A mystery writer suspects her niece's husband of murdering her, and she exacts revenge by asphyxiating him in her house safe.A mystery writer suspects her niece's husband of murdering her, and she exacts revenge by asphyxiating him in her house safe.A mystery writer suspects her niece's husband of murdering her, and she exacts revenge by asphyxiating him in her house safe.
- Luncheon Guest
- (uncredited)
- Columbo's Dog
- (uncredited)
- Luncheon Guest
- (uncredited)
- Luncheon Guest
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt 80, Ruth Gordon (Abigail Mitchell) was the oldest actor to play a murderer in Columbo.
- GoofsAbigail locked her nephew in the safe, but it is a very big safe. It seems to be a room containing at least 20 cubic meters of air. If the nephew breathes normally, one cubic meter is more than enough for about an hour's stay, so he shouldn't run out of oxygen from one evening to the next morning. He ought to be alive and well when the secretary unlocks the safe.
- Quotes
Lt. Columbo: You know, I can remember the only new car my father ever bought. How proud he was. The way it smelled. Kind of like the inside of a Pullman car. It wasn't like this though, I'll tell you that.
Abigail Mitchell: My father never owned a car. Not until I bought him one. I was 20; I'd just sold my first book. Shall we compare poverty stories, Lieutenant?
Lt. Columbo: Not in a Rolls Royce, ma'am.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Sarah Silverman/Nico Hiraga (2021)
- SoundtracksThis Old Man
(uncredited)
Traditional English children's marching song
[First two lines played by Peter Falk on piano. Later he whistles it.]
Here, the writing, dialog, humor, music, and acting are all top-notch.
The writing couldn't be better. There's never a dull moment.
The dialog is excellent, especially during the interactions between Columbo and the murderer (Ruth Gordon). To take one small example, there is a subtle role reversal when the murderer asks Columbo "one more thing...". Watch closely, since there are a lot of little gems like this.
Television shows from this era that take themselves too seriously---think "Mannix"---have not aged well, so IMHO, reviewers should lighten up when it comes to humor. But, I do have to admit that the humor in Columbo doesn't always hit the mark. However, here there are some true laugh-out-loud moments (the footprint/shoe scene is hilarious and "dog" does some of his best "acting"). Best of all, the humor fits perfectly into the flow, adding to the sum total instead of being a mere distraction or time filler.
Usually, the music in Columbo doesn't make much of an impression on me. This episode is an exception. The music heightens the dramatic scenes and seems to move from background to foreground (and vice-versa) at just the right times.
Peter Falk is in top form and Ruth Gordon is dynamite---it's hard to believe she was 80 years old at the time.
This is television from a different time, when some thought and effort went into each episode (at the opposite extreme is the "reality" drivel that dominates TV today). Of course, it didn't always work. In truth, it failed far more often than it worked. But on those occasions when it did succeed, greatness was possible.
- stamp-587-149747
- Jan 20, 2013
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Alter schützt vor Morden nicht
- Filming locations
- 880 La Loma Rd., Pasadena, California, USA(Abigail Mitchell's mansion)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro