I agree, he was a pivotal character, and I always wondered why he wasn't mentioned in the beginning credits. Many characters with less screen time, less importance in the story, and not really big stars have been mentioned in other episode beginnings. Does anyone know how that is determined? Is that something negotiated by the actors or their agents?? Always wondered about that.

Draper gets dead last billing, after a huge list of players, in "Last Salute to the Commodore". And his role is somewhat important in that episode. Also in two other episodes he's not credited at all. I see at IMDB that his only work seems to be Columbo and Cassavetes movies. I wonder if he was just not into the whole Hollywood thing, and chose the lower billing.

I don't think we can call this his "only" work. I was just watching some of my old recordings of the 1980 Winter Olympics, and who did I see in an Olympic related Coca-Cola commercial but Fred Draper as a proud father seeing his athlete son off to Lake Placid (no dialogue but he was easy to recognize). Draper was the kind of actor who probably earned most his salary in things like commercials and theater.

Murder Under Glass is one of my favorite episodes, mainly due to performance of Louis Jourdan.

I really like murder under glass. The killer is so quirky and I love all the wonderful tidbits about columbo's childhood.

Ps France Nyun (sp?) changed her name from Nguyen to make it easier to spell. Strange! She was also married to Robert culp! (Death lends a hand)

One of the things I enjoy about Murder Under Glass is how dated and unappetising all the 1970s haute cuisine looks...all that superfluous piping and gallons of aspic. There's a galantine of duck which is a particular offender...

Ha! I had EXACT same thought. Food on Columbo never looks appetizing to me.