Columbo - The Complete First Season
by Peter Falk, Bernard L. Kowalski, Edward M. Abroms, Hy Averback, Jack Smight
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anne Francis, Ida Lupino, James Gregory, Peter Falk, Roddy McDowallDirector: Bernard L. Kowalski, Edward M. Abroms, Hy Averback, Jack Smight, Peter Falk
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 725 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
Movie Reviews of Columbo - The Complete First Season
Movie Review: The best detective show, bar none!
Summary: 5 Stars
Since there are 9 movies, this review will feature brief thoughts on each one and each will have it's own rating:
1. PRESCRIPTION: MURDER *****
Doctor Ray Fleming has a problem: he is having an affair with a young woman-Joan Hudson. His wife(played by Nina Foch)suspects that he is doing more than just "treating a patient" when he gets a call from her and walks out in the middle of thier anisversery party. 6 months ago she gave him a choice: End this affair or face divorce. This presents the doctor with a problem-he stands to lose a lot of money if she divorces him. Solution? Murder her! A murder six months in the making, with the help of his mistress-they carry out the plot. The doctor has yet another problem: Lt. Columbo is on the case-he knows the doctor is guilty and to prove it-he sets up a very clever trap for the doctor-with the help of....you guessed it-Ms. Hudson. The best of the two pilot movies.
2. RANSOM FOR A DEAD MAN ***1/2
Lee Grant plays a lawyer who murders her husband and then manufactures a kidnapping. This woman is very smart! She pays the ransom of $300.000 from money from various stocks and trust accounts. She eventualy gets the money herself and hides it. There is only one problem: Part of the ransom was paid from her stepdaughter's trust account! With her help, Columbo sets up a trap to prove her guilt.
3. MURDER BY THE BOOK ***
This episode is noted for one of Steven Spieldberg's early directoral efforts. And overall, he did a good job. However, the director can only do much with a so-so script. This is the weakest of the first season-but Jack Cassidy and Martin Milner carry things along nicely. James Ferris and Ken Franklin(Milner and Cassidy)are part of a writing team of the Mrs Melville mystery novels. They both become rich-but Ferris wants to write on his own. What the american public doesn't know is that Ferris does all the writing and Franklin does the publicly. The break up would expose the truth and Franklin stands to lose alot. He plots the "Perfect murder" However, He is blackmailed by a witness and Lt. Columbo uncovers a clue that spoils his "Perfect Murder" It just seems that this clue was written in at the last minute-which weakens it. Still entertaining however.
4. DEATH LENDS A HAND****
Ray Miland plays Arthur Kenicut-a Hearst like publisher who hires a Private detective Brimmer(Robert Culp) to determine whether or not his wife is having an affair. She has been-but Brimmer falistfies the report. Her lover is none other than Brimmer himself. Now, he tries to blackmail her into being a pipeline of information-her husband has a lot of politcal connections. But She refuses to be blackmailed and threatens to tell her husband the truth about thier affair. In a fit of rage, he knocks her down and kills her. Out of fear, he covers up the accident. Lt. Columbo is on the case however and he sets up a trap for brimmer using of all things-a pair of Contact lenses!!! This episode is noted for being one of the few episodes where the murder was an accident-not premedicated.
5. DEAD WEIGHT *****
Eddie Albert plays General Hollister-a retired marine. Col. Dutton pays the general a visit. He tells him that the marine corps is opening a full scale investagation into arms contracts. The general's contruction company overcharged the government. The Col tells Hollister that he is leaving. Instead of risking exposure, Hollister Picks up a gun and kills Col Dutton. Unfourtanitly, Mrs. Stewart(Suzzane Pleshette)is in a sail boat with her mother and she wittnesses a shooting in the house across the marina. Her report is considered a crackpot report until Col. Dutton's body is found. Lt. Columbo is on the case. THe general's tremendous beleif in himself will give him away.
6. Suitable for framing *****
Dale Kingston(Ross Martin)is obsessed with his uncle's paint collection. So much so, he kills him in cold blood. With the help of his accomplce, they frame his Aunt for the crime. But Lt. Columbo is on the case and he is not taken in by his flamboyant personalty. To prove his guilt, Lt. Columbo sets up a trap using fingerprints. I just love the look on Mr. Kingston's face when he realizes that he is trapped! As a side note: Ross Martin was the one time acting teacher of Peter Falk.
7. LADY IN WAITING ****1/2
Susan Clark plays Beth Chadwick who is in love with the family's company's lawyer Peter Hamiltion(Leslie Nielsen)But her Brother Bryce objects to the relationship. Now beth feels that she's been controlled all her life-first by her father, now by her brother. Bryce informs Beth that he has written a letter to Peter-quit seeing beth or face being fired as the company's lawyer. Beth has had enough! She plots the murder of her brother. She kills him and make it look like an accident. In fact The jury of the inquest rules it an accident. But with Lt Columbo on the case-he's not buying it-He believes it was premedicated. Her irractional behaviouer and the answer to a crucial question that only Peter knows the answer to-proves her guilt.
8. SHORT FUSE ****1/2
Roddy McDowall plays Roger Stanford-a sceientst who works for Stanford chemicals-a family owned company. He is very upset with his uncle's decision to sell the company. Now he is called into his office for a meeting. He tries to blackmail Roger into leaving the company or else he will release damaging information about roger to the public. Rather than submit to blackmail, Roger kills his uncle by planting cigars that is rigged with a bomb. However, Lt. Columbo is on the case and he knows Roger is Guilty and to prove it-he takes Roger for a ride in a place where he can't run away-it is there that Columbo comfronts Roger.
9. Blueprint for muder *****
Beau Williamson(Forrest Tucker)is very upset. He is seen driving through town real fast. He goes to Elliot Markham's office to confront him. Without His knowlage or approval, Mr. Markham is building "Williamson City" A community that includes schools and hospitals and so on. But Beau objects and confronts Markham at the contruction site. When Beau gets into his car, Markham is hiding. He is forced at gunpoint to go into a nearby stable-a shot is heard. Lt. Columbo is on the case and he suspects Markham is guilty-but has a hard time proving it. It proves to be Columbo's toughest case of the first season. However, when Markham is caught trying to hide the body-in a place that has been already searched-his guilt is finally proven.
So there you have it-the first season. Peter falk was born to play Columbo. Loaded with Geust stars of the finest of Hollywood-this is what makes Columbo a special show-now we await the second season!
Summary of Columbo - The Complete First Season
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