The recent topic about whether Edmund was truly guilty of murdering Phyllis in "Try and Catch Me" got me thinking about the use of a past murder in other episodes in the series. If I'm recalling correctly, I believe there were only three other episodes in the first seven seasons that used this element in the plot - "Requiem for a Falling Star", "Old Fashioned Murder" and "How to Dial a Murder" (of course, in "Now You See Him" Santini is a war criminal, though I don't remember at the moment if he was guilty of actually killing anyone).
For me personally, I feel both "Old Fashioned" and "Dial" used it most effectively, setting the stage for several scenes that have distinctly dark emotional undertones that I don't think would necessarily be fitting for the series as a whole, but worked brilliantly, I think, in these episodes and several others.
In "Old Fashioned", the whole scene where Columbo and Ruth are talking about her past while in the room that has Columbo "under a spell", strikes me as one of the most touching personal moments for a murderer in the series, while at the same time being quite eerie and unsettling. Of course, there's no mention of Ruth having killed Peter Brandt in that scene, but there is a sort of set-up for what will be revealed later in regards to Ruth's motives in having done it. The part where Columbo is commenting on Ruth's portrait is especially touching to me, with the mention of Ruth's "happy face" in the picture seeming to ironically arouse a more pronounced melancholy in Ruth, perhaps reminding her of a time before her engagement when she wasn't consumed with the bitterness that ultimately led her to murder three people. The scene between Columbo and Janie in the jail cell is one of my favorites, as well, where Columbo has simply to say, "She probably gave him a lot of camomile tea", to drive home his point and completely unnerve Janie.
In "Dial", I think one of the most unnerving scenes, while not dealing directly with the murder of Eric Mason's wife, is his conversation with Joanne toward the end, where there's a suggestion that Joanne nearly became Eric's third victim after she had caused Eric's jealous and vengeful hatred to once again come to the fore by talking about Charlie and Loraine. Eric's line, "No one can know... No one can ever know...", is especially chilling to me. The scene at the beginning, too, where Eric and Charlie talk briefly about Loraine's death, and Eric's feelings about her, is also very intense. And while I think these emotional exchanges stemming from Loraine's murder are powerful and effective themselves, I feel the actual story of the murder could have been elaborated on, especially since at the end Columbo himself seems certain that Eric was the culprit in that case, as well; it might have been interesting, if a little too distracting and time consuming, if Columbo was shown looking into the circumstances of that case more deeply.

Anyway, I wondered if anyone had an episode of this kind that they feel is especially well done, or a particular scene or character interaction that benefited well from that sort of back story? I'd be interested to know, too, if perhaps there were any episodes in the later seasons that fans feel handled this theme well. Also, just so that this topic doesn't become a mess, I'm going to state right now that I won't post anything else here myself, so that if there's a comment under my name in the future, you'll know that it's from the dishonest user who's been messing around in the forum recently, and not me.

Well, it's perhaps not exactly the same sort of background I got in mind here, but I liked "The Conspirators" (Waffen des Bösen). It's more like "Now you see him", that you mentioned too. The backstory with the IRA is quite comparable to the ex-nazi with the little difference that the murderer in "The Conspirators" is no Ex :D

Anyway - in "Murder - a self portrait" the murderer has a background in which he killed another man and this background is revealed by the notes of his murdered wife. But I don't recall any scenes comparable to the ones you mentioned... the complete story is very phycological and based on dreams and possibilitys and in the end Columbo arrests the murdererwhithout any solid proof at all - just with the theory and the promise to dig up a pretty old corps to proof it ^^
Well, it worked.

Kai

Nice thread. I cannot think of any others that have a bearing on a present case. What I thought at first was that in Swan Song the singer MIGHT have committed a murder. After all, everyone knew he 'done time.' That is really stretching it though, and even if he had it has no bearing on the case at hand. Except that possibly the prison time and stretching it - that he committed a murder - makes him more of a suspect. Trivia. In real life Johnny Cash never spent any prison time, even though he spent some nights in jail before release.

Bryce's reference to Santini interests me. It's getting into a very sensitive area, and I don't know the episode well, but I remember Santini (whether or not he phrases it EXACTLY this way) saying that he was a "victim" of those camps in his own way. And even if there's the impulse to think it is, that isn't automatically a shabby excuse, period. And as far as I understand (again, I don't know the story well), he's spent all the time since then trying to put it behind him, and not necessarily out of fear and no other reason at all.

Possibly Columbo's most intriguing reference to a prior case is in "It's All In The Game," when he tells Lauren that he once worked on a case for "9 years, 4 months" until it was solved. Unfortunately, we don't know anything else specific about that case.

Other "past case" references:

Columbo alludes to "Candidate For Crime" in both of the episodes that immediately followed it in the original broadcast schedule.

In "Double Exposure," Columbo says that he has been "working late on the Hayward case." There can be little doubt that Columbo means Nelson Hayward, the politician who murders his campaign manager in "Candidate For Crime," because "Double Exposure" was the next episode after "Candidate For Crime". This is an unusual acknowledgement that Columbo must handle multiple cases at the same time.

Then in the next episode, "Publish Or Perish," Columbo tells killer Riley Greenleaf (Jack Cassidy) that he wants to write a book about his experiences as a policeman. As an example of his potential book material, Columbo describes the plot of "Candidate For Crime". Greenleaf responds, "Lieutenant, very frankly, I don't give a **** about your Senator or your story."


In "A Matter Of Honor" (1976), Columbo talks about "Troubled Waters" (1975) with the local police chief in Mexico, referring to it modestly as the time he got seasick. Columbo learns that the case has made him a hero in Mexico, where all of the newspapers reported how he solved the murder at sea. Columbo's fame from "Troubled Waters" is probably what saves him from getting his car permanently confiscated after his traffic accident in "A Matter Of Honor".

In "Columbo Goes To College" (1990), Columbo is a guest lecturer at a criminology class. He reminisces about the prior season's "Agenda For Murder," decribing how he obtained a piece of chewing gum belonging to murder suspect Oscar Finch (Patrick McGoohan), which was matched to teeth-marks on a piece of cheese left at the murder scene.

Interestingly, "Columbo Goes To College" also has a student asking Columbo about his work with the FBI in "the Devlin case", using the name of the Irish poet who executed a gun merchant in The Conspirators (1978). However, this was not the same "Devlin case" portrayed in "The Conspirators", as the student goes on to describe a "Devlin case" involving a racetrack.

In "Columbo Cries Wolf" (1990), Columbo suspects the murder of a Los Angeles woman who failed to arrive at an important meeting in London. Columbo says he is investigating the disappearance as a favor to his old friend, Detective Chief Superintendent Dirk of Scotland Yard ("Dagger Of The Mind" - 1972).

A more subtle reference, presumably put there "for the fans": In "Murder By The Book," Ken Franklin (Jack Cassidy) presents Lily LaSanka with an autographed Mrs Melville mystery novel. We see several close-ups of the book, bearing a title familiar to all Columbo fans -- "Prescription: Murder".

Also: The portrait of Mrs Melville, prominently featured in "Murder By The Book", makes a cameo appearance on the back wall of the meeting room at the Sigma Society in "The Bye Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case".

Another re-use of a prop (and there are more): In "Prescription: Murder", the reception room at Dr. Fleming's office features a distinctive painting, of trees and white houses with red roofs, which is prominent in several scenes.

This same painting later appears in "Suitable Framing", as part of the art collection sliced and stolen by Dale Kingston.

Speaking of paintings, here's one more "past episode" reference: Ken Franklin's house in "Murder By The Book", was also Eric Wagner's house in "The Most Crucial Game". This is apparent not just from the general layout of the houses, but also from at least one of the paintings appearing in the same prominent spot on the wall, in both episodes. Perhaps Eric Wagner bought Franklin's place, after Franklin was convicted.

It's strange that I'm bringing up one from the later series (since I know it so badly), but in REST IN PEACE, MRS. COLUMBO, Vivian Dimitri's late husband (even though you never actually see him in an episode) was someone Columbo had arrested for murder.

Would that also make him the only COLUMBO killer whom you ever hear about being deceased?

Good one, Grant!

Also, while past the range of the original 7 seasons, "Agenda For Murder" has Columbo referring to an *actual* past case, or maybe 2 of them.

The key clue was the killer's bite-mark in a wedge of cheese. Famed LA County Medical Examiner Thomas Noguchi often spoke about the case where he identified a burglar (not also a killer, that I know of) who was identified by his bite-marks in some cheese from the victim's refrigerator. So that anecdote, I think, was the direct inspiration for this clue.

But in discussing the dental clue, I believe Columbo instead refers by name to serial killer Ted Bundy, who was convicted in part due to bite-mark evidence. As I recall, Columbo was naturally too discreet to mention that Bundy's tooth-prints were not in Reggiano cheese, but in one of his victims' buttocks.

Hi

Very pleased to have stumbled across this site...full of real die-hards....I have watched Columbo for decades...and as most here I'm sure...repeating episodes countless times...It is my all time favorite...and I consider myself a "student" of it...it really is like comfort food to me.
I look fwd to posting and "befriending" Columboheads....