“That’s why now, of all times, is so ripe for a Columbo Renaissance, because it’s a wonderful example of the working man going after rich sons of bitches and making them pay for their crimes.”
The stout-hearted fellows at “Just One More Thing,” A COLUMBO-THEMED PODCAST (were lovelier words ever written) invited me to join them in discussing “Étude in Black,” an early Columbo episode starring John Cassavettes, and I could not help but oblige.
Highlights include:
- the fact that Myrna Loy does not age and should have gotten to be the murderer in her own episode
- the magical absence of rush-hour traffic near the Hollywood Bowl
- CLASS WARFARE
- the Truman Capote short story trapped in the middle of the episode
- how much John Cassavettes looked like Anthony Bourdain
You may listen to it here. You may discuss the perfection that is Columbo for the rest of the day here, in the comments section.
Tags: columbo, jon morris, just one more thing, podcasts, rj white, television
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I have never clicked a link so fast in my life.
I’ll be damned.
John-Anthony Cassadain.
Some things that I read about Peter Falk, relating to his time as Columbo (apologies if they are covered in the podcast; I cannot listen to it at work, but refuse to let that deter me from talking about Columbo):
1) He has a glass eye. (! Maybe it is obvious, but I didn’t know it!)
2) He envisioned Columbo as being like the detective Porphyry from Crime and Punishment.
3) During production meetings, he would often pretend to have migraines so that he could lie on the couch with a washcloth over his face and not be expected to say or do anything.
4) Apparently, those are all of Peter Falk’s actual clothes.
I need to adopt that strategy for meetings.
It’s my opinion that we’ve ALL got something we can learn from Peter Falk!
This seems like a good place to remind people that Kate Mulgrew (Red from OITNB/Captain Kathryn Janeway from ST:V) played Mrs. Columbo in a short lived spinoff series.
Oh, we will likely get to one of those.
WHAT. This is life-changing information.
I am in a Columbo haze. The Fella gave me the entire series* for my birthday, just in time for me to immerse myself in it during a long stretch of post-surgical laying about. That means that at any given time, there’s an episode of Columbo in in the kitchen laptop (right now it’s the William Shatner Emmy-winning TV detective), another episode of Columbo on in the living room (right now it’s the military-school episode with a young Bruno Kirby), and another racking up on the DVR from the local Old Person Demographic Channel because I keep forgetting to cancel the weekly recording.
I recently watched Last Salute to the Commodore, which drove me into a spitting rage. It’s a whodunnit, which is an unwelcome deviation from the venerable Columbo formula, but I can roll with it. Far far worse: it ignores the well-established character in ways large and small, the worst being that he behaves with both petty brusqueness and real cruelty to innocent people and to co-workers. It distorts and disrespects much of what makes him remarkable.
*It includes at least two episodes of Mrs. Columbo, but even on painkillers, I just couldn’t deal.
The opening scene with the murder in front of her pet bird is maybe the creepiest Columbo opener. I’m okay with the co-author-who-wants-to-kill-his-collaborator or the deaths of loud pseudo-Texans, but dear God, not the one with the bird. Not the bird.
Last night, I watched that episode with William Shatner! He plays himself with only a gossamer-thin fictional veil.
Columbo shows more gleeful contempt for this murder than I have ever seen and it is so, so good. THIS IS THE FACE HE MAKES when Shatner gives himself away by over-explaining:
One my favorite Columbo themes is how these murderers (most of whom are white dudes at the tops of their fields) are so impressed with themselves for pulling off their murders that they cannot wait to show off their alibis.
When the murderer has the perfect explanation for what happened last night, I just love it. Oh man.
Also, how do you embed photos in the comment like that?
And they are so excited to tell Columbo about it. They’re so proud.
You throw in a simple code, inserting the URL of your image, which should end in .jpg or .gif. (Basics: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_img.asp).
And you don’t both politely use height/width attribute values because, like me, you are a brute with no regard for taking up more space than you’ve earned. Let those photos just spreeead out like a dude on the subway.
Trying just to see if I can….
THANK YOU!
Last night, I watched that episode with William Shatner! He plays himself with only a gossamer-thin fictional veil.
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u2yTHGP4Se0/U0zf1UB23WI/AAAAAAANkbk/6zAwLmWX-9g/s1600/Columbo-Fade_in_to_Murder-1976-VCSS1-517.jpg">
Columbo shows more gleeful contempt for this murder than I have ever seen and it is so, so good. THIS IS THE FACE HE MAKES when Shatner gives himself away by over-explaining:
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NvjKa0vVHqc/U0zepvhiHJI/AAAAAAANkZE/UJWoQTNooHQ/s1600/Columbo-Fade_in_to_Murder-1976-VCSS1-483.jpg">
One my favorite Columbo themes is how these murderers (most of whom are white dudes at the tops of their fields) are so impressed with themselves for pulling off their murders that they cannot wait to show off their alibis.
OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS A COLUMBO-THEMED PODCAST. This is everything I ever needed in my life, and more.
Also, can we talk about how the ending to “Suitable for Framing” is basically the most perfect ending scene to anything ever? I just can’t take it with Columbo’s face at the end here:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idA-kbKTRPs/U8tHlSeGZ_I…
And they are so excited to tell Columbo about it. They're so proud.
You throw in a simple code, inserting the URL of your image, which should end in .jpg or .gif. (Basics: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_img.asp).
And you don't both politely use height/width attribute values because, like me, you are a brute with no regard for taking up more space than you've earned. Let those photos just spreeead out like a dude on the subway.
Columbo and Mallory wow this podcast is great. I love that there are podcasts about great shows from the past like Saved by the bell and X-Files.
I recently stayed in a hotel in Florence which was last decorated in 80's, it was so retro! I made it into my room after braving the terrifying elevator and turned on the tv to take in the wonder of Italian TV and there was Colombo, accusing me of omicidio! it was a strange and gleeful moment!
For a long time I wondered whether Columbo had a glass eye. Peter Falk has a glass eye, that’s a matter of public record. But did Columbo? Or was Peter Falk’s glass eye playing the role of Columbo’s real eye? Then I finally got my answer. I forget the exact episode, but Columbo is asking a uniformed police officer to help him look for something and he says “Three eyes are better than one”. And there we have it. Columbo also has a glass eye. I’m glad we resolved that.
Running breathlessly back to this comment thread to deposit this glorious item: Columbo, in character, bumbling his way through a roast of Frank Sinatra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU7JkTfo1_4&f…
Running breathlessly back to this comment thread to deposit this glorious item: Columbo, in character, bumbling his way through a roast of Frank Sinatra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU7JkTfo1_4&f…
I will stop whatever I am doing, even if it is saving orphans in a burning building, to watch anything with Peter Falk & John Cassavetes in it. I have watched Etude in Black til it’s ragged. Interesting note: Blythe Danner always has something-a table, a handbag- in front of her belly because she is pregnant with Gwyneth Paltrow and the character isn’t pregnant