Interesting critique, but it's certainly a first.

Actually, I'm more puzzled by how it could take you so long to finally see it being as familiar with show history as you seem to be.

You might have noted that the "body hanging" would later appear in that very same embarrassment, which just happens to be the "Last Salute" to the series in my Columbo book. Now THAT ep was awful.

However, I wouldn't take Baseheart's "stage performance" so seriously, and it's no secret that most of it is filmed in southern California.

In fact, the Haversham castle is an LA mansion used in many Universal productions, including McCloud, Quincy, and even Ellery Queen.

ym, i understand the points that you have made and i think a lot of them are valid. but i really liked this episode a lot......not at first though...so maybe since this was your first viewing of it you may change your mind if you watch it a few more times.
yes, basehart was over the top in his acting, he always was! (voyage to the bottom of the sea! )..but i think the character called for that type of portrayal...the ultimate shakespeareian HAM
but your friend is correct..there is a a correlation between the episode and macbeth...in soooo many ways.
(oh...and sorry about those 'relevant' 60's..i know they were so dead as far as the big bill was concerned. )......
i suppose i am a bit biased when it comes to this episode because i am such a fan and lover of shakespeare..it is so wonderful to notice the little points that refer to his works. it is just like the episode murder under glass for me. i love all the godfather movies, and when i watch that episode it sooo reminds me of the godfather...music, characters, food..the whole bit.
and one last thingy...(you didn't think i was done already, did you?? )...........i have mentioned this before here, but i will repeat myself as i usually do. the name of the play "macbeth" is mentioned a few times in the dressing room at the after-party.....that is strictly a no-no!...it is a cursed thing to say the name of the play...there is so much history in the mishaps that have befallen the cast and crew of macbeth productions....it is the customary thing to call it 'the scottish play' and never refer to the actual name 'macbeth'.

Cassa, thanks for that tidbit about the "curse" of
MacBeth productions.
I see that I am in the minority about not liking
this episode. I will admit that in the past repeat
viewings of particular episodes has led to me to appreciate them more, one particular example being "Stitch in Crime" which I didn't like at first and now consider an outstanding episode, in spite of
Leonard Nimoy's indifferent performance which at first turned me off the story.

As an Ebglishman, and a huge Columbo fan, I've always had a soft spot for "Dagger". But over 30 years later, I still wince at how Americans view English life. Bernard Fox is a fine actor, but no Chief Superintendent would be caught saying, "By Jove!", or talk like they're related to Royalty. And practically every supporting actor is almost tugging his forelock, with a "Gor Blimey!" attitude. What burns me the most is when Americans use the phrase, "British Accent"...there is no such thing.

I couldn't agree with you more. I thought the entire ep was almost a parody of the series. I've watched it several times (well, maybe only twice) and still can't believe it's for real.
And I totally can't tolerate that over-the-top acting style of Basehart and ***** Galore -- oops, I mean Honor Blackman
Carol

I absolutely adore "Dagger Of The Mind". But then, I love just about any program dealing with England and London. In fact, I learned about the "cursed" scottish play by watching an episode of "Black Adder The Third"!

All that filming around London for this "Columbo" episode was done very much on purpose, and not to cover up a lack of story-line. (The story-line is terrific.) The extra filming was done so that viewers could get a good look at London and to basically PROVE to the viewers that, YES, this episode of "Columbo" REALLY was filmed in London! (Chunks of it anyway.)

This sort of thing is done a lot when TV series go abroad for an episode. "Doctor Who" did it when an episode ("City Of Death") was filmed in Paris (Loads of shots of The Doctor and Romana running around all over Paris) and "Head Of The Class" did it when they traveled to Moscow. "Friends" did it when they went to London. "The Brady Bunch" did it when they went to The Grand Canyon AND Hawaii!

This is one of my favorite episodes. Basehart was perfect as the actor Nicholas Frame who is slowly going mad. In fact I thought the whole episode was very well cast. Blackman and also Columbo (especially in the gentlemen's club) both have some funny lines but I liked Basehart's the best.

"What would we have done without Tanner, huh? Good old, faithful Tanner (cackling). I knew him well!"

At the funeral while checking out Miss Dudley's cleavage, "There, there, there, Miss Dudley. Stiff upper......lip"

At first I didn't like the way Columbo tricked them by flicking the pearl into the umbrella but he would have had them if Tanner cooperated.

And how did they get into the Wax Museum to steal the umbrella and lock the window on the way out?????

As I think I've posted on many occassions before, I hate this episode.

The American view of Britain's grates like finger nails down a blackboard. Columbo running around the Mall is painful to watch. The Brit stereotypes are ghastly - the detective, the butler, the 'gawd bless ya guv' stage man.

The plot is terrible - Basehart and Blackman don't even commit a murder until they bump off Wifred Hyde White - and I hate the trick endings you get in Columbo. Basehart's crack-up is also embarrassing to watch.

I can't think of one good 'novelty' Columbo and after this I am amazed the producers ever did another after this.

IMHO of course.

Although I'm an anglophile, Dagger of the Mind isn't one of my favorites either. Although the location scenes are marvelous and makes my want to hop on a plane back to London, the story doesn't hold up as well. I also agree about the weak first murder which appears to be entirely accidental and somehow makes the story less than compelling to begin with. However, I love Wilfrid Hyde-White and even Basehart's and Blackman's hammy performances. Yes, I can see the Brits wincing at all the British stereotypes, but even some of them are kind of endearing.

Having said that, I still find DOTM a bit better than Dead Weight and Last Salute to the Commodore which have little to commend them, IMHO.

Glad to see that there are some who DO agree with me that this is a clunker of an episode. I also forget to mention that the ending is really CHEAP. It is
a real "deus ex machina" ending to trick someone into
confessing. At least in "Negative Reaction" Galesko incriminated himself directly.

Of course the episode is loaded with American perceptions of Brit stereotypes, but then again every episode of "The Avengers" (Honor Blackman's first claim to fame) practically presents them as well (especially Diana Rigg's episodes) and that's what makes that show so irresistibly fun too.

I would rather watch "Dagger Of The Mind" a hundred times before I'd ever subject myself to "Any Old Port In A Storm" again.

Eric, I couldn't agree with you more!

By the way, speaking of "Macbeth" as a cursed play, it just dawned on me that this episode of Columbo, "Dagger Of The Mind" is in fact a cursed episode. Everyone featured it has either ALREADY DIED or will WITHIN THE NEXT 30 YEARS!

I'm afraid I find nothing endearing about the Brit stereotypes in this episode. They drive me absolutely bonkers, especially as we see the same cliches appearing in programmes and films again and again and again.

Three Men and a Little Lady and King Ralph are particularly gruesome examples.

Just this year us Brits had to grit our teeth and endure the same hackneyed view of the UK in Garfield: A tale of two kitties.

American TV is also littered with them. For instance those ghastly Friends episodes which were set in the UK and the one that annoys me the most - Lord John Marbury in The West Wing. When, in the whole of history, did Britain ever have a drunken toff as ambassador to the US.

When!!!!

I am going off to calm down by watching the delightfully accurate portrayal of Texan law enforcers by Clifton James in Live and Let Die.

OH headache!

jilted, i agree with your point about the british stereotypes, in this episode and also in different movies and tv shows, it always goes over the top.
but...the same can be said about any nationality or race. movies and tv have done more harm than good in keeping peolple in the dark about other races and ethnicities.
and as passionate as you are about the brits being stereotyped, i am doubly so when it comes to the portrayal of italians. don't even get me started!
yes, i am sick of all the politcal correctness nowadays, but sometimes these sterotypes go waaaaaay too far.

Although I have not seen a lot of British films
and TV series, I am a big fan of "Yes (Prime) Minister" and "I, Claudius" . In those films I have
seen, Americans are frequently presented as uncultured
hicks, Jews are presented as hypocrites, Africans
as cannibals, the French as arrogant and shifty, the Germans as robotic militarists, the Irish as drunken troublemakers, etc. The Brits are
no strangers to stereotyping.

Two British versions of Americans came to my mind. One is certainly a nasty portrayal, and the other, while characteristically brave, is still a stereotype.

The "brave" American is in an episode of "Doctor Who" titled, "The Claws Of Axos". A Brit actor portrays an American CIA agent. The accent is hysterical and the character is over-the-top "gung-ho".

The nasty portrayal is in an episode of "Fawlty Towers". The American in "Waldorf Salad" is just one great big crabby jerk. However, it's a wonderfully funny character. But again, the accent is awful. Almost as bad as Michael Palin's and Eric Idle's horrible American accented Vacationing characters in "Meaning Of Life". Not to mention John Cleese's horrible American accented waiter in the "Would you like to have a conversation?" section of the movie. Again, a very, VERY Funny scene!

I certainly acknowledge that many "British" characters in American productions are not based in any way on "reality". I myself feel that I make up for enjoying those productions by absolutely adoring programs such as "Doctor Who", "As Time Goes By", "Mr. Bean", "Fawlty Towers", "Brittas Empire", "Black Adder #1 - #4", "Red Dwarf", "Campion", "Are You Being Served", "To The Manor Born", "Monty Python" and many, many, many other Top Quality British shows and movies.

yay! for 'are you being served' i loved that show so much...i just wish it was still airing here.

Cassa, "You've all done very well!"

ahh yes headache...
my favourite was mr. humphries...i got such a kick out of him! 'menswear'...and he tried to use a real deep voice!

I totally agree with you. "Dagger of the Mind" is a terrible episode with a even mor terrible ending. Incredible!