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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Columbo:Death Hits The Jackpot

Rip Torn is the murderer in this 1991 "Columbo" film. This is one the better newer "Columbo" films. The chemistry between Falk and Torn was very good. The story line is Torn's newphew wins the 30 million dollar lottery and Torn kills his newphew for the money. He was pretty dispicable guy. A really good story and Peter Falk was really very good in this one. I also felt this one really ended with a bang. This is a very good "Columbo". I liked the theme song music at the very end , that was great!! I have a special place in my heart for this one and many others as well.

Peter Falk has been busy this year , I hope he will make another "Columbo" one day!! I have heard nothing yet. If they do start making one the news should be here at this web sight! I also hope he will play Max the Angel for the fourth time , he was good in "When Angels Come To Town" for CBS last year. I was really happy to see him have more screen time in that film!! We will see what we will see. Peter Falk has some films coming out,they are

1.3 Days of Rain
2.The Thing About My Folks
3.Checking Out
4.Retirement
5.The Book of Joe

Its great to be back on the "Columbo" web sight. I am really enjoying it. As far as I know these movies are all in the can and ready for a release date. I hope they will be out sometime soon! God Bless Peter Falk and thank you very much for reading.

Re: Columbo:Death Hits The Jackpot MY 2 CENTS

The problem with this episode is Rip Torn's alibi. I really did not like the relationship with Rose business. Here is what the writers could have done:

The night of the costume party, Uncle Leon is looking over the guest list. "Oh, dear", he exclaims, "Mrs. Gotbucks is coming to the party. I forgot, I have the Gotbucks pearls and have yet to put them back together!" From a jeweler's valise, he produces various pearls, clasps, strings, etc. He shoos everyone away from the study and tells them not to disturb him. He locks himself in. He sneaks out the French doors, toting the "pearls" he has just shown them. He goes to Freddie's apartment and commits his crime. On the way back, he dumps the paste jewelry he showed everyone into a dumpster. He returns to the house with out being missed. He unpacks the real necklace, which he had all but finished assembling earlier at work. He calls for a martini over the intercom and unlocks the study door. His wife sees him putting the final touch on the necklace, and believes, along with the rest of the household that he never left the house.

After Columbo has been sniffing around awhile, he encounters Leon at his jewelry store. He asks him to look at some pearls Mrs. Columbo's dear departed Aunt Beryl left her. Just a few loose pieces from a long disintergrated heirloom broach. Leon takes out his loup. He tells Columbo they are nice pearls, but pointing to two of them are says they are worthless paste. Columbo says those two pearls are the ones with a hole through them, his are sold. He got the two pearls Leon says are paste when he was poking around in Leon's study. He showed them to several folks in Leon's house, but none of them could tell him anything about them.

In other words, Columbo is telling Leon he knows how he did his alibi, and his family would be easily fooled by paste replicas.

Just my 2 cents.

Joe