How about the villain of a movie in which Peter Falk ironically appeared? Now let me explain this before you write it off too quickly: Charles Grodin.....

As much of a good-natured spoof as "The Great Muppet Caper" was meant to be, Grodin did an excellent job of playing the part of the scheming, calculating, sneaky, jewel thief villain who tries to outwit Kermit The Frog and his gang. I cannot help saying to myself "He should have been in Columbo" (Grodin, not the Frog.)

Robert Duvall is a great actor. He played Josef
Stalin in a film which is not an easy thing to do because
he was as evil as Hitler, but did not rant and
rave like him but was actually soft spoken. It is
much easier to bring out the "evil" in the Hitler-type
of person because it has become almost a caricature,
but to show the evil in a "low-key" type like
Stalin is much harder. I guess this is a sort
of follow-on to the Tom Hagen character in
the Gdfather who was evil in a similar way.

Dont ignore the frog. More believable and watchable than some of the NBC episodes of Columbo. Imagine kermit so annoyed by miss piggy, kills her and sells great bacon sandwiches to the rest of the muppets. Not sure about kermit getting arrested tho, love that frog and what an actor.

God bless,

Matthew

How about some of the actors who starred in the orginal play? Joesph Cotton or Thomas Mitchell? I don't think either lived long enough. I've always admired Charles Laughton's work (when he wasn't chewing up scenery). Maybe a pairing of Laughton and wife Elsa Lancaster (Lanchester?) against the Lieutenant?

Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton or maybe Nathan Lane....now there's a trio!!

This can be taken a step further - one or two actors/actresses playing supporting roles could have been excellent murderers.

The most obvious clanger the casting director made during the original series was having Vincent Price in a minor role, in the otherwise forgettable "Lovely But Lethal".

He would have hammed it up excellently...

In all seriousness i cant think of too many people i would like to see in columbo. Not into this guest star thing much. With the original Columbo's i didnt really know the murders like Patrick mcGoohan and William Shatner from elsewhere (still dont) so to me they arent famous like the guest stars that appear in these big productions. Of sci-fi can only watch Doctor Who and Red Dwarf and never saw The Prisioner.

George Wendt and Billy Connolly are the only 2 i really knew and Stange bedfellows isnt that good, certainly over repeat showings and STILL havent seen MWTMN (the only 1).

God bless,

Matthew

I always thought that was outrageous to have Vincent Price in such a minor and boring role....As you say Leighton, he would have really played up his role as a murderer....full of lots of camp and ham.

peter falk in a duel role of columbo and murder?

I'll do that again;

How about Peter Falk in duel roles playing himself and an unrelated double who happens to be the murderer of the episode, possibly a criminal who is unkown conviction-wise but is aware of Lt. Columbo and possibly uses this fact to frame Columbo and Columbo has to solve the case to clear himself as well as the crime.

We talked about this recently here. We were discussing whether the "murderer" Peter would be as messy and seemingly bumbling as Columbo...or should he be a suave and sophisticated character...I opted for the sauve one.

How can i be tactful. Erm... I couldnt sit thru an episode of Columbo where there was a columbo twin running about killing people, sounds straight out of a comedy to me, far too far-fetched. Sorry.

God bless,

Matthew

I gotta believe that the quintessential wiseass, Jack Nicholson, would make a fun villain for Columbo!

Oh wow! Jack would be great! So sly and cocky! Great pick!

I think Jack would agree to do the small screen if it meant doing a Columbo. While we're talking about having two Peter Falks in an episode, maybe having a sequel made to one of the earlier ones in which flashbacks show scenes from original--one of the killers is now out and decides to seek revenge or return to old habits. Of the villains, who is still available?

Interesting idea Michael.
We have some good ones still here....Robert Culp, Robert Vaughn, Patrick McGoohan, Gene Barry, Lee Grant, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Conrad, George Hamilton, William Shatner....just to name a few...

Mat, with a Columbo double it would not have to be like a comedy, the double could be a cold, sinister psychopath.

Does anyone know if the producers of Columbo/Peter Falk have ever considered the double idea?

Robert di Nero could be good?

Hello all: I would have loved to see Diana Rigg do a "Columbo" murderess. Perhaps teamed with Patrick MacNee in "Dagger of the Mind". Another of my British favorites is Roger Moore. I would have enjoyed seeing him duel with Peter. Michael Douglas might have been fun, also. Best regards, Chris. p.s. I forgot Val Kilmer.

The Chaplin sisters Kathleen, Carmen and Dolores as part of a family of either the victim or murderer.

Been watching "The Fugitive" lately. David Janssen would have been fantastic as a murderer Columbo went up against. Of course, Janssen's "Columbo" killer would have insisted, "A one-legged man did it."

Also, Peter Graves would have been really cool to see take on Columbo. And in the last moment, just when Columbo nails him, Columbo would say to the murderer, "I'm sorry sir, you've just been disavowed."

i think david janssen would have made a great murderer also. there was always a quiet mystery about him.
and yes, in a weird distorted way, columbo's villain would have said that only a 'one legged man' did it, just as columbo had said that only a deaf man could have committed the murder in 'the most dangerous match'.

loved peter graves....and yet there was another passing this week of john forsythe. he was 92, God bless him.
i think of his gentlemanly, and gracious ways, and i think he could have possibly been one of columbo's most difficult challenges. he would have finessed columbo so much...especially with that delicious voice of his.