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....