Ransom For A Dead Man (1971) Columbo- Deep Dive Review | Lee Grant, Peter Falk, Patricia Mattick
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Ransom For A Dead Man- March 1, 1971 (98 min) Pilot Episode
CAST/CREW:
Lieutenant Columbo: Peter Falk
Leslie Williams: Lee Grant
Margaret Williams: Patricia Mattick
Agent Carlson: Harold Gould
Paul Williams: Harlan Warde
Written/Produced by: Dean Hargrove
Directed by: Richard Irving
Score by: Billy Goldenberg
Created by: Richard Levinson & William Link
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#Columbo #PeterFalk #ColumboSeries #OneMoreThing #ColumboFan #JustOneMoreThing #ColumboCompleteSeries #Falk #LeeGrant #PatriciaMattick #HaroldGould #HarlanWarde #RichardIrving #DeanHargrove #RichardLevinson #WilliamLink #RansomForADeadMan #Ransom - บันเทิง
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Hope you do six million dollar man next 😅
@@ianmangham4570 I'll keep that in mind! First I'm going to finish Columbo 😊
Dude you keep talking over the episode. Super annoying. 🙄
@@sk8ercaligirl That's because you're not watching the episode, your watching a video made by a Columbo fan. Take it easy, fella.
@@WatchitforDays Dude your vid is boring. And I blocked your channel from my feed.
What I like about this episode is that Leslie discovers her own weakness and not just Columbo's cleverness. When he talks about her "unique" behaviour and Leslie appears on the balcony she discovers her failure in dismissing the most dangerous man in the room over the soap comment. On the balcony she is afraid of her own stupidity for the first time. The other cops were falling for her every eyelash flutter but she fell hook, line and sinker for Columbo. He is in fact the seducer in this scenario not Leslie whose hubris was her downfall..
What a fantastic overview of Columbo and Leslie in this episode! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment :)
An extremely insightful analysis.
@@WatchitforDays I did also enjoy the comment. It’s a great perspective.
What a great comment about a moment that foreshadowed the central dynamic between the two characters through the entire plot. It was bookended toward the conclusion when he replied to her gratitude about putting her stepdaughter in line after falsely claiming to have found incriminating car keys by saying "I can't have you accused of murder on the wrong evidence . . . " By that time they each knew exactly who--and what--the other was dealing with!
Wonderful observation!
@@joiedevie3901
Great point!
One of my favorites!!! Being a phone man since 1969, flipping the hook switch 'was' for signaling an operator when it was all operator handled calls. But that action was also used in the belief that dirty contacts in the hook switch mechanism would be cleared by furiously flipping the hook pins. Having more that 100 telephones in my personal collection from early 1900 models, to early 1980s models, this action almost never works 😅😅😅 Bruce R...
Wow! Thank you very much for sharing this. That is very cool you collect old phones. I have only one old phone.
@@WatchitforDays Well if you have a fb page, I have many pics of my collection. It's fun!!! All of them work, but only about 10 are hooked up and function...
It worked for me (more than I thought it would), but I can't remember the percentage. If you got the operator, she could give you the number of the caller so you could re-connect.
lol yup. I was going to answer her on this too but I see you beat me to it
@@WatchitforDays
Also; another reason that I love this episode is that "Leslie" has a phone in her office that is: in essence; a, LandLine connected to an, "IBM"-Style PunchCard Reader.
25:39 Lee Grant really was the perfect Columbo villain. Here she demonstrates the one key characteristic of ALL of best Columbo villains: condescension. She thinks she's smarter than this guy, and she HAS to have her moment to put him down. They can't resist. She's so good in this episode, and I suspect the makers of the show thought, "Yeah, we need more bad guys like this."
It's true! She was incredible as a Columbo villain.
The thing that I love most about these recurring evaluations by the killer, is that it doesn't even phase Columbo. He doesn't care about anything except for tying up all the loose ends. Once he sees something stupid that the killer did, it's over. I think he spends more time trying to find an angle to trick the killer into giving himself up, than he does solving the crime. Columbo should be The first course in any college curriculum. That course would be called something like, "How to think: Troubleshooting the real world and keeping your shit together long enough to discover the Truth despite all the BS and insults you have to endure" Not too concise, but close to what I was trying to say. I've seen this episode at least 100 times.
Lee - "Faaaaaar too good for us mere mortals". Really loved her in this one!
There's also the fact that he admires her, and doesn't just pretend to.
"You're really something."
"I'm going to try to take that as a compliment."
"It IS."
@@WatchitforDaysI like the kiss up villains too. The dentist villain that offered Columbo a bagel was so nice.
I always like to show off by saying this is the only Columbo episode where Christmas is visually referenced.
Very briefly at the airport as the camera pans past a shop... clearly showing Santa Claus as the main display. 8-)
You are right and I wish I had included that in the video.
Lee Grant has outlived almost everyone on the series. She's in her late 90s now.
Isn't it wonderful that she's still with us? Dick Van Dyke will be 97 in December ❤️
Whenever I watch all these old Columbo's I find myself checking to see if they are with still us. It's definitely sad as we all get older and a lot of these actors in the early Columbo's are no longer with us
@@adambeauregard1021 Yes, so do I. I frequently check on IMDB to see if they are still with us.
@@yannschonfeld5847 I love that WIFD honorably mentions so many of the cast members and I was especially touched to hear Janis Page who starred in "Blueprint for Murder" episode (w/Patrick O'Neal) was 100 years old at the time of her podcast and she is now 101 YEARS OLD!!! Amazing! She was so good in the episode!💓🌺
@@isabellind1292 Her dog looked like Snarf from the Thundercats
Columbo is my favourite ever TV show, I've watched them over and over since I was around 7yrs old in 1973, my mum's enthusiasm got me watching too. I could walk in part way through an episode and know almost instantly if Columbo was on by the music alone. Last year I watched every episode back to back, once every day and then did it again, all the time making notes on common themes' settings and and props. Some things surprised me' for example, the number of inter-generational relationships there are! Then I got looking into the actors biographies and so on. I even had the crazy idea of doing some YT videos! Then I found your channel and found that someone else had gone to far more trouble in that direction than I could ever muster! Thank you so much for your research, dedication and wonderful humour you put into these videos' it's great to share Columbo with others' I love reading your comments section. Keep em coming lass! Thanks again, from England.
.
I'm so happy you're here and enjoying Columbo with me! You still can make YT videos if you want. People have a hard time waiting on mine so there's plenty of room for you! Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful comment. You made my day!
@@Mick_Harrison You are a Columbo expert!
I start all your videos thinking you couldn't possibly teach me, a fan since the 70's, anything about Columbo I don't already know. I stand corrected. Good stuff.
That is some great encouragement! Thank you very much
Lee Grant was GORGEOUS...❤❤❤❤❤💖
Very!
And one of the greatest actresses in her inflection and timing ever to grace a screen.
She was no Hope Emerson (hubba hubba!) but Ms Grant was indeed one truly lovely lady!
If you ain't you don't work in there.
One of those people who u think should be much more famous than she is
The closest thing Columbo has to a theme song is This Old Man. Which Columbo often whistles. Especially at the end of the episode. And they also often play it as outro music at the end of the episode.
Yes, later on he does whistle it often
@@WatchitforDays He starts to whistle that when he is sure who is the murder
@@wgarlt1659 Yep, that seems to be the case 🎶
He whistles TOM for the 1st time in Any Old Port, ironic that that ep is considered thee best ep😙🎶
Have u ever heard This Old Man version by The Three Stooges? Yeah, The Three Stooges of all people.
This was a really good look at this episode. Lee Grant was fantastic playing the cold and calculating Leslie Williams, and thought that the character of Margaret, though on the bratty and petulant side, served as a nice counterpoint. Also, I loved the moment where Columbo stood up to Agent Carlson shortly after Paul's death was announced.
It's an impressive episode, for sure. Thanks for leaving such an awesome comment!
Yes !!! When he tells him "This is a murder now,and I think this is kind of my department"Carlson was smitten by Leslie(she was batting her eyelashes at him in the house) and would have never suspected her,because he was thinking with his emotons.
@@mkassis713 Also, Columbo is very strong mentally. I love when in A Friend in Deed after Columbo accuses the Commissioner of murder and he replies you just lost your badge. Columbo never even blinks.
@@torridd I also love that part on A Friend In Deed !!! Columbo destroys the Commissioner at the end of the episode , showing proof that his superior killed his wife and was framing the other guy for it.Columbo has an incredible line of thinking when it comes to solving a murder 👍👍👍
I think it has nearly the best Columbo and killer dialogue of any story.
The best line might be the "root beer and sherry" line at the very end.
Very nicely done. This was almost as much fun as watching a Columbo episode. I especially appreciated that you gave us a bunch of extra exposition but didn't make the whole thing drag on because you were going overboard with it. It was a good balance.
I really appreciate this, thank you! I'm so happy to know you enjoyed the video 😊
Oh I love how Margaret plays her in this episode
I do too
Thank you so much for these.
The phone question has already been answered by someone with far more experience than me but I will confess a lot of us still did it based off of habit from watching tv (even as a child of the mid-70’s growing up in the 80’s you would try to see if it would somehow reconnect like some sort of proto-call waiting).
Regarding why a homicide detective would be there for a ransom / kidnapping is where I can speak from my own fields. When a kidnapping occurs multiple things happen; as I’m sure you’re aware, the FBI is contacted as it gets treated with great possibility that state lines will be crossed. A homicide representative is also not uncommon because, unlike what tv and movies show us, most money-related kidnappings go south for one party or the other and - just as with pre-emptive presumption of state lines crossed - it’s also treated with the possibility the victim is dead even while the negotiations are happening. Hope that sates some curiosity.
Anxious for the next video. I know the sub count is still a work in progress but know the videos have definite fans. :)
What an awesome comment! Thank you for taking the time to share your input and knowledge. I also appreciate your encouragement! I'm currently working on the next video.
Great review! Columbo is a great series! Great history lesson of what America used to be like!
It's true!
They even had an episode where they were at the Pike. In front of the saltwater taffy machine by the double Ferris wheel.
The mere sight of Harold Gould in this episode triggered my memories of Newman & Redford's "The Sting" with a superb Robert Shaw as menacing big time gangster Doyle Lonnigan. Gould's character posed as the manager of a Western Union office as part of a long con sting against Lonnigan and delivered the line that clinched Lonnigans fleecing on a horse race bet.
Thank you for sharing such a great reminder of "The Sting"
Gould also played the con victim and the father of Richie Brockleman in a two-part episode of The Rockford Files that was an homage to The Sting.
@@PeterMaranci How could I miss that? I was a huge fan of Rockford Files and when Dennis Dugan was introduced as Richie Brockleman I thought it was a casting master stroke.
@@gnolan4281 If you haven't seen those episodes, you have a treat in store. It's "Never Send A Boy King To Do A Man's Job".
Yes, Harold Gould in "The Sting".
Very good critique.... The empty bag landing close to where the perps were supposed to be , that was a good catch. The changing backgrounds at LAX and the Gen Av. Airports they landed at... Good catch!!! The credits- for anybody who was uncredited, for this episode AWESOME! But, what made this series so different , is how the viewers actually did their own investigating as the episode progressed.... And that is why so many people liked it so much.... They were able the participate with the investigation, right along with Lieutenant Columbo... It also had several scenes of some of the nicest/ most enchanting places, in and around the Los Angeles area....Also, outstanding actors and Cool vintage cars, planes, trucks, etc...
I'm so happy you enjoyed the video. Thank you very much, Michael
In light of my discovery of your channel, my Columbic enthusiasm has been swizzle-sticked to heights measureless to man. Were it not for the cascade of witty banter you've inspired, I would be speechless.
You are so funny, thank you!
Join the club!
Margaret was played by Patricia Mattick. A fine actress who passed away at only 52
You're right. Gone far too soon... 💕
@@WatchitforDays Would you know if she was in anything else
@@samkohen4589 You can see a list of everything she is in if you research her name on Google or IMDB website
Gosh she was the same age i am now far too early for her to die.
This is fantastic. I used to watch Columbo on tv when it was on. Miss good shows like this. They don’t make them this good anymore. 🎉❤
They definitely don't make shows like this anymore
Remember Banacek? "There's an old Polish proverb - "A truly wise man will never play leapfrog with a unicorn"". Of course the Polish proverbs never existed - George and the others would just make 'em up over a (liquid?) lunch. Still one of my favourite mystery series...
Columbo is one of my favorite tv shows. I have watched them over and over and can't get enough of him. I truly liked this narration pointing out things I've never noticed. I'll look more carefully at each show and hopefully I'll notice things that I haven't noticed before.
It's a shame that there has never been a full movie of Columbo on the movie screen for I'm sure that it would have been a great hit. Thanks for showing this video with us I loved it and Peter Falk will always be my favorite detective.
Thank you for taking the time to type such a wonderful comment!
I love your analysis. I watched Columbo when I was young, and it’s wonderful to see this episode again. I think Peter Falk is fabulous!
Thanks so much. You have a delightful dry sense of humor. 🤝
Aww, thank you very much for this amazingly kind comment ❤️
Excellent review! This must have taken you ages to put together.
There's so many things you've pointed out that I missed from watching the episode.
Thank you very much, Ian! I really appreciate that.
My next video is ready (Murder by the Book) I'm just waiting on Universal to allow me to release it. They have a copyright claim hanging over me that I've disputed.
This woman is AMAZING 👏, it would take me a year just to find out a tiny fraction of her knowledge. 🙏🇬🇧😎
Thank you very much, Ian!
Did you notice that Leslie not only dressed like the money bag but in the same colors as the helicopter and the plane looks like it has the same colors as well. I think I enjoy watching this with all your comments even more than when it's on its own because I got to see things in another light than all those years ago when I used to watch them when they were on t.v. Good job!
You are absolutely right about that, Renee! Very observant 😊 I truly appreciate you coming to visit me over here 🥰
Lee Grant was so great in this Columbo. I also loved her as the murder victim's wife in the original "In the Heat of the Night" with Sidney Poitier. Her daughter, Dinah Manoff is also a great actress (TV's Soap (also with Harold Gould) and Grease.
Yes, very true! Thank you for sharing all this, I love comments like yours :)
Terrible communist though. Very subversive. Changed her name to hide her roots and communist family. Luckily there were patriotic Americans back then to call out the social engineering
This is why Columbo stands out among tv shows. Many modern shows are rushing to churn out multiple episodes in a short time. The result is sloppy directing, thin plot lines and mediocre acting. The Columbo producers took the time to get it right and it shows.
Also thanks for the tip on Double Indemnity. I will have to check out the movie.
Yes, give Double Indemnity a watch! One of my favorites.
Very good video. A lot of research presented well and timely. I did not know Lee Grant and Peter Falk had worked together a few times before this production. Thanks!
Thank you very much for being here and leaving such a kind comment 😊
I sense they did more than work together. Seemed very in sync. JMO.
I really enjoy your research showing other projects the Columbo actors were in... also at the 4:32 mark you mentioned Medical Center. Once I was driving down Hollywood Boulevard and the very first star I saw on the Walk of Fame was for Chad Everett.
I'm so happy you're enjoying it! Great story about spotting Chad Everett :)
I love the amount of research you put into your reviews! I really appreciate your little asides, with trivia like the cafe being a real place, and the name of the cemetery. And it was intriguing to learn how much Falk and Grant had worked together previously. Watching the episode, I was wondering things like, _what’s the movie Margaret was watching? How much would $300,000 be worth today?_ It’s very satisfying when you slake your viewers’ curiosity about little things like that. Keep it up!
I'm so happy you're enjoying the videos!
At 24:16 you can clearly see the cue mark on the carpet for Patricia Mattick to stop at.
Very good!
I have been binge watching your Colombo breakdowns. You are wonderful. They, and you, are appreciated.
I truly appreciate that! Thank you very much :)
Being a child of the 1980s, I didn't see the older Columbo movies until buying them on DVD. I did get to watch the newer ones on ABC and Lt. Columbo became a favorite of mine. Your retelling of these is great. I hope you do more of them.
I'm so glad you enjoy the videos😊 I plan to make a review for every episode
Way to collect those thoughts - kept me laughing too. Such a lively and solid review!
Thank you very much, Paul!!
one small thing about this episode that i liked is how the FBI agents are very respectfully to columbo at least in the beginning far to often you see the small time cop come in the the FBI agents act like bunch of wild dogs trying to prove who the alpha is. I personally hate this troupe as it make the FBI completely unrealistic. I really enjoyed how this was handled
I totally agree with you
RIP Pattye Mattick! You were awesome 💐
RIP ❤️
Always remembered, never forgotten 👩🏻🦰👓💐
It's Insane just how much time and skill you've put into it, it almost took as much effort to film the episode
You are very kind, thank you!
Actually, the bit about treating an airplane like a woman is a classic old flight-instructor pearl of wisdom which (from my own experience learning to fly) has been cleaned up for television a little bit. It is a reference to not muscling or over-controlling the airplane, something that comes too naturally to first-timers at the controls. In fact, as a pilot, the whole airplane sequence struck me as a pique of fascination on the part of the writer, as though he had gone out and taken a lesson just in order to write this and came back entranced with the experience. (The airplane, by the way, is a straight-tailed Beechcraft Bonanza, just exactly the kind of thing Beechcraft built to sell to people like this lawyer.)
Wow! What incredible insight to the flying scene, thank you very much for sharing this information. I always appreciate comments like these. Thank you, Daniel :)
I love the chemistry between Falk and Grant. I wasn't at all surprised when I later learned that they were good friends, and had co-starred together on Broadway.
Definitely
Man, I enjoy your reviews as much as I enjoy the episodes. I watch the episode, and the your review, doubling the entertainment.
Aww.... You are very kind 😊
Isn't that so true!
These are awesome! I just recently rewatched the entire series. So good! Just a quick mention - Paul Carr also played Lieutenant Kelso in original Star Trek's Where No Man Has Gone Before episode - I noticed him immediately when watching this episode for the first time
Thank you for sharing, I love reading comments like yours :)
Impressive amount of homework!! The lemon soap thing is my second favorite funny Columbo scene. It also cements him as a working class Everyman that we're going to love watching as he takes down all the swells. [And is it a stretch to suppose that it foreshadows how he's going to stick to--and stick it to--her?]
Thank you for this awesome comment, nicholas! Love your input about the soap scene 🍋
Thank you, WatchitforDays for all the work you put into your thoroughly enjoyable commentaries of this classic series. I really like to tune into your channel after I've seen the episode.⭐🏆🥇
💓Double Indemnity💓
Phyliss: "We're both rotten."
Walter: "Only you're a little more rotten."
Thank you very much!! ❤️
I just l-o-v-e-d Margaret in this episode! She was the only one, besides Columbo, who saw right through Leslie, LOL!
That's right!
I thought she was annoying, but I didn't realize she was working with Columbo since the funeral. Well, I WAS in fourth grade, at the time. ;-)
She looks like Gretchen from Recess!!! 😂😂😂😂
loving these videos! starting watching columbo for the first time and it’s a treat to learn so many little fun facts after each episode :)
I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the videos. I'm also really happy to meet a new Columbo fan :)
Regarding Columbo's fear of flying - in a different episode, he says he's afraid of heights, then adds, _"I don't even like being this tall!"_
I remember Columbo saying that. I think it's in the episode "Short Fuse"
@@WatchitforDays I thought it was in the Johnny Cash episode "Swan Song" at the plane crash site.
@@devinemsm05 You might be right because I've been working on Short Fuse and he absolutely doesn't say it in that episode. My mistake! 😊
@@WatchitforDays You do great work! I've watched Swan Song so many times. I checked and the line you referred to in Swan Song at 00.38 minutes
@@devinemsm05 You are awesome, thank you for finding that!
You've done it again 😃 I love how you've got so much affection for the show and it's characters 🙂 This was a really satisfying end, she really didn't consider that anyone else would have a conscience... he finds their weakness every time 😌
You are so kind, Mr. Ripley 😊
@@WatchitforDays and you're awesome 😁 thanks for all your work on these videos 🙂
@@itsmrripley Thank you🥰☺️
Who else---on the planet---makes her own soap!! How perfect!
Thank you 🫧
In the Star Trek universe, Paul Carr is known as Lt. Kelso in the second pilot of TOS, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." His character was killed by Gary Lockwood's character, Gary Mitchell. Too bad, I would've liked to have seen more of Paul Carr in ST, but he went on to appear semi-regularly on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."
Paul Carr was great in ST. Thank you for sharing this :)
Just discovered your channel.
It's so thorough, informative & interesting.
You're very good at what you do.
Keep up the great work.
I am now a Columbo fan.
I'm so glad you're here! Thank you for your kind words and encouragement ❤️
Great detailed review of this episode. Hope you'll be able to do more in the near future.
Thank you very much, Kevin. I plan to keep going :)
@@WatchitforDays Your welcome. Looking forward to viewing your next youtube videos.
It’s very interesting that you were born in the late 80’s and have a real passion for shows and actors that were way before your time. Lovely information about the actors taking the smaller roles. We have a show here in the U.K. called ‘Master Mind’ where people are tested on their specialist subject, you should go on it.
I might have that mindset of "I was born too late." I truly enjoy the things of the past.
I just started watching the series after a ridiculous tweet of a photoshopped (but excellently done) if Columbo was in a game called Final Fantasy X, in that game one of the main villains had murdered his father. I found that to be an intriguing character, a rough-hewn cop who with a bumbling facade manages to outwit others. I've watched four episodes (the pilots and the first two of the first season) now and they've been incredible. Hard to believe that this was made nearly fifty years ago.
@@HighPriestFuneral I've got to see this Final Fantasy Columbo picture
Is Master Mind still on? I left Brittany (getting my British telly from the Channel Islands) in 2015 and don't remember seeing it after 2008.
@@yannschonfeld5847 Yes it is and it’s still good. This lovely lady from ‘watch it for days’ would do well if Columbo was her specialist subject.
Another spot-on, insightful and fun review!
I didn't know anything about Billy Wilder, will have to seek him and his movies out! I knew about "Some Like It Hot", but didn't know this was from such a prolific director. Thanks for the recommendation!.
About the episode: This is the first Columbo episode I saw, and just by chance! I saw a snippet of it while I was practicing my language skills watching Japanese channels. It had Japanese subtitles but the original audio was intact, so I was able to follow along. After that, I was hooked.
The mystery is really really good, I felt like Leslie was digging her hole piece by piece, and how the episode ended was superb. The only flea in the soup, for me, was Margaret's acting, I felt that her acting was terrible. I know she has gone thru a lot of stuff, but I felt it was that off brand of overacting that happens in soap operas, and it is just passable in them, knowing the tight schedule used for TV series, but not in a high quality film like this one.
Also, snap, Columbo is on cue with telling that cop to mind their own business. Murder's charge now, Ransom should step down.
Final thought: Freak dang it, the music score for this episode is amazing! Thankfully this was one of the only ones where a release was done in vinyl, and it is available in TH-cam for everyone to listen. I really love the final piece (that sounds before the credits roll). This was used in at least one other episode as the backdrop for a restaurant, can't remember exactly which one.
You are Japanese??
Margaret is quite the character. She's very over-the-top but I find it comical.
Yes, wonderful music! You will hear music from this episode in a couple future episodes.
@@WatchitforDays Oh no, I'm just learning Japanese, and for that purpose I watch Japanese TV from time to time.
@@Tamhvm That's awesome! I am also trying to learn Japanese.
Leslie should have offered to make chili for everyone. That would have put Colombo off guard
Haha, yes it would have.
Thanks for posting another excellent commentary. As a plus, I love your voice and your zany sense of humor. Thanks again!
You are so kind, thank you, Pat ❤️
Fun fact. Hollywood Forever cemetery backs up to Paramount Studios, the only major studio that’s actually in Hollywood.
Interesting, thank you for sharing that!
Keep up the great work I'm really looking forward to your next video on Colombo
Thank you very much for that encouragement, Mark
These reviews are very well done and fun. Some of the car screeching and door closing sounds from these early episodes were used on other Universal shows later on like Knight Rider.
I'm so happy you enjoy the videos and thank you for sharing their reuse of sound effects 😊
One of my favorite episodes…I have a feeling I’ll be saying that more than once. And another excellent review-I have a feeling I’ll be saying that more than once as well.
Moments that stand out to me:
5:05-“One word-‘tennis.’ Don’t forget." Uh, that’s three words.
5:35-“You better call the police. That man on the phone said he’s got my husband.” Well, geez, Leslie, you were just on the phone…why don’t you call the police?
Not seen-Agent Carlson introduces Columbo to everyone in Leslie’s living room: “Gentlemen, this is Lieutenant Columbo, our local police liaison.” Our what??? What's a "local police liaison”??? He couldn't just say something like "...this is Lieutenant Columbo from the LAPD" like about everybody else in the series?
8:15-You mention Leslie batting her eyelashes at Carlson and he’s caught off-guard. Well, if Leslie batted her eyelashes at me, she could have gone on a six-state killing spree and I wouldn’t say a word.
15:10 Columbo tells Carlson, “This is a murder now and I kinda figure that’s my department. I’ll see you around.” But he never does. I wish he would have said, “This is a murder now and I kinda figure that my department. Thanks for acting in my show. You’ll get your check in a couple weeks. Now go get me a bowl of chili…and don’t forget the crackers!”
21:30-Columbo touts his cousin Ralph. Nobody will ever confuse that Ralph with this Ralph. He was the greatest at everything. I’m not great at anything. He’s perfect, I’m not perfect. But I am…interesting.
This is your local police liaison signing off.
This comment was so fun to read! Thank you for taking the time to write it. Very enjoyable.
"Ralph is the greatest.... I tell ya... I'll never forget him."
A liaison is basically a middle man, they handle communication between two groups. In this case the LAPD and the federal agents have to work together so they assigned Columbo to be the liaison between them. It’s not a term you’d often hear in regular conversation but it is what law enforcement would say.
I used to manage the phone system at work. Way back in the days of mechanical switching equipment, on some systems, if you hit the switch hook a certain number of times, you’d connect with the operator. But even by 1971, most equipment was electronic so tipping the hook wouldn’t do much. But it makes for good drama.
Thank you, Tim, for this comment. I was hoping somebody had some insight to share, so thank you very much!
You have a nice, calming voice... Easy to listen to...
I really appreciate that, thank you very much ❤️
This is the episode that got me hooked on Columbo, specifically the aerobatic scenes.
You are doing an awesome job of describing these episodes. Your voice is wonderful, so homey and easy to listen to, and you are so observant and go into so much depth and detail. I really am looking forward to seeing you narrate some of my favorite episodes, like Any Port in a Storm, or DIplomatic Immunity, Forgotten Lady and Try and Catch Me.
Your comment just made my day! Thank you very much for your kindness ❤️
Too many things to single out but this had me laughing out loud several times! "By the way, I don't know why so many people don't care for Margaret in this episode. I mean, look at her! ... Well, anyway..."
Love how in-depth this is, so much detail is covered. You really know your stuff. And presentation, especially in your audio, is top notch. Now I really *really* want to hear your opinions and analysis on sooo many other episodes... Looking forward to them when they come.
Thank you very much, Adam! Your encouragement means a lot to me 😊
omg the nick cave comment had me rolling. columbo should be honored to have you review it, you certainly do the series justice.
It's so nice to find someone who knows Nick Cave!!!
You asked about the old days when had operators for landlines. As kids my little brother dialed the operator and used foul language. Operator called the house and asked for my mom and told her you need to wash your child’s mouth out with soap for the filthy language he used. We still get a big laugh out of that all these years later.
Thank you for sharing this story from your childhood! Loved it
Hitting the phone cradle several times stopped working by the mid -sixties. People would habitually tap the cradle when a connection was lost or cut off BECAUSE folk would see the gesture in t.v. and movies and it was also a gesture of frustration.
I wish we could still hit the phone cradle
@@WatchitforDays - so does Jerry Seinfeld who made a joke about "hanging up in anger isn't what it used to be" and he mimes an angry person pushing a tiny button.
wonderful content-you breathe new life into this magnificent series-thank you.
Thank you very much, Jon! You are so kind.
I just stumbled across your channel and have been, well watching on and off for days. Thank you for doing this and for all your hard work. Much appreciated. Colombo is one of the best shows ever made and you are doing it such a justice with your analysis. Thank you !!!
I'm so glad you're here and enjoying the videos! Thank you very much ❤️
Once again, wonderful analysis with personality!
Thank you very much, BK!! 🙂
Omg, Rose Nyland almost married him!! I love there's a Columbophile making videos I can binge! Thank you so much for this!
I'm so happy you're enjoying them!
My new favorite character, thanks to you, is Margaret. Your voice is perfect for what you're doing.
I'm waiting anxiously for more material from your POV.🌹
You are so kind, Stanley, thank you!
My goodness! You really do a great job on this stuff! God Bless
Thank you very much, my friend
This is not a bad choice for a pilot primarily for the character played so well by Lee Grant.
The shooting here is rendered with a disturbing, ice cold finality by Grant . It's one of the most chilling slayings in the Colombo series.
The story is decent here as well. It's a duel of wits between Falk and Grant here.
I agree with everything you wrote
5:08 this might be the most interesting trivia in this episode - I was always dumbfounded seeing this in old movies, because being an 80's kid - clicking the switch hook was ONLY for ending the connection, never for restoring it. Huh.
I know what you mean!
I wish they continue the Columbo franchise with all new cast. It was such an outstanding series !
That would be interesting if they reboot the Columbo franchise
wow -- the actor Mark Ruffalo just came to mind...
Great review. I really appreciate your dry sarcasm and wit
Haha, thank you
Carry on - fantastic work. Can‘t wait to see follow-ups!
Thank you very much! I am working on the next video now 😊
Lee Grant is wonderful and i think you explained why she is in the pilot. She also is still alive!
Amazing!
Haha, I always thought the hitting the hook thing silly only done for dramatic effect on tv.
Same here
you're videos are so much fun thanks!
I'm happy you enjoy them! ❤️
I have subscribed, like how you give a "cliffs notes style" review of the episode and the actors. Thank you!
I appreciate your encouragement, Jayne!
@@WatchitforDays
I also appreciate the older shows, Columbo being my favorite, Matlock is good too!
I grew up watching Columbo. You did great. You have a very comedic voice - and that’s a compliment. Well done.
Oh, well thank you very much! I appreciate it
I love those “grenade sized” lighters. Believe it or not they are very hard to come by. I have been on eBay many times looking for vintage lighters from the 70s. Most of them look like hell and are broken.
Meanwhile, the scene at Barney’s beanery when Colombo is talking with Margaret and they are sitting at the counter. Outside you see the IHOP on Santa Monica Blvd. where Halloway branches off. They are in Barney’s Beanery… unless they purposely put that background but it would be an odd attention to detail.
I'd love to get my hands on one of those lighters 🔥
You have wonderful attention to detail. Who knows, I could have had some faulty research.
@@WatchitforDays If I find one of those lighters, you can believe that I would let you know about it
Haha, thank you!
I'm really enjoying your content! You have an awesome voice.
You are sweet, thank you ❤️
Another excellent informative program.Much appreciated.
Thank you very much, Richard
@@WatchitforDays You obviously put a lot of effort and time into this project.
Old quality shows, Columbo shines on.
That's right
Those grenade size lighters must have seen enough use back in the day for pay for themselves. People smoked non stop, followed by a nice Scotch
Very very true...
@@WatchitforDays Those were also the days of the infamous 3 martini lunches. Life was good...
lol! Yeah it was
You tube randomly sent me to your Columbo videos. Love the two so far. I hope you keep making them.
Thank you so much for that encouragement, Toby! I am happy to know TH-cam did something nice for me for once 😊 I certainly plan to continue making these videos.
@@WatchitforDays Great. Subbed and notifications on. Looking forward to it.
@@backtoearth1983 You rock, thanks for your support!
*TH-cam; or: "YT".
Re Harry Gould (Agent Carlson): you forgot to mention a key role in The Sting and repeated appearances in the Mary Tyler More Show, as Rhoda's father. ..But, great review otherwise. Great to hear a child of the late 1980s enjoys Billy Wilder films. There's hope for the future after all...
Thank you for including those mentions that I left out. I always appreciate it when people add things to the list of credentials for actors and actresses.
I enjoy Billy Wilder films very much. Although it's pretty difficult to find others my age who enjoy the classics. I kind of prefer the past when it comes to cinema (and lots of other things)... I'm glad you enjoyed my Ransom for a Dead Man review!
I just discovered your Columbo reviews and I am really enjoying them! You have a great love for the show and that really comes across in your videos. Your comment about the murder victim looking like a cousin of Nick Cave’s cracked me up, I see the resemblance too. Keep up the good work!
I have been waiting over a year for somebody to mention my Nick Cave reference! Thank you for that and for all the very kind things you've said :)
Lee Grant is such a babe here.
She is a very pretty lady, for sure
And STRONG, too! She seemed to have no problem hauling the dead corpse of a man about two feet taller than her out of the house, into the car trunk, out of the car trunk, onto the cliff and then kicking him down the cliff without breaking a sweat or a nail. Of this entire episode that part of the story was the least credible.
I subbed halfway through your "Prescription: Murder" video. You have quite an engaging, insightful style which shines through despite being hobbled from your original vision by nonsensical and outrageous-- yet completely TYPICAL-- copyright claim hassles. TH-cam sadly allows media companies to run rampant with no oversight nor consequences for what are essentially illegal copyright claims. The concept of "fair use", a longstanding, clear and necessary component of copyright law, for all practical purposes simply does not exist on TH-cam. (I've had plenty of my own problems in this department, though in my case, not due to "fair use" of copyrighted materials, but due to completely baseless claims on material-- such as CBS "What's My Line?"-- which is indisputably in the public domain.)
I'm sorry you had to spend so much time getting around the claims on your first "Columbo" video, and hope that you never have to waste that much time again. Because as a viewer, I'm immensely grateful that you persevered, and I look forward with great anticipation to your continuing coverage of one of my all-time favorite shows. Great work!!!
You are incredibly kind! Thank you for everything you said. It's nice to meet another individual who has gone through these copyright battles, too. I've gone through it with every Columbo review. With my first review, Prescription: Murder, I did not know how to dispute the claim or if I was allowed to. I've learned a lot since that video but the battle continues with every new upload which delays everything I make. But i keep going because my audience is generally very supportive and enthusiastic about the videos.
Thank you, again, for your amazing encouragement! ❤️
@@WatchitforDays I'm genuinely looking forward to catching up with all the reviews you've posted so far. I've created very little original content myself, but enough to know how much long, hard work is involved in just the editing process alone! I plan on leaving comments on all your videos as I go through them, partially because I love "Columbo" so much, partially because I think there are some intriguing overlaps in what remains so appealing to viewers about these two particular old TV shows (WML and Columbo), and partially because, well, I know it helps with the algorithms. :) I might go through your whole channel's content in a day, or I might get distracted by some other shiny bauble for a bit, but I will absolutely be watching and commenting on all your videos. Cheers!
@@WhatsMyLine You are extremely kind, thank you very much, my friend ❤️
You can't say enough about Billy Goldenberg's compositions for this episode. They are true works of art. There was a pressing of the original musical soundtracks from this episode produced in 1980 and someone posted it on YT (45VUoO8bDKw) Even by itself, it's mesmerizing and sucks me in every time I play it. About 30 minutes of being swept away just by this music.
Yes, his work is incredible!
thank you for your amazing works...i love Columbo so much, it's such a treat to find out little secrets after all those years of watching it.
I'm so happy you enjoy the videos
Columbo is the only boxed set of any tv show I own
It's really the only one we need ;)
I am very impressed with your ability to catch little details in these episodes. Very impressed.
Thank you very much, Hawk ❤️
@@WatchitforDays You’re welcome! I have watched these episodes dozens of times but I have to admit these details have escaped me because I was just focusing on the story, not the film details. Lol
Clear to see you put a lot of work in researching the characters, writing your review and editing it all together, also as a columbo fan and a fan of the omen I never noticed the killer was also the satanist wife from omen 2👏
Thank you for your very kind comment!
It always seemed a little odd to me how Columbo always seemed to trust the killers he caught. It was as if these killers followed some kind of moral code, which stated that, “If you can catch me, fair and square, then they will do no harm and surrender quietly.”
Or maybe Columbo always called headquarters before heading out to meet the killers he was about to entrap, and they were waiting outside, off screen, in a squad car.
Reminds of that one episode with Johnny Cash as the killer. Johnny Cash and Columbo are sitting in a car together and he says, “Aren’t you afraid I might kill you too? I’m a murder.”
And Columbo tells him that anyone who can sing as beautifully as he does (Johnny Cash is a gospel singer) would never do such a thing.
It was kinda touching.
It's true. I've had the same thoughts as you. It seems like Columbo always let headquarters know where he is since he would regularly get phone calls no matter his location.
Another great video!! I’m glad you pointed out that deal with the phone and yelling hello and thumping it….so many movies back then did this. I tried this my cellphone and it did not go well. People looked at me like I was crazy😅
It is very difficult to do with a cell phone, haha
Lt. Columbo was first portrayed in 1960 by actor Bert Freed in the Chevy Mystery Show, Enough Rope. Which had a very similar plot to Prescription Murder in 1968... How close is Lieutenant Columbo to an accurate depiction of real-life police detectives? According to Jim Doherty, a police officer and mystery/true crime writer, "Not in any way, shape, or form. He wasn’t designed to be an accurate picture of a real-life police detective, but simply as the “nemesis” of the murderer from whose point of view the story is being told. His being a cop is just a way of giving him a reason to investigate the crime...." One of the things I like most about the Columbo episodes is the quality, pace and tone. It's like a multi course dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Thank you for sharing, Jade. I appreciate your passion. This is a great episode for sure!