PLOT: A member of a genius society (Theodore Bikel) embezzles funds to support his wife's materialism (Samantha Eggar). When a ticklish friend (Sorrell Booke) threatens to expose him he resorts to an extremely clever murder.
COMMENTARY: Disregarding the ridiculous title, this one's held in high esteem in some circles, probably because of Columbo's great explanation for his renowned detective expertise in the last act. But the murderer's stupefying slip-up in the denouement is unconvincing and unbelievable, plus there's some second-rate editing and dubious acting (e.g. the male secretary in the restaurant scene).
Still, it's unique and has its positive points, like the park sequence, not to mention an 18 year-old Jamie Lee Curtis showing up as a waitress, one of her first roles before landing a reoccurring gig with the TV series Operation Petticoat.
GRADE: B-
COMMENTARY: Disregarding the ridiculous title, this one's held in high esteem in some circles, probably because of Columbo's great explanation for his renowned detective expertise in the last act. But the murderer's stupefying slip-up in the denouement is unconvincing and unbelievable, plus there's some second-rate editing and dubious acting (e.g. the male secretary in the restaurant scene).
Still, it's unique and has its positive points, like the park sequence, not to mention an 18 year-old Jamie Lee Curtis showing up as a waitress, one of her first roles before landing a reoccurring gig with the TV series Operation Petticoat.
GRADE: B-