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: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Nicholas Frame and Lillian Stanhope - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Ken Franklin and Jim Ferris - Richard Levinson and William Link.

Levinson said in Columbo Phile, "The fun we all had that this was Link and Levinson that this show was about: two mystery writers. Everyone would say, 'Which of you is the writer and which of you is the talker?' Of course it's not us literally but we thought it was a novel idea for a show. There was a constant string of Link and Levinson jokes during that show." The very names, "Franklin and Ferris" were meant to evoke the same alliterative ring.

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

I heard that Jack Cassidy would quip "which one am I, Levinson or Link?" While filming Murder By the Book.

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Re:

Ken Franklin and Jim Ferris - Richard Levinson and William Link.

I never thought about this, funny! Though I really know very little about Richard Levinson and William Link.

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Has anyone made the connection between Dimond and Wheeler and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Astaire-Rogers is I'm sure the best generic connection in terms of a famous real-life dance team. Its easier to overlook that because of the distinctiveness of Ned and Grace and how other than the profession there aren't real life similarities to their counterparts (unlike the more blatant Viveca Scott-Arlene Dahl ones).

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

I know so little about football (during ANY year) that I wonder whether Eric Wagner was inspired by an actual heir to a football team, one who was criticized for paying too little attention to the game as opposed to "swinging" with the money. Maybe someone could answer that.

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Max Dyson - James Randi (Exposer of psychic frauds)

Re: Real-Life Inspirations For Characters

Billy Connolly,.MURDER WITH TOO MANY NOTES was based on Michael Kamen. He also looks just like him!

Alex Benedict is Leonard Bernstein/ Andre Previn