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: A Friend In Deed

Yeah, thing about escaping after he drops her in the pool always bothered me too.
But, upon rewatching it I realized he lived right next door so could have easily evaded detection from a helicopter

Re: A Friend In Deed

Speaking of Hugh Caldwell, I've always wondered how many viewers believe his story. Was it an accident, or is he lying?
Whichever one it is, he's definitely cut up about it, and Michael McGuire really sells that idea.

Re: A Friend In Deed

Matti, You are right about M.O. It is short for modus operandi. So if the Bel Air burglar normally comes through a window when nobody is home and steals only jewelry, and at another robbery the door was breached and the robbers took electronics, then that would be a different m.o. and they wouldn't expect the same robber.

Halperin may not have had a choice because Columbo was the senior detective or something. But even so, he contacted him before he knew there was a homicide. And the Bel Air burglar was never violent before. Oops!

I always assumed Caldwell escaped by Halperin misdirecting everybody, plus Caldwell could take off the clothes and act as if he was coming from his house. The whole scene was ridiculous because we're supposed to think that, right when helicopters are patrolling the wealthiest L.A. neighborhood specifically looking for burglars, a burglar (now murderer) comes out in front of the helicopter and throws a woman in the pool. And she therefore drowns? Why? She didn't thrash around or anything? She owned a swimming pool but couldn't swim I guess? Strange.

And the coroner was reluctant to check Mrs. Halperin's body, but why? He must have known that bath soap, pool chemicals, salt water, etc. could be detected.

One of my favorite all time scenes is in this episode when Columbo tells Halperin (paraphrasing):

LC: She didn't answer the phone when her boyfriend called.

H: So, she blew him off.

LC: Yeah, but she answered he phone at 9:30, so why not at 8:30? But DID she answer the phone? Because her fingerprints were not on it.

I love the clues and logic and how Columbo presents his case and backs Halperin into a corner. I love how repeatedly frustrated Halperin gets. It was great to see him go down. What a performance by Richard Kiley.