I seem to remember a Columbo episode most probably dating from the 70s where the murderer was a drag artiste.
I cannot find any details of such a plot in the various websites listing the Columbo episodes. I am convinced that the episode was made as l was quite shocked by the covincing drag artiste that was featured.
Can you confirm or otherwise if such an episode was made?

Sorry, no -- but I don't doubt your sincerity, or your sanity! The memory is a funny thing. A friend's wife, who is a longtime Columbo fan, insists she saw an episode where Columbo has to travel to a small town to save his brother from being executed for a murder that he didn't commit. When people report these phantom episodes, sometimes another fan will speak up and recognize it as an episode of McMillan & Wife, or some other show.

That being said, there may have been an episode with a drag artist as a secondary character -- if so I'll need more coffee to remember the episode -- but not the murderer. Or you might be thinking of the later episode "No Time to Die" where the killer was not a full-out drag performer but did seem to have some odd personal rituals.

That doesn't sound familiar at all but I do sympathize width your situation. I too have a phantom episode memory that I know I didn't imagine but I must have Miss attributed to Columbo

Many thanks for your reply. Are you implying by your comment 'odd personal rituals' that the character was a cross dresser. If so then that must be the episode l remember although certain scenes are imprinted in my memory. Shall have to view the episode to see.

Honestly Trixie I didn't remember specifics -- like most Columbo fans, I think it's fair to say, I don't regard "No Time To Die" as a favorite, so I hadn't watched it in years. I just recalled that the killer, or would-be killer, was obsessed with the woman he kidnapped (Columbo's new niece-in-law), and was a weird guy. I just checked, and what I was probably remembering was the scene where he puts on her lipstick, but that's as far as it went.

Thank you Ted for the info and thank you to others for your replies.

I do like the phrase phantom episode and pleased others have such experiences.

It does bug me however. I seem to remember Columbo and this female impersonator most particularly in two sequences.

Peter did appear in other movies and his Columbo persona did follow him around. I recall the film Murder by Death (1976) and his acting is remarkably "Columbo-like". Perhaps it was one of these films you recall?

I think the poster might be thinking of an episode of "Streets Of San Francisco" where John Davidson plays a professional female impersonator who commits a series of murders.

Hi Eric

This is promising. I shall endeavour to check this out. Thank you for your post. Tx

Hi Eric

I have checked this and I believe this is indeed the episode I refer to in my initial post.

It would appear that I cannot obtain a DVD applicable to Region 2 (Europe) but reading through the episode's write-ups and reviews I do identify with what is written. That there is a merging of the murderer's character (male/female) and that a murder is described as being committed by a classy dressed 'lady'.

Shall continue my efforts to obtain a DVD that I can view here in the UK.

Once again many thanks for your reply to my original posting.

Trix x

There is an episode of Murder She Wrote from 1984, "Birds of a Feather" which features drag artistes.

Guest stars include Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible) as the murder victim, Jeff Conaway (Taxi), Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back, Kotter) and Dick Gautier (Get Smart, When Things Were Rotten).

Jeff Conaway in drag is hideously ugly. Dick Gautier in drag is absolutely stunning. Angela Lansbury isn't in drag. Her character always dresses like that.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Hi

Thank you for your post and suggestion.
I am afraid it does not ring any bells so I think it is very unlikely to be what I viewed. Nonetheless worth having a look at the episode and the actors in drag.

Tx