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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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Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

The answer to this might be predictable, but (even though she was edited out) does anyone know if there's any description of Tanya Baker, including descriptions of her scenes in the story? The closest you get to hearing about one is Columbo describing his phone call to her.

Considering the very brief way she's described by Dr. Kepple, I always imagine her as a variation of Arlene Martel's Gloria West in "Greenhouse Jungle," maybe with a little more of a "bimbo" look and personality.

I'm always curious whether Tanya and Dr. Kepple were supposed to have any scenes together, because Robert Culp and Arlene Martel had already been so good together in the OUTER LIMITS episode "Demon With A Glass Hand." So if there were scenes between them in this story, that would make it even more of a shame that she was edited out.

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

I am 100% convinced "Double Exposure" was scripted and shot as a two hour episode and then some decision was made to cut it to a 90 minute episode. Not only are all of Arlene Martel's scenes missing but so too is a scene where Columbo later visits Mrs. Norris which I believe was to clear her of any involvement in the murder. The episode begins with a "joined in progress" feel of Kepple putting things together and I have to assume that originally we probably saw a lot of pre-murder planning that Martel would have been involved with.

I wish a copy of the original "Double Exposure" script were available because that would clear everything up.

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

Yes.

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

I can now claim vindication on my hunch about "Double Exposure" being scripted for two hours and then at the last minute being hacked to 90 minutes. The new book "Shooting Columbo" is out on Kindle now and the author has had access to all of the shooting scripts. For "Double Exposure" he confirms there were scenes at the beginning and that indeed this is where Arlene Martel appeared as Tanya. One important thing is that she was *not* in cahoots with Kepple's murder plot. Instead, as part of his broader attempt to frame Mrs. Norris, Kepple tells Tanya that Mrs. Norris has found out about her and is threatening her, so that's why she left the country. (There was also an earlier confrontation scene between Kepple and Norris where Norris, much like Mrs. Kennicutt in "Death Lends A Hand" was telling Kepple he wasn't going to be blackmailed any longer).

And as we also suspected there was material cut in the middle of the episode involving Kepple's attempt to frame Mrs. Norris for Roger's murder as well. After Kepple shoots Roger, he phones Mrs. Norris pretending to be Roger to get her to come meet her and thus this is to put her near the scene of the crime when Roger's murder is discovered.

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

I would have liked to have seen Robert Culp do an impression of Chuck McCann. I don't think the old "pinch the nose to sound nasally" trick he used the first time with Mrs. Norris would do the job here.

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

That's very interesting. I keep saying this, but it's such a missed opportunity. Even if SOME things had to be removed, how do you drop an Arlene Martel character?!

Re: Tanya Baker (Double Exposure)

To me what's amazing is that the previous episode "Candidate For Crime" was basically bloated to two hours because it ran just a little over what was needed for 90 minutes and IMO that episode should have been 90 minutes while "Double Exposure" should have been left alone (the book unfortunately doesn't explain why this one had to run 90 minutes).