"Try And Catch Me" was on Hallmark the other day. And of course, though I've seen it A Columillion times, I watched it again. There's a moment during the episode which makes me think that Abigail's lawyer is a bit nutty.

The scene begins with Columbo in Abigail's vault, looking around for clues. He's the only one there. No one is in Abigail's writing room. As Columbo looks around, Abbey's lawyer enters the writing room. From the vault, Columbo and we the viewers see the lawyer stop in the center of the room as he begins to look around that room, calling out Columbo's name. He calls out, "Lieutenant Columbo? Lieutenant?" We can see him looking about the room as he calls out Columbo's name.

The thing about this is; it's not a very big room. We've previously gotten a good look at the room when Abbey was talking with Edmund. So, there isn't exactly anywhere that anyone could be hiding in there. Especially not Columbo. Why does the lawyer look all around the room the way he does? Where does he think Columbo could be? Hiding behind that 18th century wooden chair? All bent up and hiding under Abbey's desk? There is really only one place that Columbo could be. In the vault.

It's just a strange moment in which the actor playing the lawyer didn't get the kind of direction he should have gotten. It is sort of funny though.

You want to see that guy funny?

Watch an old movie called "TanK" with James Garner.

i'm going to have to watch that one again. i remember the scene, but not in such detail.
i also think his reaction to abigail when they are on the ship is quite interesting.

Would you say sir that a piece of this paper is missing?

I would say that it appears that a piece of that paper is missing.

And I would say sir that you appear to be a very good lawyer. What was unspoken here was,"I'M STILL GONNA NAIL HER FOR THIS" (AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET HER OFF.)

By the way, I've seen "Tank" as referenced above. Some feel it's pretty lame movie, not worthy of James Garner.

That lawyer though played a great small southern town police chief.

G. D. Spradlin also played, among other parts, the Baptist minister in "Ed Wood." He had to react, in a low-key way, to the fact that he was investing in a monster movie (and a very cheap one), and standing beside Johnny Depp, directing the movie in drag, and shouting "Christ!". He was pretty funny in the role.