great stuff frank and vento..
as i mentioned on another thread, i would have to add janie brandt's (old fashioned murder) macabre expression as she approaches aunt ruth after she had just discovered the 2 dead bodies. it freaks me out everytime!!

Paul Galesko's open-mouth shock when he realizes that he's been outwitted by Columbo.

Columbo's "I knew you could do it" wink in "Now You See Him".

Columbo's mimed reaction to eating squirrel-meat chili, before he says "That would explain it".

my favorite is when ms lasanka is about to get whacked in murder by the book...its silent and its really funny ...she has really big teeth

Here's another vote for "I knew you could do it"

Another great one is in "Any Old Port In A Storm" when Carsini says "of course one doesn't lose a brother without being sad." or something like that. Columbo looks at him like, are you kidding me?

and one more vote for "i knew you could do it"..and the little wink from columbo...so priceless!

how about Dog's face in forgotten lady?...when columbo has just treated himself and Dog to ice cream cones............they arrive at grace wheeler's house and Dog has vanilla ice cream on his face, and columbo says to Dog that he has to clean his face himself......Dog looks at him so bewildered, but yet so lovingly..

and this one is not a facial expression, but more of a body one.......it is from the most dangerous match, when emmet clayton is demonstrating how he can play chess against a number of players at once. well, there is columbo as one of the spectators in the small crowd. just look how cute he is as he gives a little wave to clayton! it is so adorable!..and it looks exactly like this.. ..it is such a little boyish wave...and it is so sweet and innocent..

One of my favorites is at the end of "Troubled
Waters" when Hayden Danzinger (Robert Vaughn) is with Columbo
looking at the surgical gloves Danzinger planted.
Danzinger says something like "now you can find the powder marks
which will incriminate Lloyd Harrington". Columbo
says something like, "no, I am interested in the
fingerprints INSIDE the gloves". Danzinger's look
of shock is priceless as he realizes he has
been taken in.

Or when Johnny Cash sees Columbo slinking along the edges of the airport in Swan Song. Columbo's look of a little boy who's been sneaking around the pantry looking for cookies and gets caught by a parent.

Another one is when Carsini and his secretary are having a dinner in the noble restaurant and Carsini can't wait to taste the wine, but when he tries it, he makes a really memorable face and says "But this is disgusting" or sth. similar

I think you are confused. Carsini liked the wines
in the restaurant, all of which were chosen by Columbo. He makes the face with the wine when
he is sitting next to Karen on the airplane
flying to New York.

No no, he makes strange face in the restaurant as "Now you see him fan" explains, because it's not drinkable anymore because of too high temperatures.

Vento's right.

It was from the "This is dreadful . . . how can you serve this . . . this . . . LIQUID FILTH! " scene at the restaurant when he drank the vintage ferrier port.

Vito Scotti and (I think it was the red wine steward) tasting the wine afterwards - great scene.

Actually, VENTO is right, Carsini can't wait to taste the "dessert wine" at the restaraunt, but is disgusted because they had stored it in excessive temperatures. Of course, he was actually tasting his own wine.

a great non-caring expression comes in 'Ashes to Ashes" when Columbo is looking for a house on Sunset Blvd. He finds it, slams on the brakes and a car goes skidding by him honking the horn loud. Columbo doesn't even flinch!! His facial expression is one of oh well, at least I found the house.

Another great one was in "Forgotten Lady" when the doctor was explaining to him about Mr. Willils' condition. He invites him into the morgue to continue talking and Columbo immediately comes out looking like death himself and says, "Thanks doc."

I'm not sure but I think the 2nd scene you described, isn't in "Forgotten lady".Or maybe there's exactly the same scene in some other Columbo, that's sure.

Columbo's embarrassed grin when Ward Fowler catches Columbo in his trailer, wearing Fowler's big white Panama hat and clomping around in his elevator shoes.

... in dagger of the mind..columbo's reactions to the autopsy photos that are being passed around while he is eating lunch at the men's club.

Al Como's face and words in "A Friend In Deed", while he is being questioned. It was priceless!!

He sees a dead corps and cops swarming all over the place, all of this while being the only black male in the area!.....during the 70's !

You do the math

Agreed, that scene in "Friend in Deed" is very good.
He couldn't wait to get out of there. The hostility
of the (IIRC) Hispanic cop was pretty effective also.

oh such great ones already listed.

I love Leslie Williams's withering smug smile as Columbo explains to her why she is guilty.

I loved her little "Columbo fumbling and stumbling along, the homely anectdotes about the wife" speech. The way she delivered it - good scene.

You'd think it would work better later on in the series, after the audicence gets to know him better instead of episode 2, but it was still effective.

His expression right after the car accident in "Make Me A Perfect Murder." He says, " I think I hurt my neck." Crashed looked very painful.

Hello all! It's fun visiting again after such a long while away and not having watched Columbo in a while.

There are so many great expressions, especially from the original series!

One that immediately springs to mind is Dale Kingston's look of desperation when Columbo reveals his gloved hands.

I also like the murderer's painful cringe turning to disbelief that Columbo is still alive in "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine".

Gotta see another episode one of these days!

To digress - wonder when we'll see a new Columbo movie? I also still wish upon a star that there would be some sort of Columbo reunion or gathering with Falk, McGoohan and other guest stars. What fun that would be!

hi rebecka

The look on Adrian Carsinis face when he's in the car with his secretary and she's making overtures towards him. He looks like he bit into a lemon!

The sheepish smile on Columbo when he realizes his request to Paul Galesco for a picture of a dog is absurd.

cigar george said...
"The sheepish smile on Columbo when he realizes his request to Paul Galesco for a picture of a dog is absurd."


and what a wonderful scene that is!!..levinson & link didn't think peter would go for that idea of columbo asking for the picture...and they were so happiply surprised when he did!! fantastic scene!!

From A Trace of Murder. The coffee scene at Barney's, then again when Patrick opened the front door for Mrs. Calvert/Falk.

I mentioned this elsewhere, but Ray Milland's glare at Bob Dishy when he's reading him his rights in Greenhouse Jungle. Dishy forgets who is in which position, so to speak, and his voice falters.