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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Brett
Jun 9, 2018 - 1:46PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

Pete
I think, the public would have to wonder why Columbo never goes to a ghetto to solve some poor gang kids homicide? Why always to a mansion, yacht club, movie studio, boardroom or diplomatic legation? Also, what kind of big city homicide detective never has one case overlap with another? I guess that’s why he can spend so much time on his cases, lol.

He’s caught famous movie, tv and theater actors. Famous writers, magician/psychics, political figures, musicians, radio stars, doctors and business elite. Diplomatic immunity won’t even stop him. Yes, in real life he would be quite famous. I can see why he loves his job.

Which murderer do you think was the least “elite”? Maybe Justin from Columbo Likes The Nightlife? He was about to be big time but never made it. And Vanessa Farrow was just an actress from a canceled tv show. Dr. Fleming was certainly successful, but not like Dr. Kepple. My vote is for Justin, excluding the 87th Precinct episodes.
He actually does have at least one case overlap with another. When he's first on the scene in DOUBLE EXPOSURE, he's snacking on the food that's left from the pre-screening get together. He then tells a fellow officer not to mind him, he's hungry from working late on the Hayward case. Which is from CANDIDATE FOR CRIME, the episode right before DOUBLE EXPOSURE.

If you watch CANDIDATE FOR CRIME again, Hayward has to go on a three-day whistle-stop tour and talks his wife into bringing her secretary with her. I figure that this time that Hayward is out of Los Angeles is when Bart Kepple shoots Victor Norris. I haven't watched DOUBLE EXPOSURE in awhile, so I'm not sure if Columbo wraps that case up in three days.

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Grant
Jun 10, 2018 - 1:42AM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

The question about who is the least "elite" is interesting.
One who strikes you as someone still struggling to get ahead is Kay Freestone.

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Mark MacAndrews
Jun 11, 2018 - 3:25PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

Not sure, Grant. Kay did win an Emmy, after all. Actually wondering if Peter Falk let the producers borrow one of his for that scene.

I'd probably go to the ABC ones like "Murder in Malibu"...Andrew Stevens' Wayne Jennings character was just a womanizer.... Not a good episode at all, really, but he's definitely one of the least elite murderers I could think of.

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Jun 11th, 2018 - 3:25 PM
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Brett
Jun 11, 2018 - 6:14PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

What about Swanny Swanson, from LAST SALUTE TO THE COMMODORE? He's about as big a nobody as you can get.

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Joe
Jun 12, 2018 - 6:10PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

Grant
The question about who is the least "elite" is interesting.
One who strikes you as someone still struggling to get ahead is Kay Freestone.
Harold van Wycke comes to mind as does Ruth Lytton .

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Jun 12th, 2018 - 6:10 PM
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Pete
Jun 13, 2018 - 6:12PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

The Van Wicks are the owners of a large electronics conglomerate with a super high-tech house.

The Lyttons are another elite family. They've been in the newspapers in the Society section, etc. They just don't make enough money to afford the mansion AND the museum. At least that's the impression that I got. I could be wrong.

As for Swanny, he may be a nobody, but he's the nephew of a shipping tycoon. And, as muddled as the episode was, his motive was to inherit before the Commodore changed his will.

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Jun 13th, 2018 - 6:12 PM
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Pete
Jun 11, 2018 - 6:47PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

That's a great catch. I re-watched the episode and he does say exactly that. He is tired from working on the Heyward case. That's a great little hat tip to fanatics like us, although apparently I missed it.

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Jun 11th, 2018 - 6:47 PM
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Pete
Jun 13, 2018 - 8:23PM
Re: Would fame have made Columbo's job harder?

Another post dealt with "Death Hits The Jackpot" and I realized that both Freddy and Leon Lamar were broke. Leon did own a high-end Beverly Hills jewelery store, but he was struggling. Freddy was a down-on-his-luck photographer. That may be the least "elite" in the Columbo world because Justin's nightclub looked like it was about to put him in the big leagues.

So, excepting the 87th Precinct episodes (which I erased from my mind anyway, lol), I think Freddy and Leon may take the prize. Any other nominees for least elite?

And I hope I didn't hijack your thread Rob.

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Jun 13th, 2018 - 8:23 PM
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