Ok guys, next episode to discuss, I like to watch it:
- first of all, I know that I'm in the opposition to majority of this forum, but I don't like Grace. Of course I know about the disease and the effects that it caused (forgetting things etc). But for me she is one of most unlikable characters. She is totally egoistic, she sees only herself and her forgotten fame, she blames everybody around for everything, she's selfish, even when she seems to be nice to Columbo it is only because she knows that he admires her, so she can feel that she is in the center of attention, she doesn't care about other's feelings, she wants to fire a dancing partner just because she thinks she is the best of the best. In almost every scene I have problems with accepting her behaviour. And I think she was totally aware of her deeds and acts while she was committing murder. Maybe she forgot it later, but during murdering she was aware what she was doing, and it was only because of selfish reasons. She loves to watch movies but mainly with herself as a main star in it. I'm not saying Dr. Willis was innocent (I guess he shouldn't have been hiding her state, he should have told her). On the other side it's Ned, I have a huge respect for him and his behaviour, romantic, care taking, empathetic, gentelman, ready to defend his love
- why did she take a sleeping pill before Henry told her he is not going to found her musical? I think that is somehow recurring problem with Columbo episodes. Sometimes it looks like murderer is planning murder before knowig a motive for doing that
- it seems for me that Raymond and Alma are a little "too perfect" couple. Of course I believe in excellent or even perfect marriages, but the way it is shown here...
- now I realised new thing for me! the Anderson guy, from coroner's office, who gives all the basic informations to Columbo at the very first visit on crime scene is (I think) the same actor who plays a salesman in Negative Reaction. In the shop with cameras
- Raymond is not so nice to Columbo when he comes to visit Mrs Willis. He gives him ashtray, and while walking upstairs takes a glance at Columbo and make irritated face expression. Why? what wrong Columbo did? he put his ashes in the ashtray, so what irritated him so much?
- in the hospital we see the same color lines on the floor as in the Deadly State of Mind
- I love (really much!) the plot of the book which Dr. Willis was reading (explained in funny way by book store salesman)
- I like the conversation between Columbo and Ned in his office. Full of emotions, well played
- the clue with the longer running time of the movie is not so strong. She could do anything, go to to toilet for example
PS. this time, when I was watching this episode, I gained some more sympathy for Grace. But anyway I still claim she was aware of being a murderer

I kind of agree about Raymond, but Maurice Evans was very good at playing impatient characters (he played a very serious one in PLANET OF THE APES, and some others), so maybe they couldn't resist having him play Raymond that way.

I think he was also still upset about the previous evening, when all the police (including Columbo) were there and that created a lot of work for him in order to clean up. And, if you ask Mrs. Peck, Columbo is not exactly the tidiest person in the world and to have him - of all the police - return the next day, doesn't exactly make Raymond happy!

I always like his line when Columbo can't figure out the pen - "Simplicity itself!"

Maurice Evan's little delivery of that line is great.

Agreed, Grant!

Yes the clue at the end is a little bit absurd. Because there's a thousand reasons why she's not in the filming room not that she's upstairs in her husband's room firing a pistol

Love the episode despite its flaw in the clue because the performances led by Janet Leigh is what sells everything. In the hands of another actress maybe Grace would have come off differently, but it's the fact that I saw in Grace Wheeler the same damaged innocent quality Janet brought in "Psycho" that sold me completely, combined with the heartbreak so obvious in John Payne's performance.

I was glad at least in the world of fanfic I was able to get Dr. Beckett of Quantum Leap to "set right" the story of Grace and Ned. :)

I also get a kick out of the fact that the pairing of Maurice Evans and Linda Scott as a married couple is the only case I know of where a former Batman villain (the Puzzler) is married to a former Batman henchmoll! (Scott was a Riddler henchmoll in one episode).