Hello!
I'm watching Lady in waiting now. I've noticed that it is not so popular with people here, but I tend to like it. I don't know even the reason for that. It just has specific atmosphere, weather is all the time good, blue sky, nice residence, etc
- I think it is the only episode when there is no doubt who commited the crime from the beggining. All fun is about Columbo proving it was not an accident
- it contains one of the funniest moments ever in all Columbos for me. I just love the dialogue between Columbo and the lady in court when she tells him that Jupiter and Venus are in good aspect with Pluto. It is so brilliantly acted by both of them! I can watch it again and again
- I am almost sure that lady in store who helps Beth with choosing her new clothes is the same actress which posed naked for a painter in previous episode "Suitable for framing". Am I right?
- it is hard to watch Leslie Nielsen without thinking that you see Frank Drebin. But I like his role here very much
- I like the newspaper clue
- can you explain one english phrase to me? When Fred Draper, a taxi driver, takes money from Columbo he says "you're a sport". What does it mean?
To add to Bruce's explanation about the "you're a sport" comment, the word "sport" in English has many, sometimes odd, meanings. In this case, it's used, as Bruce said, sarcastically in the sense of definition 4 under Noun.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport
As I said, it does have some strange usages. I have never heard the word used as defined in 1b under Noun.:blush:
Jessie Royce Landis has Columbo connections, she played a character called Mrs Greenleaf in 'It Happens Every Spring', directed by Lloyd Bacon who directed Walking My Baby Back Home, starring Ray Milland, and Ed Begley (father of Ed Begley jr).
One of the fun things I like to think about from time to time is what happened when Columbo's cases went to court and if the murderers were actually convicted of their crimes?
In some cases I think, without the murderer pleading guilty, several would go free. I think in Beth's case, with there being not actual witness to the crime, her partner's memory could be challenged in court regarding the order of the shots and the alarm, I think with a good legal team she'd walk out of court a free woman.
Along with the blonde actress Matti mentions, it also has Barbara Rhoades as the receptionist who has such a hard time around Columbo's cigar. She of course played the photographer in "Identity Crisis." In this story her character's a lot more "demure," but they're both great.
That makes two episode with both her and Leslie Nielsen (even though they don't really have scenes together).