homicide. Great throwaway.
Columbo visiting the kid in dance class is weird enough, but smarmy Audrey (How old is she? 13?) responding to his “I’m very impressed with you.” with “Really? Is it my body or my mind?” was a decidedly weird moment.
Did Cassavetes spend any time studying actual conductors or is he just waving that baton around willy nilly? It really looks like the latter.
I found it odd that, rather than just bringing Audrey a photo of Benedict to identify, he brings the kid to rehearsal so she can make an in-person identification. I don’t know. Maybe he does so to unnerve Alex. However, having the kid identify Paul instead is a great twist.
Aha! Yet another scene in which Columbo asks for a drink. Isn’t he on duty?
Did not love the plot-driven contrivance of the vet just happening to watch a rerun of the concert – which gives Columbo the idea to check the tape.
The appearing and disappearing flower!
The episode is over and he never named his dog!
Overall, there was a lot to really love about the episode – a calculating adversary in Alex Benedict, a wonderfully unexpected performance by the great Myrna Loy as Lizzie Fielding, dynamic direction, some delightfully character-specific comical moments, and, of course, Dog. On the other hand, I thought Benedict’s murder plot (racing through the streets and stealing his car in broad daylight) really beggared belief. While I found the ending dramatically satisfying, I did have issues with this particular Gotcha moment. Having said all that, despite the extra 20 minutes or so tacked on, this episode flew by and never really dragged for me. I’m sure I won’t be able to say the same of future 2 hour episodes.
Finally, it’s time to consider the evidence Columbo has gathered and ask ourselves whether our murderer would be looking at a GUILTY verdict, or an ACQUITTAL. Alas, this brings me back to my issue with the Gotcha moment. While certainly dramatic, that flower is proof of nothing. Tough to say how wife Janice would respond if the case goes to trial. Would she testify against her husband? Without knowing for certain, I’d fall on the side of ACQUITTAL.
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All good points! I would vote for acquittal based on the evidence Columbo had. If there were more evidence, I would vote death penalty just for the parrot.
I thought this murder plan had too many moving parts. The elaborate car repair/heist, anyone could have walked in, seen the car on the street or Benedict driving. Benedict’s weird rant and his wife looking on “There he goes again”. The little girl skit came off as a bit creepy.
I noticed the dog looked like a senior in the first show but acted like a puppy in future episodes. Too bad the first dog died working. He should have been home in front of a fire instead.
Interesting episode and it was great seeing Danner.
Where would you place this episode in your rankings?
My tentative list:
1: Prescription Murder
2. Suitable for Framing
3. Double Shock
4. Ransom
5. Murder by the Book
6. Étude in Black
7. Death Lends a Hand
8. Lady in Waiting
9. Blueprint for Murder
10. Short Fuse
11. Dead Weight
We haven’t even watched Double shock yet!
I skipped ahead 😉
Lots to say about this one – let’s see if I can get it all in before the wine kicks in!
I’ll start by saying this isn’t one I’ve watched a lot. Yes, I’ve seen it several times, but in more recent years I’ve avoided it because – as I’ve said before – Shows like Columbo, Midsomer Murders, and old Charlie Chan movies are now my sleepy time shows. I’ve watched them so many times and know them by heart, so now they’re my ‘comfort viewing’, like mac and cheese for my brain. However, I avoid this one at naptime because the screeching bird is disturbing and delays my brain from going nitey-nite. So it was nice to watch it from start to finish for the first time in several years. 😊
And thank you, Joe, for the insights. Going into this now knowing that Blythe Danner was pregnant with Gwyneth at the time kept me alert, looking for clues to her pregnancy, and I was not disappointed! There was always a prop or a shawl or a camera angle hiding her baby bump, The most obvious scene was at the tennis court, when she put her hand on her tummy and then moved the sleeve (I think it was) over to hide her little bump (which was barely noticeable – I look more pregnant than she did!).
I loved seeing Myrna Loy in this episode. Such a lady! She is my all-time favorite actress, which means a lot as I tend to be a bit ‘misogynistic’ when it comes to female actors, mainly because I cannot relate to them or to their characters. There are a few exceptions, but Myrna outshines them all! Her ability to be both down to earth and refined at the same time, her dry wit, her little sidelong glances, that slight crack in her voice – she is spectacular! I just love her so much. 😊
Audrey and Columbo at the dance studio. A bit creepy, yes. But this was (believe it or not) a more innocent time, when people didn’t suspect every single adult of being a pervert. That said, I think the point of it was that she was hanging out with Jenifer and getting pointers from a promiscuous adult at an age of her own sexual maturity. I found it to be a reflection on Jenifer more than on Audrey, and Columbo put a stop to it with his ‘enough of that’.
Cassavetes reminds me somewhat of Tom Hardy. Mouth? Eyes? I can’t put my finger on it, but that’s all that I could see. I especially appreciated his expressions as he was preparing to commit murder – somewhere between regret and blind determination.
Loved seeing the introduction of Dog. A happy and welcomed addition, imho. I always suspected a change in dog actors later on, which isn’t uncommon in longer running series.
Best line? “I already have two cars. Of course, my wife’s car is nothing special. That’s just for transportation, you understand.”
Speaking of cars, did you see that Jaguar XK-E?! I was drooling over that baby! (Classic Jags are my favorite cars, followed closely by 1930s Model SJ and SSJ Deusenbergs). The cars in this episode were simply luscious!
“Young” Pat Morita was a 40-year-old houseboy…lol.
I hated that the bird died, but it was pivotal to the plot, I suppose.
I liked his murder plot, even though you would think he’d get caught with all the jogging in a trenchcoat and all. But this was before there were doorbell cameras and CCTV everywhere, and before everyone was taught ‘if you see something, say something’. People just weren’t as suspicious of everyone and everything back 50 years ago. Most Columbo episodes would be solved in minutes with today’s technology, but – like the phone situation in Blueprint for Murder – society just wasn’t as connected as it is now. It was much easier to fly under the radar, as it were.
I appreciated that they didn’t waste film time showing the return of the car, etc. We get it…he returned the car and ran back to the arena. I think that part was well done. We don’t always need every detail spelled out.
No way no how would I wash my hands in that mechanic’s restroom! Nor would I touch that doorknob on the way out. In fact, I think I caught something from it just seeing it on the tv. 😛
The Gotcha moment. Yes, very little evidence and an acquittal is likely, but I think Columbo knew that (this scenario comes up in a later episode as well). So, instead of going for a guilty verdict, he goes for what will hurt the most – losing out on all that money. His wife (who is controlled by her mother) indicates that adultery is forgivable, but not murder, and his mother-in-law made it clear that he, especially, would be out if he were to bring dishonor to her orchestra. So, even if he walks free, he will be an outcast and a pauper if those two women have anything to do with it.
My ranking? This is hard…and might change.
#1 Suitable for Framing
#2 Prescription: Murder
#3 Etude in Black
#4 Blueprint for Murder
#5 Murder by the Book
#6 Lady in Waiting
#7 Death Lends a Hand
#8 Ransom for a Dead Man
#9 Short Fuse
#10 Dead Weight
das
I don’t research the episodes until after I’ve watched them, thus avoiding spoilers, so I missed all of the little moments you listed that tipped off Danner’s pregnancy. I’ll keep my eyes peeled on the re-rewatch.
Myrna Loy your all-time favorite actress?! That’s high praise!
“Speaking of cars, did you see that Jaguar XK-E?! I was drooling over that baby! (Classic Jags are my favorite cars, followed closely by 1930s Model SJ and SSJ Deusenbergs). The cars in this episode were simply luscious!” – Wow. Didn’t know you were an old-timey car fan!
“Most Columbo episodes would be solved in minutes with today’s technology” – Which is why finding a really well-written crime show is tough today.
“But this was (believe it or not) a more innocent time, when people didn’t suspect every single adult of being a pervert.” – This made me laugh.
“No way no how would I wash my hands in that mechanic’s restroom! Nor would I touch that doorknob on the way out.” I always use the paper towel I use to dry my hands to open any doors, then kick out my foot to hold it so I can toss the paper towel behind me before I head out. There’s your tip of the day.
And you’re absolutely right that, guilty or acquittal, he ends up an outcast.
Hunh. Both you and Tam placing Death Lends a Hand at #7.
Death Lends a Hand is good, but a bit dry for me. There are a few in S2 that I am not particularly fond of (for weird reasons), so it may stay at 7 while others pile up behind it. But there are at least a half dozen or more that will come before it, too…including my all-time favorite top two. Even if you don’t push to S7, I might request a couple one-offs just because I NEED to watch them with a friend. 🙂
There are a few in the episodes from 1989-2003 that I like a lot, but that aren’t necessary to watch if you want to stick with classic Columbo, and there are a few in that bunch that I don’t like at all. They were fine for one or two watches, but that’s it.
das
I do recall a few I really didn’t like in the tail end of the show’s run.
When I was little I loved Jaguars, but I called them Jag-wires. Still do. 🙂 I don’t know why I loved them so since I had never seen one in real life, but I think my love for them came from watching lots of early 1970s British tv, like The Avengers, The Saint, and The Protectors, but not sure if a Jaguar featured in any of them. I really don’t know how I came to love them so, but it was definitely in the early 70s (I was obsessed with lots of things when I was around 10 years old), and not later with The New Avengers. If memory serves me right, I think I might have asked what kind of car was in a certain show, and I hear my dad saying it was a Jaguar. All I know is that from a very early age I loved Jaguars, and I knew that they were British cars…and everyone teased me for pronouncing it as Jag-wire. 😛
I discovered Duesenbergs much later, in my 20s or early 30s, at a classic car show. Since I loved old movies from the 30s and 40s, I immediately fell in love with their design, though I doubt I could ever parallel park such a beast! I just like that style, like the Avions Voisin in the movie Sahara. I first saw those types of classic cars (without knowing what make they were) in an auto museum – not sure if it was the one near Omaha, Nebraska (my grandparents lived across the river in Iowa), or the one down at Luray Caverns in Virginia. I visited both with my family when I was very young.
I love going to old car shows, but I want to see the real thing, not a kit car. An original classic car is a work of art, a true feast for the eyes! 🙂
das
What kind of car do you/dd you drive?
Subaru Forester. Two reasons.
Firstly, Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster, and since childhood I have had an interest in astronomy (as has my husband – we each came into our marriage with telescopes!). So, it just seemed natural that I drive a Subaru.
Secondly, ever since its introduction I have wanted a Forester, for one simple reason: Because C. S. Forester wrote the Horatio Hornblower historical naval fiction series. Yeah, it took me nearly 20 years, but I finally had my Forester! Before that it was Honda (Accord and Civic). I buy cars based on safety features, and we all know that the classic cars were death traps. But I wouldn’t mind owning one just to look at it, kinda like a dirty old man at a peep show…lol.
das
OMG! That’s Gwyneth Paltrow’s mum? I actually thought to myself while watching that she looked like Gwyneth but I had no idea!
Interesting about the extended runtime. I must admit that at around the 1 hour mark I did pull up the progress bar to see how long we had to go and was dismayed to see another 30 minutes on the clock. I did feel this episode dragged in places. But I’ve said that about some of the season one episodes as well. You can only drag these murder investigations out so far and a 2 hour runtime is pushing it!
Definitely the death penalty for Alex for killing that bird! The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is a beloved Australian native. I don’t get the sulphurs in my garden but I sometimes get their cousins, the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo.
Alex’s conducting was terrible. I don’t know much about conducting but I’ve seen enough conductors to know that it’s not just about waving a baton around. Likewise Jenifer’s piano playing. She was clearly not pressing any of the keys. The only real piano playing in this episode was done by Columbo!
I quite liked the plan to leave the car at the mechanic’s as an alibi but he didn’t think it through very well. Even though Alex admits that a taxi or hiring a car would have left a paper trail the reality is that he was staging the murder to look like a suicide. If that was successful there wouldn’t have been any investigation! So why the elaborate ruse? Plus, this is the 1970s. How easy would it have been to track a taxi or rental back then?
The little kid was great. Sure, it was a little weird at the ballet class but I can forgive that if we get more sassy dialogue. Taking her to identify a potential murderer was really dumb of Columbo, though. Very dangerous for a little girl. WHERE ARE HER PARENTS? The reveal of her identifying Paul was fantastic. I didn’t see it coming.
That dog is perfect for Columbo. So droopy. So dishevelled.
On the whole, an enjoyable episode that dragged a little in the middle. I, too, found the gotcha moment disappointing. So much circumstantial evidence but nothing concrete. A top notch prosecution lawyer might be able to convince a jury but they will earn every cent doing it! I’m afraid Alex is probably being ACQUITTED for this one!
I don’t know how easy it would have been to track, but Columbo did mention checking with the taxi companies so it’s one of those asked-and-answered plot points. Yes, I did wonder about the kid’s parents as well. And the prospect of her identifying the murderer – and the murder suspect KNOWING this kid has identified him!