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: Last Salute For The Commodore

This is one film I usually skip and that is very unusual for me as I'm a huge fan! Starts off quite well actually with David Vaughn being his typically cool calm collected murderer (thinking of Troubled Waters) but the plot is weak and the sub plots simply don't hold the audiences attention. The final scene is just plain convoluted and boring. Definately not one of Columbo's finest films.

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

Would have to agree. Wrong on so many levels. In addition to the "tisn't" clue, just can't watch the screeching drunken widow/orphan. Ugh.

However, one funny scene, where Falk is wrapping his arm around Vaughn on the couch on the yacht.

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

If nothing else works, the banter between Peter Falk and Dennis Dugan at the end is nice.
But I still can't help liking the whole thing.

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

What was the "new" detective's name? It's unusual; I just can't think of it. He wanted to be called "Mac"

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

And I forgot the correct name of Mr Robert Vaughn! Sorry for that!

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

The entire episode was a bizarre experiment. There was that silly scene where Columbo is wrapping the phone around Charles Clay’s neck. There is the shouting in the boatyard for no reason, and the whispering elsewhere, also for no reason. It’s in a “whodunit” format for which I can understand breaking the traditional Columbo formula if it’s well done, but then it’s extremely poor as a whodunit mystery. “T’isn’t” is the big reveal? Really?

Also, there are many other strange moments:

Columbo (whispering to the scuba diver): “Are you cold?”
Diver: Yes
Columbo (whispering to the other officers): “He’s cold”.


Columbo: “Did you see it Mac?” (Pointing to the boat)
Mac: “See what, Lieutenant?”
Columbo: “It”.
He then points at....a boat.

When Bruce Kirby is asked to hold the lamp up to illuminate the scene, several minutes later they are all talking and Bruce reminds Columbo: “Lieutenant can I put the lamp down now?”

In that same scene Columbo yells out to Mac before he touches the pins (linchpins?.):

Columbo: “Don’t touch........dust.....dust...dust....dust....dust....don’t touch”.

When the three officers corner Charles Clay on the stairs they point out the time discrepancy. Mac reads Columbo’s mind:

Columbo: “It’s all about...”
Mac: “The TIME”.

It’s not horribly unpleasant to watch because we all love the character of Columbo. But it certainly is a strange piece of work. I’m glad they never repeated it.

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

I almost forgot that Columbo was all excited to see the ocean and he asks about Japan or something. Don’t Los Angeles residents often get to see the ocean?

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

"That's some ocean. That's a lotta water!"

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

If there's one SMALL thing I'm not fond of it's the way the Kittering character changes a little in the last scene, or rather, WITHIN the last scene. In that scene in the middle, he's a "typical" pleasant Wilfrid Hyde-White character, but in the middle of the final scene, he's so sarcastic about the Commodore's engagement to Lisa.
And - even though it's an easy word to use - hypocritical. After all, he told Columbo about his date in the motel room without any embarrassment! Not that I have anything against that, but that's the point - the Commodore's engagement to Lisa is no more offensive than his motel room date! (Again, what's the harm in either one?) So the story changes him at almost the last minute.
But that's still one of my very few complaints.

Re: Last Salute For The Commodore

Grant
I just saw it again. Yes, it's still a huge case of an "odd duck" COLUMBO episode, but I still don't see the big problem with it.


That sums it up, as many will agree that all the other episodes are better.