I think it was a dictaphone with earphones. Must have been so boring doing that - shows commitment to the cause.

God bless,

Matthew

I always thought the use of the recording device to tell her how much time was left, added some drama to the scenes.

I hated it...and found it quite annoying....and my son found it really annoying and ridiculous..........but that is just us...we are made of the same stock!

We have to remember that this is a TV show, not a
real murder! It was done to inform the viewers
of how much time is left. If she just looked at her
watch, the viewer wouldn't get the same feeling.
You can feel the tension when the guard (I think it
was Mike Lally) is looking at the Playboy fold-out
and the seconds are ticking away while Kay is stuck.
I think it was very effective and I also loved the
Bach piece playing in the background!.

I understand the perception that it's silly, but...

Not only did the "count-down" add to the dramatic tension (like in a James Bond movie, where you see the seconds tick down before a huge atom-bomb will go off!), but the preparation of this audio coutdown also emphasized how carefully and minutely the killer planned her crime -- literally, down to the millisecond. Which, in turn, makes it more satisfying when she gets caught anyhow.

The ironic thing is that, as much as I like the music, the carousel scene at the end was very annoying to me.

Although I can usually do without "gimmick" scenes, such as the early one in the same episode where Columbo
is playing with the director's console watching
the ellipses dance around to music, I actually LOVE
the carousel scene with Sousa's "The Thunderer" blasting in the background. The agitation that
Kay Freestone is feeling (don't forget she has just been fired by Mr Flanagan and is now being hounded by Columbo) is beautifully reflected by the multiple images of Columbo at different angles accompanyed by
the loud music.

i have fond memories of staying up late on saturday nights to watch columbo back in the 80's. it really stuck with me, and to this day, i look around on TV for old Columbo's. i was truelly ****** off when Bravo stopped showing the old 70's shows. Anyway the biography chanel airs them on saturdays, so it's always a nice little treat. anyway, thought i'd say hello, and i share your appreciation for the Lt. and his unique methods of investigation and entertainment.

oh, ****, i thought this was being posted on the group message sight, but now i see it's to a personal e-mail account.

alas, i have know idea what type of device was used, but hey, good luck.

kevin cook

kevin cook

You are ok, Kevin.....we all heard you.
And I was also teed off when Bravo stopped airing them...such a shame!