This episode first aired December 15, 1991.

The champagne brand that George Brower drinks in this episode is the same brand featured in the previous episode, “Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star”.

Director Vince McEveety wrote on Simon and Simon, Gunsmoke and Murder She Wrote. Also Star Trek (Miri, Dagger of the Mind, Balance of Terror, Patterns of Force, The Omega Flory, and Spectre of the Gun)

Jeffrey Bloom, who co-wrote this episode, also wrote “Agenda for Murder” and “Columbo Goes to College”.

Co-writer Robert Van Scoyk wrote 108 episodes of Murder She Wrote.

My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…

I always found “Rip Torn” kind of a silly name but, apparently, it wasn’t a stage name. Rip Torn came from a long line of male Torns who were named Rip. A family tradition.

That mullet on Freddy!

I feel like I’m accidentally watching a soap opera.

These performances are pretty over-the-top.

Playing “We’re in the Money” is so cringey and on the nose it really feels like a 90’s production. I expect this song to play throughout the rest of this episode.

Don’t know if I’d be trusting Uncle Leon with this information.

Really? 15 million dollars is not enough for him? I think that, today, would be a payout of about 35 million today.

Would you trust YOUR Uncle Leon to give you the money?

And of course we have to have Freddy humming “We’re in the Money” throughout.

Oh, man, the stereotypes. It’s like I’m watching the Italian version of Friends. And of course, just like Friends, there’s a monkey – presumably because one of these guys is an organ grinder.

Uncle Leon dismisses the homeless pet charity. He IS evil!

By the way, can I just say how much I love the Uncle Leon character and his southern drawl.

“Halloween Party: Only Millionaires Admitted”. Hope they’re checking bank accounts at the door.

Inconspicuously driving away and committing murder dressed as…King George?

The chimp is a witness!

Again, death by champagne!

Ye olde smashed wrist watch gag, last scene in “Candidate for Crime”.

This is a pretty violent murder by Columbo standards.

Uh oh. The wife is on her way up!

They’re on it together! What a twist!

How the hell did she disguise her voice as Freddy on the phone call?

I really like this Columbo-chimp interaction and feel they could have made a really good team. Sort of like the BJ and the Bear of murder investigations.

Is Trish hitting on Columbo?

Aha! He used a skin conditioner “best used AFTER bath”! That’s some damning evidence right there. As is the brochure for that pricey car. Also, why was Freddy taking a bath if he was supposed to be going to the party? Pretty sloppy of Uncle Leon to tell Columbo Freddy had been invited. After all, it was a Millionaires Only soiree.

Why is Columbo eyeing that lingerie mannequin.

Happy 25th Anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Columbo!

Who are these demonstrators and why are they demonstrating outside his place of work? Also, Uncle Leon is a multi-millionaire with 70 million dollars (by today’s standards). Why is he going to work?

Aha! Freddy was wearing a counterfeit watch suggesting he was having money troubles.

As much as I loved the twist of Uncle Leon and Nancy being in on it together, I find this romantic pairing rather….odd. Her calling him “Uncle Leon” is downright creepy.

Columbo once again showing up at a funeral.

Mom is over-the-moon that Columbo is Italian. His Italian, by the way, is pretty good.

Columbo’s Peugeot makes its trademark backfiring entrance.

Ooof. The sing-a-long. Reminds of the time my mother was invited to a dinner party and after the meal all the attendants gathered around the piano and belted out old timey tunes. My mother wanted to leave but had to wait two hours for my sister to finish her appointment and pick her up.

Columbo just wandering through the dead man’s apartment. Italian Joey, Monica, Phoebe, and Chandler wondering what’s up.

Why would Freddy have purchased a case of champagne? Is it the really good 2 star stuff?

I suspect those photos of the chimp are going to come in handy later.

Columbo’s camera revelation is pretty OTT.

Uh oh. Is Uncle Leon about to bump off his demanding partner-in-crime?

The usually sympathetic Columbo is unmoved by Nancy’s tears.

Lol Uncle Leon’s reaction when Columbo starts to tell his camera story.

The numbers on the camera were the winning lottery numbers!

Columbo inadvertently bids on an item because of course he does.

“You know my wife she bid 80 dollars on a foot stool made out of coffee cans. Can you imagine that?
“No, I can’t.”
Great.

I always like the scenes in which Columbo breaks down the murder.

“Now that is a lie.” J’accuse!

The Chimp’s prints put Uncle Leon at the scene of the murder! I knew these two would team up to solve the crime.

Embittered Uncle Leon brings screamy Nancy down with him.

Columbo has decided on the perfect 25th anniversary gift for his wife. He’s going to take her camping. Or have her car repainted. Why not get her a new vacuum cleaner?

Despite its silly elements and occasional suspect logic, I quite enjoyed this episode mostly thanks to Rip Torn’s brilliant performance as the scheming Uncle Leon. I consider Leon amongst my favorite Columbo villains – duplicitous, colorful, and incredibly entertaining. As usual for these late episodes, the fashion and music of the era never fail to take me out of the story but fortunately Falk and Torn always managed to pull be back in.

Not adding the chimp as an investigative partner in future episodes was a missed opportunity.