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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Scene that irks you?

In Candidate for a crime, the scene where Columbo is at the dentist irks me the way the dentist is talking about being Italian and keeps mentioning the mafia. Is this scene supposed to be funny? I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but like Columbo...some things just bother me...lol.

What's your take? Any scenes bother you?

Re: Scene that irks you?

Most of the scenes that irk me are when people that aren't involved in the case are rude or condescending to Columbo, like the janitor in An Exercise in Fatality.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Yeah, there was just a murder and that janitor is worried about his floor wax . " you don't have to wax it, i do!" Well i guess he takes pride in his work....lol.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Although it's one of my favorite episodes, I find the dinner scene in Lilly Lasanka's apartment in Murder by the Book not only irksome but downright creepy and cringe worthy.

Re: Scene that irks you?

It's one of my favorite scenes in one of the best episodes,

NEGATIVE REACTION.
The sister who acts like It.is. street person. " You poor man" she says to him
.
Now , he's a bit unkempt, but hardly in the same sad state as the winos around them. She over does the sympathy act.

Re: Scene that irks you?

A few that pop into my head are:

1) The scene where Columbo arrives at the victims house in Trace of Murder. The cat line irks me every time because its so stupid.

2) The house keeper in Double Shock. I hate every huffing, puffing, ranting scen she's in.

3) The awful scene in Grand Deceptions where the Colonel and the Generals wife are talking in bed. It's about as interesting to watch as a dead fish.

4) Also in Grand Deceptions, the utterly awful scene at the funeral with the Sargent from the Pentagon. All the stupid changing of seats and talking out of the corner of their mouths.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Great question. A few thoughts.

(1) Every scene with Andrew Stevens in it from "Murder in Malibu" but especially the one outside the bookstore where he says to his former girlfriend who just gave him a lift, "You wanna bet?"

(2) The scene with the therapists in "Sex and the Married Detective". Other than Columbo's shaking his head coming out of the first office, these are awful.

(3) The "Yes, it is" Scene from "Blueprint for Murder". I can just imagine the director going over this with the actress, telling her, "Now, look, you've got about 20 of the same line in a row. For God's sake, don't say them all the same." And she says them all the same. And they left it in. What were they thinking when they approved this script? What were they thinking when they left that scene in, as is, in the final film? Woofa

(4) The Fielding Chase "apology" to Gerry Winters over the phone in "Butterflies in Shades of Grey". "And TFANKS, Gerry." What??? Between William Shatner's poor attempt at making Fielding Chase sound like he was giving a poor attempt at sounding contrite and my doubts about Gerry Winters falling for either bad acting (on the part of either Shatner or Chase) or Fielding Chase sincerity, I've never really liked this scene.

Re: Scene that irks you?

I know a "cringeworthy" scene to most people is that second Columbo / Audrey scene in Etude In Black, but I think they overlook the fact that he's very UNEASY about that "My mind or my body?" line. Sure, he says "Both," but then he begs her to stop talking that way, so when he says "Both" he clearly says it sarcastically. Maybe it isn't a smart thing to say, even sarcastically, but that's still how he's saying it.

Mine is still the sailboat scene in Greenhouse Jungle. Sure, he's rescuing Cathy from Ken the gigolo (as he sees it), but it's still none of his business. Besides, the thing he tells her is something like third-hand information! Tony told it to Gloria (while he was drunk) and Gloria told it to Columbo. Sure, it's probably true, but that makes it pretty tricky.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Yeah , when Columbo says Gloria told him about paying $50,000 for the lover to go away. "some guy with a deep tan". ; while Ken is standing there with a tan that would make George Hamilton proud. lol

Re: Scene that irks you?

Another scene that really irks me is the long and totally pointless drive home in Murder With Too Many Notes. Quite why Columbo does what he does to Crawford when he has absolutely no reason at that point to suspect him is inexplicable.

Re: Scene that irks you?

It's not the entire scene, but I feel the same way about the line, "Oh, I doubt very much that it was an accident" in Try And Catch Me.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that scene doesn't seem to give him a REASON to say that.

Re: Scene that irks you?

I dislike scenes that come off as "filler" moments just to show Columbo engaging in quirky behavior that doesn't spring organically from the needs of the story.

#1-Columbo's whole rigmarole with Vito Scotti in "Candidate For Crime" where he goes through the motions of being fitted for a jacket etc. instead of coming to the point, "Did Mr. Hayward order a new jacket?" Columbo's behavior in this scene should be for suspects, not people he isn't suspecting and just needs quick information from. That shows a Columbo being sloppy in the job which he is anything but.

#2-Columbo mistaking an air vent for a piece of art in "Playback".

Re: Scene that irks you?

Yeah, one filler moment comes to mind. That strange scene in 'Make Me a Perfect Murder' when Columbo is left alone in the production studio or whatever it is. He plays around with what i guess is amazing technology, special effects for the time? He just seems mesmerized and the music is weird. Cringeworthy or cute? you make the call.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Definitely cringe worthy.

And while we are on the subject of filler scenes with music in it, it calls to mind that absolutely awful scene in Murder With Too Many Notes when they are playing the film score guessing game.

Re: Scene that irks you?

There is a filler scene in 'Etude to Black' when Columbo goes to Alex Benedict's home where he is asking him questions about his home value, taxes. how much he earns, etc. They even gave it away that it was filler since it was added after the fact. It shows Alex with a haircut and then the scenes after he is back to longer hair.

Re: Scene that irks you?

Mark
There is a filler scene in 'Etude to Black' when Columbo goes to Alex Benedict's home where he is asking him questions about his home value, taxes. how much he earns, etc. They even gave it away that it was filler since it was added after the fact. It shows Alex with a haircut and then the scenes after he is back to longer hair.
Filler?
Yes.
But, I enjoy any scene with Cassavetes and Falk doing their thing!

( and it helped COLUMBO establish a possible motive)

Re: Scene that irks you?

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Re: Scene that irks you?

In the episode Suitable for Framing, when Dale Kingston attends that artist's gallery showing, those lame jokes with the forced laughter really bothers me. Apart from that scene, the rest of the episode is five stars.

Re: Scene that irks you?

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