The Lt. Columbo Forum

An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.

This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of  "cassavetes45"  (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
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The Lt. Columbo Forum
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Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?

My guess is that if he'd played him, they would have restructured Columbo as a kindly old underestimated detective instead of our beloved sloppy, everyman cop.

Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?

Can't think of many actors who would be worse for the role Columbo than Bing Crosby. As a murderer yes, he fit that role pretty good but as Columbo? no way.

Lee J Cobb would have been a bit better. He did play a detective in The Exorcist but I doubt he could have made the character what Falk did.

It's always hard to see a character you've known and loved for a long time being played by anybody else.

Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?

there have been about a million detective shows, some very good but none of them Columbo. With Bing, it would have been one of those. It wouldn't be Columbo. Peter Falk was one of a kind.

Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?

I'm guessing it would have gotten along for a while due to the NOVELTY of him playing a detective, but maybe not for long. Even though I've never followed many detective shows, that USUALLY seems to happen when some untypical actor becomes a TV detective.