Ted, I know you must have had to walk on eggshells when you originally posted on that subject a few years ago. I understand totally what you mean, that back in the 70's our attitudes and views of how characters were portrayed on TV were quite different than they are today.
As far as Levinson & Link considering a Black actor for a murderer...the Columbo Phile book cites Sammy Davis Jr. as some show business type....but even though I loved Sammy, I don't think he would have made a very good murderer as juxtaposed against Columbo...first he was just too sweet a man...now I have seen him act and he was pretty good and he probably could have pulled it off...but for me it would have been too hard to see past the lovable little Sammy that I was familiar with...and one other thing..simply put...he was too short...and as Ted pointed out..most of the murderers were taller than Columbo..I know not all of them...but most.
And L&L also thought James Earl Jones would be perfect, just as Ted thought, and I totally agree.

Oh..and I am sorry if I am changing the topic of this thread..but I would absolutely love to see Morgan Freeman as a guest murderer....now there is an ACTOR!!

The actor William Marshall would have been a
great black guest Columbo villain in the 1970's. He is tall, good looking and played the haughty genius
Dr Richard Daystrom in the classic Star
Trek episode "The Ultimate Computer".

Yes, Marshall would have been perfect as a Columbo murderer. As Daystrom he was obsessive, brilliant, arrogant and often condescending, with a imposing voice and physical presence. Great idea, YM!

^^^^^ OJ wouldve been the perfect fit.