'Just One More Thing'--- Favourite Columbo Episode

Glad to see "Any Old Port In a Storm" mentioned, from the perspective that Columbo actually liked Pleasence's character, which was of course the exception. The episode listed above this one is in stark contrast, as Columbo really hated Jourdan's character and said so to him, IIRC. Up there on the hatred scale with Robert Conrad's Milo Janus.

Loved the repeat murderers as others mentioned, such as Cassidy, McGoohan, and Culp. One of my favorites was McGoohan's CIA operative in "Identity Crisis." The episode in general was farcical (remember Steinmetz?), but all the Falk / McGoohan (as Brenner) one-on-ones were treasures.

Doug

 

Universal has been sued several times over residuals owed over the years. James Garner sued over money owed for The Rockford Files; Jack Klugman sued for money he claimed he was cheated out of for Quincy and I think there were a few others. I seem to remember Jack Webb complaining Universal cheating him out of money, but he may not have sued before he died unexpectedly.

 

Yes, in many cases the studio settled rather than open up their books to reveal their (somewhat unfair) accounting practices. Garner was interviewed and said he could not reveal what the settlement was, but pointed out that he had just purchased a $5 million yacht that he called "Justice At Last" -- or something like that.

 

Columbo seems to genuinely like many of his murderers, but to openly dislike them is less common. You're right about Louis Jourdan as Paul Gerard, I believe that was the only time Columbo ever told a suspect that he didn't like him.
It was obvious that he didn't much like some of the others (Milo Janus, Nicol Williamson as Dr. Eric Mason) but he always treated all of them pretty well considering most were were cold, calculating murderers.

 

Ain't nuthin' new

 

That was one of the first ones too. I agree--a dud. Same with the one with Roddy McDowall.

 

Some of the writers did not yet fully understand the premise and character.

 

On McGoohan, I couldn’t agree more. I think the episode with Trish, Make Me A Perfect Murder, is imo one of the very best. Goes to show how different we can see things in the same episodes. I can see why you wouldn’t like the Eddie Albert ep (Dead Weight) but for me it has some charm and the two women are really good and believable. Totally agree on Double Shock...love how ridiculous Columbo is when he is on that dumb cooking tv show one of the brothers is on.

 

Yup, Ashes To Ashes, the mortician ep, is pretty awful. Those newer one’s seemed to be pretty excellent (Columbo Goes To College, Butterfly In Shades Of Grey with Shatner, Death Hits The Jackpot with Rip Torn, etc) or awful! Don’t know why.

 

Those two college students/ killers made fun of Columbo throughout the episode and mocked him. But who got the last laugh? Having a good time in prison , boys?

 

That really was an outstanding episode. It’s so strange that a good percentage of the newer block eps were so well done and about the same were pretty awful. I think the stories just worked or they didn’t, not much middle ground. Not sure the actors could really help a bad script, but they could add to the enjoyment and believability.

 

Columbo goes to College is one of the better newer episodes. The way those two college students made fun of Columbo; it was really enjoyable to see them get caught. These guys really did underestimate Columbo. Of course Robert Culp appeared in this one as the father of one of the killers. His scenes with Columbo are great. Wonderful chemistry between those two. Culp should have played the bad guy one more time in the 1990s.

Another episode that I like is the one with Patrick O' Neal playing the architect that kills Forrest Tucker. I like it when he basically forces Columbo to dig up a part of the new building that was being built. Columbo knew what O'Neil was doing, but Columbo knew that he had to play along. Also, I like how Columbo catches O'Neil in the act of removing the body. It reminds of the ending of the Johnny Cash episode and one of Robert Culp's episode. Catching the killer red handed. Always a fun gotcha ending.

 

In “Try and catch me” when author Abigail Mitchell (Ruth Gordon) gets Columbo to speak to one of her audiences, he does say that, believe it or not, he does like most of the murderers he catches. She is especially sympathetic as she tells him that she wished he had investigated her niece’s death in a boating accident.
Columbo also confirms that he believes Tommy Brown (Johnny Cash) was about to confess to murdering Ida Lupino and his back up singer/lover by the quality of his music feeling he does have some good in him.

 

In fact, An Exercise In Fatality is my favorite episode in the series. I'm just hooked on the final scene, when Columbo springs how he solved the crime on Milo Janus (Robert Conrad). A couple of the scenes with Jessica (Grethcen Corbett) are great too, particularly the one where she realizes that she'd been had on the phone call she'd supposedly taken from the murder victim.

My second favorite episode is Troubled Waters. I love Robert Vaughn as the villain and the dialogue is especially well written in this episode. It's also pretty clear they filmed it on an actual cruise ship, at least several scenes, with passengers in the background. There's one scene where Columbo is pulling up a filter from the bottom of a pool and gets himself all wet. The laughter in the background from the passengers seems completely real.

 

Any episode with Jack Cassidy!!!

 

I sort of think the one where he plays The Great Santini is my third favorite episode.

 

Yea, I'd agree. Theres another one where he's a wine expert and he always marks the neck of the bottle of wine he drinks, and somehow thats how Columbo catches him.

 

Wasn't that another actor?

 

Nope....Jack Cassidy.

 

If you're talking about the one with the Irish author who murders the arms dealer, it was Clive Revill who played the part.

 

Don't think I' ve seen that one. I know jack Cassidy was a writer in one episode, a book publisher in another and The Great Santini ( a former Nazi ) in another and I thought that was all the murderers he played.

 

And you're right.

The bit w/cutting the bottles was Clive Revill.

 

Ahhh......my fading memory.

 

I don't recall that episode very well. I know he kept saying : " This far and no further " but the details elude me.

 

One of my faves too.
I enjoy the episodes where Columbo is wherehe's not usually supposed to be and murder is afoot.
The episode in England is one and the one where Columbo is involved in a minor car accident in Mexico and the investigating cop holds Columbo ' hostage' so to speak because he knows about him from the murder on the cruise ship which he heard about.