This episode aired November 5, 1972.
Members of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team make a cameo in this episode, among them a young Pat Riley.
The Wagner house was also featured in “Murder by the Book”.
Robert Culp makes his second of four Columbo appearances in this episode.
The writer of this episode, John T. Duggan, also wrote “Counter Weight”, another episode that suffered from some suspect logic.
The exchange where Columbo asks Walter Cunnell how much he paid for his shoes was not scripted. Peter Falk ad libbed the question which resulted in the improvised exchange with the quick-on-his-feet Dean Jagger.
My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…
The episodes now starts with a preview – that appears to just be made up of a bunch of random clips. At one point, it hints at Columbo’s search for the murderer and quick cuts through the various suspects, but as soon as Robert Culp flashes up you already know.
“Hockey is for penguins.” Hard to argue with that.
Are those black satin sheets?
The announcer seems to say “Today all holds are barred.” which doesn’t make any sense. It’s “No holds barred.” “All holds are barred” suggests a pretty tame game.
Lol that kid missing out on his ice cream, his plaintive cries going unheeded as the truck drives away. Easily my favorite moment in this episode.
Ah, ye olde ice block. What 13-year-old kid hasn’t imagined using an icicle as the perfect murder weapon?
Okay, this sequence is as ridiculous as Alex Benedict’s broad daylight scamper and car heist from “Etude in Black”. No one sees him walk down and drive off in the ice cream truck, park it, then drive it back and park? Also, isn’t someone going to miss that truck?
I do love the moment where Hanlon casually helps himself to an ice cream bar as he drives back from the murder scene.
Columbo is afraid of heights, loves and rescues dogs, and is a football fan. It’s like watching a show about me!
Waaaaaaait a minute. He thinks to taste test the water on the deck and compare it to the pool water? Why? And there’s no way that water on the pool deck wouldn’t have dried by this time. Is this the best the writer could come up with?
Love the shot of the elevator opening on Columbo’s rolled up pant leg. Director Jeremy Kagen does a really nice job with this episode.
They were going to Montreal to buy a football team. Buyer beware!
Hanlon immediately antagonizes Columbo, inviting scrutiny right off the bat.
Love the moment where Columbo helps carry in the flowers and is mistaken for the delivery guy.
Another highlight of this episode is this exchange about the shoes.
Great bit with Columbo catching Hanlon at the airport, clearly rattling him.
The DingaLing ice cream truck? DingaLing?
Columbo mentions his wife is mad at everything, even the ice cream truck. She asks why it alway has to come right before lunch and dinner and “ruin the child’s appetite”. What child? Does Columbo have a kid?
“Everybody is a suspect,”says Hanlon. Isn’t that right?” Columbo: “Thank you very much. I’m very happy to hear you say that.” Brilliant.
Another Columbo classic moment – him lying in wait to catch the trespassing P.I.
I did find his tying the feedback to the potential bugs a nice bit of detective work. Wish there had been more of this.
Hanlon’s explanation that Eric’s “Thanks for putting me on to that chick” was a reference to Hanlon’s recommendation of a cleaning company is ludicrous – and the fact that Shirley buys it even more so.
Introducing… Valerie Harper as Eve Babcock and her collection of racist antiquities!
This is a terrific sequence where our escort Eve mistakes Columbo for a client – who casually scares off her actual client.
“You know…it just struck me.” The tiniest little accent came out.” Tiniest?! She sounds like a completely different character.
How about dusting the DingaLing ice cream truck for prints. I forget. Was Hanlon wearing gloves? Also, wouldn’t the actual driver of the DingaLing truck have missed it?
That print ad for the travel agency “Head hurt. Take a trip.” is astoundingly low effort.
“Home – to soak my feet. They’re killing me.” Great line.
The cuckoo clock is the Aha! moment.
Hmmmm. While I found this episode eminently watchable for the many great humorous touches, standout direction, and guest performances, the writing just wasn’t up to snuff. In this respect, it reminded me of “Etude in Black”. Also, at the end of the day, what was Hanlon’s motive for killing young Dean Stockwell anyway? We were never told.
So, given all that, where would I place this episode in my overall ranking? Well, I’m glad you asked: #1 Death Lends a Hand, #2 Suitable for Framing, #3 Prescription: Murder, #4 Murder by the Book/Ransom for a Dead Man (tie), #5 Etude in Black, #6 Lady in Waiting, #7 The Most Crucial Game, #8 Blueprint for Murder, #9 The Greenhouse Jungle #10 Dead Weight, #11 Short Fuse
Finally, let us weigh Columbo’s case against our murderer, Paul Hanlon and consider whether there’s enough there for a GUILTY verdict, or is Hanlon looking at an acquittal? Well, while I have to give Columbo credit for noting the absence of the chiming clock, I’d be very surprised if any jury would convict. More likely, this case would never even get to trial on the basis of insufficient evidence. So it’s an ACQUITTAL FOR Hanlon.
Discover more from Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This is one of my favorite episodes and I will have to add more later since, when I sat down to watch it, I almost immediately fell asleep. (Note to self: Do NOT watch one of your go-to nappy-time episodes at a time when you normally take a nap. 😛 ) It’s such a comfort episode for me!
But I did make it to a sleepy Dean/Eric wrapped up in that black heavy duty trash bag – or at least that’s what I thought it was…lol.
Side note – one of Dean’s first movies was playing the role of Nicky Jr. in Song of the Thin Man. Was delighted when I realized it was him as a wee lad. He didn’t change much over the years.
I will return later with more! This is one that’s in my top 10 favorites!
das
I love this episode so much! Even more now knowing that the shoe bit was ad libbed. 🙂
I thought Box Attendant Jimmy (Joe Renteria) was adorable – and he had a presence. Looked him up and discovered he had several roles over the years as a character actor. I liked his smile.
This episode featured several ethnically diverse actors, from the aforementioned Joe, to Native American Ivan Naranjo (Sgt. Hernandez, L.A.P.D.), to Clemens, portrayed by Cliff Carnell (nee Zeppieri). I found it interesting that, even though these men didn’t look like Anglo-Saxons, their characters were all given Anglo-Saxon names except for Ivan’s.
Random thoughts.
Yes, I originally thought the bedsheets were black plastic bags. Not uncommon in certain wild party circles.
Was that the pilot carrying Mrs. Wagner’s bags?
Why was Lex Luthor pretending to be an attorney?
I really love to hate Robert Culp’s bad guys. He’s one of my favorite Columbo villains, along with Jack Cassidy. I like others, too…but those two carry themselves in such a way that I long to see them get their comeuppances.
RE: Motive. I believe the motive was complete control over the money, and how it was spent. Did you see how he was soooo comforting to Mrs. Wagner? Yeah. I suspect his next move was to marry her and gain access to the money. It wasn’t spelled out as such, but it was hinted at.
They were going to Montreal to buy a hockey team, I believe, which makes more sense.
In your opening comments, did you mean “Dead Weight”? I am not familiar with an episode called “Counter Weight”.
Hanlon running around in the Ding-a-Ling get-up without anyone noticing? Yes, plausible. Agatha Christie used this same scenario in one of her stories – no one notices the waiter. Why? We see, not the individual, but the costume. I have had this happen to me, where I see the outfit first, without realizing that I know the person wearing it. All soldiers look alike, all cops look alike, all mailmen look alike – it’s a common phenomenon. Phenomena? WHATEVER!
Such a great episode, I rank it high on my list:
#1 The Most Crucial Game
#2 Suitable for Framing
#3 Prescription: Murder
#4 Etude in Black
#5 Blueprint for Murder
#6 Murder by the Book
#7 Lady in Waiting
#8 Death Lends a Hand
#9 Ransom for a Dead Man
#10 Short Fuse
#11 Greenhouse Jungle
#12 Dead Weight
(I might switch some around as I start thinking more about them.)
Guilty or not? Hard to say. It all depends on what Ms. Babcock knows, and is willing to tell. I feel like this is just the beginning of the investigation since Columbo was solely focused on breaking Hanlon’s alibi. I think a guilty verdict is possible, but this case isn’t ready to go to court. And that’s how I watch a lot of Columbo episodes – I see the ‘gotcha’ moment as just the beginning of the evidence gathering. All a true Columbo fan really wants to see is that moment when the bad guy (or gal) realizes that Columbo has figured it out. Check and mate. That’s the real game here – winning the battle of wits, not whether or not a conviction will follow.
das
“Yeah. I suspect his next move was to marry her and gain access to the money. ” Marry her?!
Yes, my bad. Dead Weight.
Wow! #1!
Sure, marry her. Since Mrs. Wagner liked doing charity work, that’s probably why Eric suggested using some of his wealth for more benevolent pursuits. Hanlon, concerned that his cash cow might be going out to pasture, needs to find a way to get control of the money. I believe there are three clues to this possibility during the airport conversation between Columbo and Hanlon: 1. Hanlon said that Shirley was out of Eric’s league and she knew it, but couldn’t bring herself to break it off, 2. When Columbo said she sounded like quite a woman, Hanlon replied, “She is”, suggesting his admiration for her, and 3. Changing the subject when Columbo asked if Mrs. Wagner would inherit everything belonging to her husband, suggesting that Columbo was getting too close to the truth. And 4, later when listening to the phone calls, Cunnell (the lawyer) claims that Hanlon was encouraging Eric’s behavior in order to drive a wedge between Eric and Shirley.
That, to me, strongly suggests that Hanlon would eventually make a move on Shirley in order to gain control of the sports empire and the Wagner money.
For now, #1. While it may not be an episode that holds up well to scrutiny of the overall plot, it is pure entertainment, escapism at its finest. When I was younger I didn’t like it as much because I didn’t like that Dean’s character was the victim. With time I was able to get over that and just enjoy Columbo’s cat and mouse game. Yeah, definitely one of my favorites.
However, I have at least 4 or 5 that come before it. At least. My #1 is a ways off and we may not get there. I have several favorites in S3 & 4, and 4 or 5 favorites in S5-7. I have maybe 6 favorites in the latter seasons, but not sure if any would be in my top 10. Maybe one of those…not sure.
das
Like you, I will forgive a lot if an episode is fun. And – spoiler alert – am about to.
I’m so dumb. I watched this whole episode waiting for Dean Stockwell to appear before realising he was the victim! I only know him from Quantum Leap so I didn’t recognise his younger self.
Wait, didn’t we put Robert Culp behind bars last season?
Robert Culp is so good! He’s always flirting with overacting but never quite gets there and it’s very entertaining to watch.
“All holds barred” confused me as well.
I understand the disguise to get out of the stadium unnoticed but then driving to the scene of the crime in an ice cream van? He might as well have been driving a clown car. Inconspicuous he was not. I found it implausible how quickly the police found the kid who spotted the van. Is it a crime for ice cream vans to not stop and sell ice cream to kids? Did the kid call the police to report this crime?
I found it very odd that Hanlon would call his victim in order to establish his alibi. The only person that could corroborate it would be dead! I attributed it to sloppy writing until the bug was revealed. It was clever on Hanlon’s part but also convenient. What would he have done if the phone wasn’t bugged?
The water on the side of the pool would have definitely evaporated. This is LA for crying out loud! Even in winter the water would be gone in 30 minutes. I did laugh when Columbo tasted it, though.
Eve’s accent . . . I thought she was trying for Mexican!
“Head hurt. Take a trip.” Is that a drug reference?
I liked the clock chime ah ha moment. I was thinking that the roar of the crowd when a touchdown happened would be the missing sound. But I should have picked up on the clock when they showed it earlier.
I agree with you . . . where was the motive? He wouldn’t have gained anything with this murder. I did pick up that he might have had something going on with the wife but it was very subtle. Murderers in Columbo are not subtle.
I was listening to a science podcast this week and they spoke about “corpus delicti”, a legal principal that someone can’t be convicted of a crime without adequate evidence . . . even if they make a confession. You should know about corpus delicti, Joe. You wrote “Latin For Beginners” after all. 🙂 Anyway, I feel that corpus delicti would apply to a lot of Columbo episodes we’ve seen so far.
With the evidence presented in this episode Hanlon is going free. If, as Das says, this is just the start of the investigation, then he might be found guilty. But I’m struggling to see what evidence they could find. I’m saying ACQUITTED for this one.
I did the same thing with Dean Stockwell. I had to rewatch the pool scene to spot him.
“Is it a crime for ice cream vans to not stop and sell ice cream to kids? Did the kid call the police to report this crime?” This made me laugh.
“I was listening to a science podcast this week and they spoke about “corpus delicti”, a legal principal that someone can’t be convicted of a crime without adequate evidence . . . even if they make a confession.” Oh, that is interesting!