"IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG??!!!!!!!!
- Adrian Carsini to maitre d'

Best line reading of the series by a murderer!

Donald Pleasance turns in a masterful performance as Carsini. He should have appeared in more episodes in my opinion.

Victoria, it's terrific that you hold "Port" in such high regard! Great for you, and great for the episode! Pleasance is indeed excellent in his portrayal of Adrian. I myself have some problems with the plot and especially the ending. I've also gone on and on (and on and on) about how I don't think Carsini was worthy of Columbo's respect. But hey, that's just me!

I sure do wish some of those films that Peter has "in the can" would get to the theatres, for goodness sake!

I don't think Donald Pleasance could have
made repeat appearances. As good as
he is in this episode, his personality
is not "vicious" enough in the show. The
good repeat murderers like Jack Cassidy
and Robert Culp are really hateful and
arrogant. Adrian Carsini is vulnerable
in a way these other characters aren't, i.e.
his fear of losing the winery, his fear of
being trapped by his secretary, his love
for his expensive wines that end up being
ruined.

i also love that Carsini he finds Columbo so amusing; almost like he's a pet puppy!

Check out the penultimate scene where Carsini chuckles "note-book" when Columbo pulls out his pad.
So subtle, yet so brilliant!

bruce that is one of the most sweet moments in the episode...and as you say, so subtle. beautiful.

I don't generally agree with Headache about this, but I do agree that Adrian wasn't THE MOST "likeable" murderer on the show, which seems to be a popular opinion of him (though he WAS "right up there"). One thing I've always noticed is that Donald Pleasance made almost a career out of playing either mild-mannered characters, or "Jekyll and Hyde" types, who were only partly mild-mannered, so it's always bothered me slightly that his most famous role (in the "Halloween" movies) wasn't EITHER of those kinds, and that Adrian (civilized person though he was, apart from the murder) wasn't really "mild-mannered" either. The funny thing is, in a "Mrs. Columbo" episode (about the only one I've seen more than once), he DID play a character like that. And in spite of the bad opinion many people have of that show, his last scene, with Kate Mulgrew, was really worthy of a Columbo episode. It showed that same relationship between the detective and the murderer.

Bruce, I agree; that is a wonderful line.