I agree with you YM. Johnny was ok as an "actor" but his body movements were a bit awkward and his speech a bit wooden. One scene where his lack of acting experience is exposed is when he is talking to Columbo in what I think is an apartment or hotel room, and Columbo is at the door ready to leave...he says something like "I want you to tell those people down at the station one thing for me..." and then he goes on, and then he repeats the same line again "I want you to tell those people...." well..he says it in the same monotone way he said it the first time...It just seems very unatural.
And as you say, it would have been a great spotlight to show the inner workings of the gospel singing world....and possible the greed of it all. It dabbled in it just a touch when there was the one scene after the concert and they were talking about how much money the "take" was that night....but as I said it could have been so much more.

I thought the same thing...that this show was before Roberts, and Swaggert and the Bakkers....but boy it could have been really great if the writers were able to delve into all of the muckery that went on in the gospel "industry"...years before the real-life scandals came out.
And Martin I agree with you that I couldn't really detect any mounting grief or guilt on the part of Tommy Brown...not enough, anyway, for him to want to confess.

The first time I saw Swan Song, I was actually surprised that it was as good as it was. I was originally not too thrilled with the idea of Johnny Cash and a gospel music setting, but I did find the episode enjoyable.

But I agree that I wasn't convinced at the end when they threw in that line about Tommy Brown possibly confessing. Especially with that wicked smile on his face when he retrieved the parachute!

I agree that his sudden confession of guilt
feelings was totally unexpected and no
indication had been given of this. I had
thought at the beginning that his brother-in-law
would make repeated appearances to
attack him or at least make him feel guilty,
but the writers didn't do this. This,
I think, was a goof on the part of the
writers, we could have delved more into
his personality and his relatioship with
his wife and her brother.

Johnny did a great job of just being himself,,remember
not everyone speaks and moves like an "actor"

Wow! You guys have come up with great ideas to make a police - gospel music industry corruption - small aircraft - family quarrels - funeral industry shenanigans - series for TV. Should it be on HBO or Bravo or on one of the broadcast networks?

Just saw this (again) and thought the whole episode was amazing. The chemistry between Falk and Cash (this is where i got to like Cash's music) was fantastic to watch and i really felt sorry for Mr Brown, his wife was not a very nice person.

I also dont think that any confession would have been made, Brown would have enjoyed life too much of he had gotten away with it. More a case of Columbo suggesting a way for the court to look a bit more favourably on the case.

Just my opinion.

God bless,

Matthew

just a small point - Columbo calls Brown/Cash a Country&Western singer, not a gospel singer.