Yep, the photo definitely say Frank Columbo.
Now we know!

Well...since Paul isn't here, I'll speak for him.......
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Since I've played both sides of the fence on this one, I'll come up with a third angle. Unlike novels or short stories which usually have a single author, films are a collaborative effort (director usually gets credit though. With so many people involved, you often can't say ONE person is responsible for any ONE thing. Levinson and Link say they didn't give Lt. a name; somebody else or possibly 2-3 others in production did give him a name. Maybe this is a cop-out, but does this mean we can accept what we want to accept? Kinda like we like the episodes written or directed by some writers or directors and don't like others written by someone else?

But Michael...Michael....Michael....the actual CREATORS of Columbo did not give him a first name. They, in a sense, gave birth to him. They named him. They christened him Columbo...not Frank Columbo, or Phillip Columbo or Vito Columbo, or Ricky or Lou Tenant Columbo (sorry Headache!)
It is the same as an author of a book who has a character who goes only by their last name. How, as readers, can we assume that the character's name is this or that.....we can't...because the author never told us. They created the charater, and if they chose not to give them a first name...then we must deal with it.
I guess we all have our own conceptions and thoughts on this topic. Heaven knows it comes up enough. And even though it gets tiresome sometimes, I secretly enjoy seeing it pop up over and over again. It always brings on some really cool discussion.

Oh....by the way...........his first name is really Carlo...named after my grandfather, who I am named after!!!

Sorry Cass, a few days late...

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Somewhere in the archive part of this site (where's ted?) it says that the creators (parents if you like) never gave columbo a first name. Therefore regardless of whether it came from billy the man who made the prop cop badge or that guy who made up a quiz and jokingly gave Columbo a first name to see if anyone faked their own edition, its immaterial. Columbo has never had a first name tho for some reason this is deemed as unacceptable and it must exist. Simply put, he doesnt. Never has, never will. Therefore as far i am am concerned you can call him anything you want, im sure many of the killers, people he spoke too did, tho off camera lol.

God bless,

Matthew

I knew you would pop in sooner or later Paul!!!

Maybe the prop guys asked Peter what he wanter to be called and he decided on Frank.