Playback (1975) Columbo- Deep Dive Review | Oskar Werner, Gena Rowlands, Martha Scott, Peter Falk

[00:00:00]Episode 28, Playback, first aired March 2nd, 1975. It was written by David P.

[00:00:06]Lewis, who created the TV series Far Away Hill, and also written by Booker Bradshaw, who wrote for the Richard Prior show and did some voice acting for Goldie Gold, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Laser Tag Academy, as well as appearing in two episodes of Star Trek.

[00:00:23]The director of Playback is Bernard Kowalsski. We remember him as the director of death lends a hand and exercise in fatality. Today's episode begins with a gloved individual removing a window pane and then smearing dirt on the side of the house under the window with his shoe and walking away. That didn't feel very productive. Then driving up to a secured gate is a 1972 MercedesBenz 450 SL and greeting the security guard. The man enters this rich home with no doorork knobs and in the background is the famous oversized blue vase also appearing in Deathland's a hand candidate for crime and negative reaction. Our attention is drawn to the security camera in the room and then back to the security guard who watches the live footage on his three PVMs. As he walks through the room, I spot another familiar prop that I can't believe keeps showing up because it just seems like a strange decorative choice to me. And that's our old big horse statue from Blueprint for Murder, Reququum for a Falling Star, Any Old Port in a Storm, Swan Song, and an Exercise In Fatality. We overhear a woman saying, "He's been very mysterious recently. You just have no judgment about him.

[00:01:35]>> Let out all of your secret frustrations.

[00:01:37]It's good for the soul if you still have one."

[00:01:39]>> This man's name is Harold Van Wick, played by Oscar Verer, born November 13th, 1922 in Vienna, Austria. He preferred theater and was extremely picky when it came to what roles he was willing to play. Probably his most famous film productions were Jewels and Jim, Fahrenheit 451, Ship of Fools, and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

[00:02:03]>> I reserve the right to be ignorant.

[00:02:04]That's the Western way of life.

[00:02:06]>> I couldn't have put it better myself.

[00:02:07]You think ignorance a valuable contribution to world knowledge? You fight for ignorance?

[00:02:12]>> Go to hell. He never acted in television except for one little exception.

[00:02:18]Columbbo's playback. Before this episode, Oscar had gone seven years without working. I read this was not only due to his pickiness, but mostly due to his reputation for being disruptive on set, amplified by his heavy drinking problems he had developed over the past decade. Well, now you wonder why on earth was Oscar chosen for this episode. Well, Ever Chambers, the producer, wanted him. because he liked his work very much. It seemed like a long shot to even try to contact him, but he figured he'd go ahead and try to get a hold of Oscar's agent out there in Luxembourg. Here is a quote from Everett Chambers. Oscar Verer was a very unique actor, and that's why I wanted him because I thought he was one of the best actors around. But he was a very strange person. He was an alcoholic. He used to carry a little bag with him that had two bottles of wine in it that he would drink. Surprisingly, Oscar himself called back and agreed to at least read the script. Then Peter Faulk called Oscar trying to motivate him to accept.

[00:03:21]A quote from Oscar Verer. I told him I do not do TV. Generally, TV lacks something for me. The quality feeling, so I don't do it. Peter persuaded him with the promise of Oscar having his own cottage at the Beverly Hills Hotel. As soon as Verer landed at the airport in Los Angeles, the drama with him began.

[00:03:43]He called up Everett Chambers. I write on the phone demanding to know where Chambers, Kowalsski, and the writers are. Chambers was like, "Uh, where are you?" And Verer explodes that he's at the airport waiting to be picked up.

[00:03:57]Chambers replies saying, "We don't pick up actors at the airport. Take a taxi."

[00:04:01]After a long pause, Verer said, "Be at my cottage at 8:30." The next day, Chambers knocks on the door of his cottage right on time, and Verer flings open the door, shouting, "I am not a prostitute. I am not a You cannot treat me like this." He continues in rage and criticisms, making Chambers furious, who finally interrupts him, saying, "I'm not going to take this. You can just get back on that airplane and go home." Chambers left, but while driving back to his hotel, he realized he had made a terrible mistake blowing up at Verer. He quickly called both Peter Faulk and Bernard Kowalsski, saying he cursed out Oscar and they've got to patch things up for him anyway they can. Both Faulk and Kowalsski headed straight over to Verer's cottage where he was about to drive off. When Oscar saw Peter Faulk, he happily greets him with, "Oh, hello, Peter. I'll see you soon." And he drives away merrily as if there were no shouting arguments earlier. People love talking about how awful his haircut is in this episode, but in my opinion, no haircut has beaten Bradford Dilman's haircut in the greenhouse jungle.

[00:05:06]>> Margaret, dear, have you done something to your hair?

[00:05:09]>> No.

[00:05:09]>> That's what I thought.

[00:05:10]>> Arthur, how are you?

[00:05:11]>> Hello, Harold. I didn't know you were here.

[00:05:14]>> The lady named Margaret gets snippy, saying, "Why shouldn't Arthur be here?

[00:05:18]This is my house, and he is my son. He doesn't need any special permissions from you to be here." Is there any special host or steal it in the air or just the usual one?

[00:05:28]>> Margaret is played by Martha Scott. Born September 22nd, 1912 in Jamesport, Missouri. She was in Old Oklahoma.

[00:05:36]Cheers for Miss Bishop Benhur and the Ten Commandments.

[00:05:41]>> There must be at least one gentleman in this coach. Well, >> this is the 20th century when women stand on their own feet. REMEMBER?

[00:05:48][laughter] Margaret says she's upset because she just finished looking over last quarter's profits for her electronics company. And under Harold's management, there has been a dramatic drop.

[00:05:59]>> Didn't you hear, Margaret, that we are in a recession?

[00:06:02]>> Harold's right, mother. The market's taking a terrible beating.

[00:06:05]>> And yes, we were in a recession at this time from November 1973 to March 1975.

[00:06:11]Some of the causes were the 1973 oil crisis with OPEC along with the deficits from the Vietnam War as well as the end of the Bretonwood system and the gold standard. And this is all very entertaining to Arthur.

[00:06:25]>> The market's taking a terrible beating.

[00:06:27]>> Arthur is played by Robert Brown, born November 17th, 1926 in Trenton, New Jersey. He was in all 52 episodes of Here Come the Brides.

[00:06:37]>> Jeremy push her in and I pull her out.

[00:06:39]And after it's all over, you'll have Toy Quan, and we'll go back to living a normal life.

[00:06:44]>> In China, this would be considered deceitful.

[00:06:46]>> Well, you're an American now.

[00:06:48]>> The mark could be damned. Metus Electronics has fallen victim to your obsessive preoccupation with gadgetry, to which this house is a living monument.

[00:06:57]>> Harold emphasizes the serious need for these gadgets, as she calls them, especially for his wife, Elizabeth, who is incapable.

[00:07:04]>> Don't you dare call my daughter incapable.

[00:07:06]>> Oh, come on, mother. If this is going to turn into one of those darling group analysis sessions, I think I'll go upstairs. Okay.

[00:07:13]>> Harold jumps to his feet, saying he will take Elizabeth upstairs. And Margaret says, "No, you stay right here. Harold, >> please stay a few minutes. I'll see you upstairs." Good night, everyone.

[00:07:23]>> Good night, Harold.

[00:07:24]>> Good night.

[00:07:25]>> Margaret instructs Harold to shut the door so they are not heard on his camera system.

[00:07:30]>> Sit down, Harold.

[00:07:31]>> I thought for a moment I ought to kneel.

[00:07:33]I think I made it quite clear that Mus Electronics would have to show a profit or it would get another president.

[00:07:38]>> She says she is replacing him with Arthur effective immediately and that she will accept his resignation first thing in the morning.

[00:07:45]>> Arthur [laughter] although can't find his way to the commissary without a written order.

[00:07:51][laughter] >> Margaret adds another layer to her disdain for Harold.

[00:07:55]>> I've retained a private detective to observe your activity. He's come up with some very interesting data on several women. one in Malibu and another in Beverly Hills.

[00:08:05]>> Margaret informs him that if it weren't for her daughter's blind devotion to him, she would give him nothing.

[00:08:10]>> Your resignation by breakfast. Don't disappoint me.

[00:08:17]>> Then from the perspective of the security guard, we watch Harold walk past the camera. He's now in the control room and takes out a tape of the empty study, installs it, takes out a revolver. The music playing during this scene is called Ballad number one in G minor opus 23 composed between 1831 and 1835 by Shopan. Margaret is chugging the brandy while Harold goes upstairs to Elizabeth letting her know he promised Francine to stop by the new exhibition opening tonight.

[00:08:47]>> Oh, good. I'll go with you.

[00:08:49]>> No, no, no, no. It's much too crowded and all this gossiping people. He says he'll have a look at the gallery and if he sees anything for them, they can go together tomorrow during the day and then go out to lunch on the beach.

[00:09:00]>> It's a deal.

[00:09:03]>> I love you.

[00:09:04]>> How can I go if you say you love me?

[00:09:06]>> Don't go.

[00:09:07]>> But I have to.

[00:09:08]>> Sweet Elizabeth must not be totally paralyzed or whatever her condition is because I see she can move her feet.

[00:09:15]Elizabeth is played by Jenna Rollins, born June 19th, 1930 in Madison, Wisconsin. Before you try to tell me her name is pronounced Gina, I'll have you know I learned to pronounce her name from her very own husband whom she loved dearly. John Cavetes and he said, "John, there's nothing in it for me. Jenna has everything and I don't have anything."

[00:09:38]>> We went through that film and and uh Jenna, my wife was in the film. She was pregnant during the film. Peter and Jenna and I put up all the money for the film and that's how it was financed.

[00:09:51]Well, I think I think Jenna is a very great actress. I think she's a very great actress. Jenna and Peter, two super professional actors and and uh and I'm telling you that you're going to see the greatest performances and that goes for Paul, Jenna, Ben, Seymour, me, everybody.

[00:10:12]I'm sick that this is such a little town that they will only go to see something that is going to be successful that a corporation says is great.

[00:10:21]>> And whether or not you're a big fan of John Civvetes or his art, it's really nice to learn that his wife Jenna adored him. And on top of that, her birth name is Virginia. So Jenna for short isn't far-fetched. She and her husband made 10 films together, some being A Woman Under the Influence with Peter Faulk, Gloria, and Opening Night. A couple mainstream films include Woody Allen's Another Woman and The Notebook, directed by her son, Nick Cvetes.

[00:10:52]>> What you going to do? Shoot a six-year-old Puerto Rican kid on the street? You don't know nothing. He don't even speak English.

[00:11:03]Harold is back in the control room, plugging in cords, linking the empty study to the visuals the security guard could see. Checking back in on Margaret, getting every drop of her brandy out of the bottle, and leaving the room. She walks pretty well for all that drinking she just did because it hasn't kicked in quite yet. She hears a sound and goes to investigate. She sees Harold and stops in her tracks, uncharacteristically silent. Seeing he's got a gun, she gasps and turns to run without a word.

[00:11:36]Interesting shooting technique there, Harold. But no surprise, Margaret is dead in one shot to the back. I haven't been able to identify his gun, though.

[00:11:44]If you have any ideas, you know, I'd love to hear it. I really like the decision to keep the murder scene silent. Music always has its place, doesn't it? But sometimes silence is more effective than anything. Harold is sure fortunate his mother-in-law didn't scream his name before he shot her. And he really gave her time to do so if she wanted. Maybe after studying her all these years, he discovered there is only one thing in this world that will leave her speechless.

[00:12:14]We go back to look at the control room to understand this scene is being recorded, but the security guard is out there watching the empty study tape as he works on his origami skills. The phone in the study rings and Harold rushes to answer.

[00:12:27]>> Yes. No, I didn't hear anything.

[00:12:29]>> I was just sleeping in and I thought I heard something.

[00:12:32]>> You were probably dreaming. This is in the sitting room. Bishop pie and tell Brandy. He says he won't be home late and hangs up, hustles back to the control room, rewinds the murder scene, and sets a timer for its playback. He walks past old Margaret and gets out of here. The security guard hears his car and comes out to see where he's going.

[00:12:51]>> You can reach me at this number. Okay.

[00:12:54]Oh, 9:13. I'm late.

[00:12:57]>> Security guard Baxter sits down in his silent booth, and Oscar arrives at the showing.

[00:13:02]>> Good evening.

[00:13:04]You're new here, >> Marcy H.

[00:13:06]>> Entering in after Harold is a returning extra, Arthur Tovi from Blueprint for Murder. Miss Marcy says Francine has been waiting for him. And Harold says, "I know I'm a little late."

[00:13:16]>> 9:28.

[00:13:18]>> Oh, that's super.

[00:13:19]>> You like it?

[00:13:20]>> Did you notice poor Arthur trying to hand Marcy his invitation, but she completely ignores him?

[00:13:26]>> I designed it. Me. This watch seems to be a Lambda LED watch or maybe a Unitrax. The internet says it's by the Hamilton Watch Company, but I couldn't find a roundfaced example. They were all rectangular. Though the Hamilton Watch Company was the inventor of the first commercial digital watch in 1972. There were 400 pieces made at the time costing over $2,000, which would be equivalent to a $16,800 watch today. But it's certainly worth noting that the watch's exterior was also made of 18 karat gold. But the later stainless steel model that was quote more affordable was $395 on release or around $3,000 today. and Roger Moore wore a stainless steel model in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die. This was some exciting brand new technology that the show Columbbo again loves to display. The murderers are always hot with the times in the latest gadgets while our humble detective is making do with what he has.

[00:14:40]>> Harold.

[00:14:41]>> Oh, hello dear.

[00:14:42]>> Oh, I'm so glad you could come. There is patient Arthur Tovi still holding his imitation for Marcy. Next, we watch the timer click and start playing back the murder scene for Baxter on some Memorex magnetic tape. He shows very genuine concern, recognizing something is wrong, witnessing Margaret get shot and flies out of the security booth with his gun drawn and up to the house in a flash.

[00:15:06]Baxter, the security guard, is played by Herbert Jefferson Jr., born September 28th, 1946 in Sandersville, Georgia. And he does some wonderful true acting for the security guard role. He was also in Battlestar Galactica the movie and all 21 episodes of Battlestar Galactica as Lieutenant Boomer.

[00:15:25]>> Every creature in the universe is out to exterminate us. And you want to hire a vocal group?

[00:15:30]>> Mhm.

[00:15:31]>> Starbucks, I'm telling you there's something just not right about this place.

[00:15:35]>> Grant Galleries. Oh.

[00:15:38]Oh, just a moment. Interesting reaction.

[00:15:41]Did the person on the other line say Harold Vanwick's mother-in-law is dead?

[00:15:45]Why was her face so sorrowful? Scene changed to Columbbo arriving at the gate and Baxter greeting him. And of course, Columbbo has a tail light out.

[00:15:54]>> Can I see some identification, please?

[00:15:56]>> Hey, don't get too close. You'll get my cold. This happens a few more times as we continue through the series where Columbo is sick and we get to see the stage direction that Peter Faulk struggles with more than any other sneezing.

[00:16:11]>> Okay, Lieutenant, straight ahead.

[00:16:13]>> Thank you very much.

[00:16:14]>> Baxter's a really nice man. He didn't say a word about Columbbo's disheveled car or appearance. They're about to haul out Margaret when Columbo stops them to have a look.

[00:16:24]>> Was she dead when you got here? Yeah, fairy >> couldn't be better. An officer approaches Columbbo and says they found the point of entry in the back room.

[00:16:33]>> You see, he jumped the burglar alarm wire and on the left the pain is removed.

[00:16:37]>> Then he takes Columbbo back to the middle of the house and is like, "Watch this.

[00:16:43]>> They got a bunch of these trick doors all over the place."

[00:16:46]>> Officer Banks reveals they caught the whole murder on tape.

[00:16:49]>> They got a bunch of TV cameras. This whole house is rigged up with closed circuit television. All right, calm down, officer. Kind of an excitable fellow, isn't he? Officer Banks is played by Steven Marlo, born July 13th, 1927 in San Francisco, California. Find him in a few episodes of The Land of the Giants and Emergency.

[00:17:11]>> How do you open it?

[00:17:13]>> Officer Banks is very pleased with himself. In the other room is devastated Elizabeth sitting alone and mourning.

[00:17:20]Oh, in the background there, I see a familiar statue bust with shoulders that we remember from Lady in Waiting, where she hid the key, and a small one from Lovely but Lethal. Columbbo introduces himself and wants to ask her some questions. She says she wants to go to her room, and Columbbo offers to help.

[00:17:38]>> How did you find out how how it happened?

[00:17:40]>> I was [music] sleeping and this security guard came in and he told him, >> "So, you didn't hear anything like a shot?"

[00:17:47]>> She says no and heads upstairs. The scene switches to Harold explaining his ideas about what must have happened when interrupted by Columbbo's sneeze behind the curtain.

[00:17:59]>> What's going on back there?

[00:18:00]>> Who are you? Lieutenant Colomo, sir, homicide. Excuse me. I was just checking out the window.

[00:18:05]>> Columbbo must have been very quiet and still that they are both surprised by his presence. How could Columbbo see anything back there anyway behind that dark curtain with night on the other side? I >> I've got a call, sir. I don't want to get too close. Forgive me for not shaking hands.

[00:18:21]>> Columbus says he'd like to ask Harold a few questions.

[00:18:23]>> I know it's a difficult time for you.

[00:18:25]>> All the times are difficult, Lieutenant.

[00:18:27]Uh, >> yeah, it feels that way sometimes, Harold, but as Bob Ross says, >> absolutely have to have dark in order to have light. There we are. You know, it's like in life, got to have a little sadness once in a while so you you know when the good times come. I'm waiting on the good times now.

[00:18:46]>> So, you went out. What time was I, sir?

[00:18:49]>> 9:13. I went to an art gallery in Beverly Hills.

[00:18:52]>> 13th, not 9:15.

[00:18:54]>> Harold says, "I know it sounds strange, but I have a special watch. A super watch, you might say." Harold doesn't actually say super watch.

[00:19:02]>> Oh, that's super.

[00:19:03]>> Prints out the numbers. It's funny how you'll remember time when you see it printed.

[00:19:07]>> You know, I've seen those watches advertised.

[00:19:09]>> Do you?

[00:19:10]>> I like how Harold looks genuinely happy whenever anybody takes interest in his work. Harold explains that there is a hidden safe in the wall which is being guarded by cameras and sensors.

[00:19:21]>> They respond to light, sound, and the warmth of the human body.

[00:19:24]>> Harold takes him to the control room.

[00:19:26]>> Unfortunately, we walked far enough into the room. You mean to say you have this terrific system, but it didn't work.

[00:19:31]>> Harold says, "Well, it just doesn't cover the entire room." He plays the murder scene for Columbbo, and Columbbo is amazed by the technology.

[00:19:41]>> Wait a second.

[00:19:44]I was >> who's shooting from the top left of the screen. This case might be more complicated than we originally thought.

[00:19:52]Like a grassy null type situation.

[00:19:55]>> All the dumb luck. If he'd come another 3 ft into the room, we'd have a perfect picture.

[00:19:59]>> I think when he knocked over the pedestal, it just froze.

[00:20:03]>> Glumbbo asks if he can take the videotape down to the headquarters, and Harold is happy to give it to him.

[00:20:08]Columbbo says he will clear out all the people in the house and leave Harold and his wife alone. Thank you, Lieutenant.

[00:20:16]>> But you're cool, Lieutenant.

[00:20:17]>> I've got a call, sir. I don't want to get too close. Forgive me for not shaking hands.

[00:20:22]>> Before Columbbo completely leaves the house, there is one more thing.

[00:20:25]>> I don't understand why you went to all this trouble to put in the system, but you only put in one camera, leaving part of the room uncovered.

[00:20:31]>> We only wanted to cover the safe. We expected a thief, not a murder.

[00:20:34]>> Columbbo arrives at the security gate and wants to check a few things with Baxter. He asks what time the murder happened on the screen and Baxter says around 9:30.

[00:20:47]Columbbo finds the magazine where Harold wrote his location and the number to reach him. We learn ordinarily it's entered on a log, but tonight he wrote it on the magazine in advance.

[00:20:57]>> You know, when a person does something one way and he suddenly does something another way, I immediately think, I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. Now it's a new day and Columbbo is back at the house to do a little more investigations, but today he has dog with him. I guess they couldn't get a babysitter.

[00:21:14]>> This is only going to take 10 minutes.

[00:21:15]You hear me? So, I want you to keep your trap shut and I want you to behave yourself.

[00:21:19]>> The last time we saw Dog was during Mind Over Mayhem when he also didn't have a babysitter. And Dog was probably the best part of that episode.

[00:21:27]>> What's the matter with you? Can I have a conversation with that man? H All right, I'm going over this car here.

[00:21:34]Here, I'm going to read the odometer.

[00:21:35]I'm going to be right back.

[00:21:36]>> Columbo heads down a walkway leading out of nowhere as Harold leaves the house for his car and dog immediately alerts him to his presence.

[00:21:48]So, Harold goes looking for the owner of this beast.

[00:21:51]>> Oh, good morning, Mr. Ben. Morning.

[00:21:53]>> Since we had a pretty nice view of the house from the outside this morning, let's have a look at it today. According to Internet Movie Database, the Van Wick home is located in Los Angeles, California on Mapleton Drive. I see similarities to the episode, but everything is also very different. I'm not 100% convinced this is the correct location, but let's see what we have anyway. Here's the parking area where Columbbo left dog. And here is the little pathway leading around the house.

[00:22:20]I'm guessing this scene we're about to watch in the mulch takes place right around here. Well, Columbo is observing the entryway of the burgling murderer and asks Harold if he knows what this stuff is all over the flower bed.

[00:22:35]>> No, it's mulch. Oh, I didn't know that.

[00:22:39]>> Keeps the moisture in the soil.

[00:22:41]>> Well, how nice to teach us about mulch.

[00:22:43]The last time we had any gardening information was during suitable for framing.

[00:22:47]>> You know anything about aphids? They're destroying my roses. My wife doesn't want me to use any pesticides. hard spray from your garden hose around 4 or 5:00 p.m. The sun's still hot enough to dry. It won't burn your flowers.

[00:22:58]>> Columbus says he is here because he was checking up on something he read in the police report.

[00:23:02]>> Prowler apparently entered the premises by cutting the paint in the window. That window. The prowler apparently exited the premises by the same window.

[00:23:10]>> He says surely after shooting your mother-in-law, he was in a hurry to get out of the house and would have jumped from the window.

[00:23:16]>> But if he jumped, he would have left deep prince where his foot landed.

[00:23:19]>> And did he?

[00:23:20]>> He's not a sign of him. I mean, you can see where he went in. You can see where he came out, but they're all the same depth.

[00:23:26]>> Harold shares his hypothesis of the prowler must have gently eased himself out of the window to avoid any noise.

[00:23:32]>> That's a thought, sir.

[00:23:34]>> On the left here, we have some uncredited Zenyas. Then, Columbbo brings up the point that the mulch and the soil sticks to your shoes, and that means there should have been some mulch or soil on the floor inside the house. Do you remember he mentioned something like that during Lady and Waiting? You see >> grass?

[00:23:52]>> Yes. Well, that's only natural.

[00:23:54]>> It certainly is. But you know, there was no grass on your brother's shoe.

[00:23:58]>> Before we leave this window completely, I just want to point out the supposed prowler crawling into the window markings on the side of the house look completely different than the ones we witnessed Harold making. Anyway, Harold so kindly suggests Columbo let his dog loose on the property to run around so he's not cooped up in the car.

[00:24:16]>> Oh, thank you, sir. He'd like that. All right. Come on. And you're going to run around now.

[00:24:22]>> Why don't you do that at home? At home, he's always chasing the neighbor's cats.

[00:24:25]>> Well, he must have had a personality change because before Columbbo described dog as very sedentary.

[00:24:31]>> All right, come on, dog.

[00:24:32]>> Hey, you got a name for him yet?

[00:24:34]>> No, I was thinking of watching him and give him a name to fit something he did, but all he does is sleep and drool.

[00:24:38]>> Just sits around the house and drools.

[00:24:41]Never moves. We love him, but a dog should do something, even if he just barks now and then. Harold asked Columbbo to please remove his shoes because his wife is fussy with her carpet.

[00:24:54]They walk into the laundry room. Harold in his shoes and Columbbo in his socks.

[00:24:59]>> Has the maid come in?

[00:25:00]>> No, not yet. No, >> there's nothing here.

[00:25:02]>> Columbbo can't understand this. How could a man walk through mulch and soil, climb through the window, and leave the floor completely clean?

[00:25:10]>> Maybe he took his shoes off.

[00:25:12]>> He probably knew Elizabeth is fussy about her carpets. Columbbo first thinks this guy cannot be serious, but has to play along and pretend as if the man is a genius.

[00:25:21]>> You can't put a price tag on genius.

[00:25:26]>> Thank you.

[00:25:27]>> You're welcome.

[00:25:29]>> I'm embarrassed. Not at all.

[00:25:32]>> Harold apparently has somewhere to go.

[00:25:34]Columbbo thanks him for his help and Harold drives away as Columbbo puts his shoes back on. Where's dog?

[00:25:40]>> Hey, what a good puppy you are. What a fine fellow. Whose doggy are you? Huh?

[00:25:46]>> Oh, good morning, Lieutenant.

[00:25:48]>> Well, that's what Elizabeth needs is a dog. It might help her get over her carpet fussiness.

[00:25:53]>> This your dog?

[00:25:54]>> Yes, ma'am. I'm I'm afraid it is. He's always jumping up on people. I'm sorry.

[00:25:58]Come on.

[00:25:59]>> Elizabeth goes over to cut some fresh flowers and offers them to Columbbo for his wife.

[00:26:03]>> Well, that's very nice of you, ma'am.

[00:26:05]Thank you. Yes, she loves flowers.

[00:26:06]>> Looks like there's a refreshing pool behind Columbbo. So that would mean Columbbo and Elizabeth are visiting right around hereish. It looks like the original brick has remained. Columbbo asks her again about the night of the murder and if anything out of the ordinary happened at all, even the smallest thing. She says no, nothing.

[00:26:25]She went up to bed, kissed Harold goodbye as he had to go to the art show, and took a small sleeping pill before starting to read and then dozed off.

[00:26:34]>> Oh, I did wake up once. I thought I heard a sound, but I was just dreaming.

[00:26:39]>> She explains she called downstairs to the study and Harold answered. He says he didn't hear anything and her mother was listening to Shopan in the sitting room. So, she figures if neither of them heard it, she was just dreaming. She mentions it was a bad dream, though she doesn't remember any details of it.

[00:26:55]>> I was very relieved to wake up to see everything right in its normal place. My dressing gone on the bed, the clown in a chair. Columbo asks if they could go upstairs and have a look at her bedroom.

[00:27:06]Elizabeth is happy to take him there, but the scene changes to the art gallery. That eyeball lips artwork back there is very hard to miss. It seems to be a print of Michael Negan's Eye of the Storm painted in 1975, which is interesting since this episode was filmed in September of 1974.

[00:27:27]H, there's some discrepancies here.

[00:27:30]>> Could you explain this? Well, you see, you look at a picture or a piece of sculpture, and it either does something for you or it doesn't.

[00:27:36]>> Uh-huh. This doesn't do anything for me.

[00:27:40]>> I always enjoyed this scene, poking a little fun at modern art.

[00:27:44]>> Intensity.

[00:27:45]>> I know some people love it, but personally, I can relate to all of Columbbo's reactions and observations.

[00:27:52]And there's that fiddly fig back there.

[00:27:54]I see this plant so much during the show. I don't know if you really want me pointing it out every time. I went back even to some earlier episodes that I didn't mention the fiddly fig, but it's there. Uh, what are your thoughts on the fiddly fig callouts from the past?

[00:28:08]Anyway, she shares that the sculpture thing is priced at $700.

[00:28:13]>> $700.

[00:28:16]>> That'd be worth around $4,300 today in 2026. Then we move on to the next sculpture priced at $1,200.

[00:28:26]>> $1,200. Again, worth around 7,400 today.

[00:28:33]>> That means ghost of a dead dog.

[00:28:36]>> Is this the same dead dog ghost from Suitable for Framing?

[00:28:42]>> Look out.

[00:28:44]>> See, I'm sorry.

[00:28:46]And that's the dead dog.

[00:28:49]This is the parking lot.

[00:28:50]>> Mhm. $4,700.

[00:28:53]>> That's $29,000 today. And all this looks like is silver sprayed tin can art or something. It looks cheap. Looks like it was made out of recycled LA trash. Hopefully the artist isn't listening.

[00:29:08]>> Now this here, I see it doesn't have a title.

[00:29:11]>> That sir is the ventilator for the air conditioning.

[00:29:15]>> Well, that's a ventilator.

[00:29:16]>> She suggests they go upstairs and look at some of the more traditional artwork.

[00:29:20]They have some beautiful landscapes, but Columbbo says, "Oh, no. Actually, he has plenty of landscapes at home." You see my wife, she paints a little.

[00:29:27]>> Oh, does she?

[00:29:28]>> Yeah. She buys those canvases with the numbers on them. You fill in the spaces with the paints that have the corresponding numbers. They turn out pretty good.

[00:29:35]>> They do actually turn out pretty good.

[00:29:38]At least Mrs. Columbo is trying. Well, this is Francine, played by Patricia Barry, born November 16th, 1922 in Davenport, Iowa. A lot of lunchons happen in Davenport.

[00:29:50]>> Say, uh, are you guys going to Davenport? My car died and I'm late for a lunchon.

[00:29:56]>> We usually don't pick up hitchhikers.

[00:29:58]>> She was in over 250 episodes of Days of Our Lives between 1971 and 1974 in over 170 episodes of Loving between 1992 and 1994.

[00:30:11]>> You're great. You >> You're very sweet. It's just that I should have said on the phone that I'm the age I am.

[00:30:17]>> You look better than 3/4 of the girls I know that are half your age. Columbbo finally introduces himself and reveals he is investigating the murder of Margaret Meus. He asks when Mr. Van Wick arrived at the art show.

[00:30:30]>> Well, I'm not uh sure exactly, but >> it was 9:28. I met him when he came in.

[00:30:35]Lieutenant, >> you're pretty sure about that time.

[00:30:37]>> He had a Superwatch that printed the time in red letters.

[00:30:39]>> Miss Superwatch, Marcy Hubard, is played by Trisha Noble, born February 3rd, 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

[00:30:49]She was in the private eyes every episode of Strikeforce and Revenge of the Sith.

[00:30:54]>> I suspect that they would like to see me dead.

[00:30:58]>> Well, you can relax now that we're here.

[00:31:01]>> Let's see how Peter Faulk's sneezing skills are going.

[00:31:07]>> God bless you.

[00:31:10]>> Well, Columbo thanks them and leaves.

[00:31:12]Next, we are with Harold and Elizabeth talking about the business and that there is a board meeting tomorrow. He needs Elizabeth's proxy so he can act or vote on her behalf. But Elizabeth suggests she goes with him to the board meeting and she's been doing a lot of thinking lately.

[00:31:27]>> I think it would be best if I took over chairmanship of the company.

[00:31:30]>> Do you think it would remain with the company in a subservient position to my wife? You don't understand anything about business.

[00:31:36]>> Oh, Harold. Harold. Harold. You know, I think Elizabeth is the perfect wife for Harold. She's so sweet and loving, trusting and gentle. and her disability gives him the sense that he is needed for her survival. But Harold is so far from perfect for Elizabeth, whose ambitions are suppressed and is feeling trapped and lonely.

[00:31:58]>> Here you are safe in the house I built for you.

[00:32:00]>> Oh, Harold, I love you, but I can't stay locked up here in this house the rest of my life. Surely you can understand that.

[00:32:07]>> He sets the documents in front of her and says he needs them signed by tomorrow morning, and he knows she won't disappoint him. The doorbell rings and it is Columbo with a police officer holding a box. Columbo apologizes for showing up unannounced, but Elizabeth said he could stop by any time.

[00:32:22]>> This is Officer Banks. He's come to assist me. I was thinking, ma'am, about what you said this morning. That you woke up last night because you thought you heard a noise.

[00:32:30]>> Yes.

[00:32:30]>> Harold leans over and looks in the box to see it's filled with sand. He asks, "What is this for?" Columbus says he's going to do an experiment and he needs their help. Elizabeth asks what does he need her to do? Columbomo says he needs her to go upstairs to her bedroom and pay attention to what she sees and what she hears while she's up there. She says of course and heads upstairs.

[00:32:52]>> What I'm trying to prove, Lieutenant, I am putting my wife through all these things.

[00:32:56]>> Columbbo apologizes, but he says he has to start somewhere.

[00:32:59]>> May I have the gun?

[00:33:01]>> Is this loaded?

[00:33:02]>> It's loaded, Lieutenant.

[00:33:03]>> Is it safe to catch on or off?

[00:33:05]>> On. Would you take it off? Hate guns.

[00:33:07]>> Yeah. Well, whether or not the writers insist on writing that Columbbo hates guns, they should not have written him as completely incompetent with them. As not only a veteran of the Korean War, but also qualifying to work as the homicide detective for the LAPD, I always found the lines of him asking if it's loaded and is the safety on completely ridiculous. Officer Banks looks at Columbbo as he hands him the loaded pistol with the safety off, probably wondering why his superior, Lieutenant Columbbo, asked him those extremely basic firearm 101 questions.

[00:33:41]Is this some kind of obedience test?

[00:33:43]>> Would you go up on the stairs and watch >> to assume that you're going to shoot the gun in the sand box?

[00:33:50]>> I love that he calls it a sandbox and not a box of sand.

[00:33:53]>> Yes, sir. But you don't have to worry about the bullet going through to the floor. I've tried this before. So, yes, Columbbo is correct. Sand will stop most bullets. The bigger the caliber, of course, the more sand you need. For today's handgun experiment, this amount of dry sand should be sufficient. So, these gun-hating writers did manage to do a little more research than the ones for troubled waters who figured a mattress would work.

[00:34:19]>> You want to put your fingers in your ear? This thing could make a lot of noise.

[00:34:22]>> I could handle it.

[00:34:23]>> I wish I could say the same.

[00:34:29]Columbbo is firing a Walter PP introduced in 1922 for German law enforcement sidearm. Calling it a Walter PP isn't just for fun. The PP in German stands for Politai Pistol. Luckily, in English, it still makes sense, translated to police pistol. Some of you might be more familiar with it being called the Walter PPK, which is famously known as James Bond's signature sidearm.

[00:34:56]The PPK was released in 1931 as the smaller and more concealable model originally intended for undercover detective work. The K in German stands for criminal, meaning the wielder is a criminal investigator or detective. And this is the one and only time Columbbo ever fires a gun in the entire series.

[00:35:16]It's too bad we don't actually get to watch him pull the trigger, but instead we watch the sand get shot. And the director was foolish to have instructed or allowed Peter Faulk to look away when firing. The moment he looked away, the chances of him hitting the sand dropped by 90%. Suddenly, everyone's life is at risk because they want so badly to get their point across that Columbbo doesn't like guns. And that's perfectly fine to have the character Columbo not like guns. Leave the line in there.

[00:35:44]>> Hate guns. But it's just so absurd to have him not know anything at all about them other than you pull the trigger to make it go. Instead, they could have been more tactful with the topic, having him say, "I hate guns, but unfortunately the kind of work I do and the dark world we live in, I have to understand them, not only for my safety, but for the safety of everyone around me." Anyway, Columbbo calls over to Officer Banks to ask Mrs. Van Wick what she saw and heard. She said it wasn't very loud, but she heard it and her door opened.

[00:36:15]>> I just noticed the ceiling. That's interesting. Harold asked Columbbo, "What is this going to prove and if he can help him?"

[00:36:22]>> Well, I wanted to know if you fired a gun here in the study whether the noise would open the door to the bedroom >> and the doors in the rest of the house.

[00:36:28]I wondered.

[00:36:29]>> He wouldn't have need this foolish experiment. I could have told you.

[00:36:33]>> Columbbo reminds Harold that on the night of the murder, his wife heard a noise but didn't know what it was, so she buzzed the study and spoke to him.

[00:36:40]Harold says, "That's exactly true. It was right before I left for the art show." Columbbo asked to confirm that was around 9:13. And Harold says, "Yes."

[00:36:49]Cola pauses and says, "Well, that's where the problem is because Baxter, his security guard, said the shooting took place around 9:30."

[00:36:56]>> But if the noise that your wife heard was a gunshot.

[00:36:59]>> How can my wife say it was a gunshot?

[00:37:01]BUT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, LIEUTENANT? If it WOULD HAVE BEEN A GUNSHOT, I WOULD KNOW MYSELF. I WAS >> I really like Oscar Verer's sudden, intense acting here. The Harold character has been so mild and cooperative till this moment, which is of course jarring and terribly suspicious to Columbbo. And I'm betting him getting up so fast wasn't planned because it seems like the cameraman was not prepared for him to stand since his head goes out of frame and his back is turned to us and then him walking towards us again, cutting his head out of frame. It just seems like a very odd shot if it was on purpose, but I like it because it's very individual. Harold tries to calm his speech down after saying he assures Columbbo he heard nothing.

[00:37:39]>> And as a matter of fact, she's not sure if she heard anything at all. Maybe she was dreaming.

[00:37:44]>> Oh, she wasn't dreaming, sir. That's for certain.

[00:37:46]>> Columbomo wants Harold to follow him upstairs because there had to have been a noise.

[00:37:50]>> You see, that's my problem, sir. What caused the door to open?

[00:37:53]>> Uh, she didn't tell me the door opened.

[00:37:55]>> She didn't tell me either.

[00:37:58]>> So, I know I have extended this scene a lot with all my talking, but I wanted to mention some interesting behind the scenes. So, you'll notice while watching this episode that there are a lot of shots of Oscar saying his lines, then switching the camera to Peter saying his lines and back and forth rather than a full shot of both of them sharing a dialogue together. This is because Oscar had a terrible time memorizing his lines. Single shots of Oscar forgetting lines makes things easier to just retake his individual lines rather than having Peter and everyone else having to redo their lines as well. And on top of that, 3 days into shooting, Oscar decided it was time to get blind drunk, making [clears throat] him totally unable to work. A quote from Everett Chambers. I just went down and suspended shooting.

[00:38:44]There's nothing you can do. He's just got to sleep it off and come back tomorrow. And I never said one word to him. I was married to an alcoholic. I know you don't chastise him. That's just what they want. I never said one word to him. He never touched another drop again. just that one day. I guess he tested us. And of course, that behavior when he arrived, he was probably loaded on the plane and got up in the morning half stewed. He and I became friends after that. We partied at Jack Cassid's house.

[00:39:13]>> Oh, there you are.

[00:39:15]Don't move.

[00:39:19]>> You're lovely. Leave.

[00:39:22]>> All right. Back up to Elizabeth's room.

[00:39:24]Columbbo says he wants to continue his experiment if it's all right with Elizabeth. She says, "Of course. And Columbbo walks in. She must not be fussy about her carpets today. I have a feeling it was Harold who was fussy about the carpets.

[00:39:35]>> Oh, would you mind to doing something about your shoes? My wife is a little bit fussy with her carpets.

[00:39:41]>> According to your statement, ma'am, you were lying in your bed reading. Is that correct?

[00:39:45]>> Yes, that's right.

[00:39:46]>> Then Columbbo gets onto her bed to lay down with his shoes on.

[00:39:50]>> Would you turn out the lights, please?

[00:39:52]Columbbo, for some reason in the dark, goes over what she remembers about her lying on the right side of her bed with her book in her right hand and her head against the pillow facing her night table.

[00:40:02]>> And you had your reading lamp on. I think you'll both get a better idea of what I'm talking about if you'll position yourselves in this area. As they position themselves in that area, Columbbo continues telling Elizabeth what she shared, that she dozed off, but then heard something and sat up thinking she was just dreaming because she saw her bathrobe at the foot of the bed and the clown in the chair. Columba points out that it makes sense she saw her robe because the foot of the bed is lit by the lamp, but asks how could she see the clown.

[00:40:31]>> That part of the room is dark.

[00:40:36]>> Clown jump scare. Did the thing in the chair have to be a clown? Why not a teddy bear or a doll or a giraffe?

[00:40:46]Though in the early 1970s, clowns weren't considered unsettling by the general public yet. They were still a pretty wholesome staple for children.

[00:40:54]Boza the Clown and Ronald Macdonald were innocent household names, and circuses were still a major event which connected clowns with childhood happiness. The scariness of clowns began to bloom in the late7s, maybe as specific as 1978 when serial killer John Wayne Gayy was arrested and dubbed the killer clown because of his history of dressing as a clown for children's parties and charities. Then, of course, moving into the 80s, we have the possessed clown doll in the 1982 film Poltergeist. And then the terrifying predatory clown, Pennywise, from the 1986 Stephen King novel and the 1990 TV miniseries to go along with it. Let's stop talking about clowns.

[00:41:41]>> There is no question in my mind that the door was open. What we're trying to determine, ma'am, is whether you were dreaming or whether you really heard something.

[00:41:48]>> Harold reminds Columbbo that he was still in the house and he heard no gunshots.

[00:41:52]>> Well, you must have heard something. I mean, there had to be a noise otherwise the door would not open. Harold brings up something that happened last month when they had company for the weekend.

[00:42:00]One of their doors continually opened and closed the whole time.

[00:42:04]>> Our back door kept just popping open for no apparent reason.

[00:42:07]>> I'm afraid, Lieutenant, the little pilot trick proofed absolutely nothing.

[00:42:11]>> The scene changes to Mike Lai and three other unidentified guys watching football together. You know, Mike Lai from Lady in Waiting, Short Fuse, Blueprint for Murder, Aude in Black, Recquum for a Falling Star, A Stitching Crime, Double Shock, Any Old Port in a Storm, Candidate for Crime, Double Exposure, Publisher Perish, Mind Over Mayhem, Swan Song, A Friend indeed, An Exercise and Fatality, Negative Reaction by Dawn's Early Light in Troubled Waters. [sighs] [gasps] They're watching a rerun today. The 1973 Liberty Bowl featuring NC State Wolfpack defeating the Kansas Jay-Hawks 31 to 18.

[00:42:49]Columbbo's behind the counter looking for something.

[00:42:51]>> He's got any ketchup on the counter. This is empty.

[00:42:55]>> Look at these little man bowls. I'm guessing these are for the communal beer nuts. And in the background, we've got some Lays potato chip product placement.

[00:43:04]The guy tells Colbo to give him a minute while he keeps his eyes on the game.

[00:43:08]These signs are great for the bar, too.

[00:43:11]No gambling. Love thy neighbor.

[00:43:14]Positively no vulgar language. You see, this is a respectable bar. Columbo shakes his head and walks out from behind the counter with his plain burger and three potato chips. As he looks over to the football game, he sees how they replay parts, which triggers a thought in Columbbo's brain. Now we are over at the meas electronics.

[00:43:33]>> I appreciate this, but I know how busy you are.

[00:43:35]>> Oh, yeah. I forgot that guy existed.

[00:43:37]Arthur, right? And we walk past one, two, three fiddly figs.

[00:43:42]>> Thompson. Lieutenant Colombo. The tapes that I sent down are his.

[00:43:46]>> Well, how do you do, Lieutenant?

[00:43:47]>> Columbbo explains to Arthur that he wants to show him the recording from the night of the murder.

[00:43:52]>> Mr. Thompson, I assume that you cut the tape in the place that I marked it.

[00:43:55]>> Yes, I did. The arrival of the security guard would be on the right monitor, and the shooting would be on your left monitor.

[00:44:00]>> Thompson is played by Bart Burns from Reququum for a Falling Star. Well, let's have a look at the tapes. Freeze that.

[00:44:07]Freeze this.

[00:44:08]>> Exactly. What are you looking for?

[00:44:10]>> I don't know. A clock on a wall. A watch shadow.

[00:44:13]>> What about this grassy null shadow?

[00:44:16]>> Let me ask you something. Can you zoom in close like they do in the football games?

[00:44:20]>> Well, sure. That's no problem.

[00:44:21]>> The scene ends and we are back with Harold and Elizabeth.

[00:44:24]>> We need each other even more than ever before.

[00:44:26]>> Thank God you went to the gallery that night. If you'd been here, I might have lost you both.

[00:44:32]Harold breaks away from Elizabeth's embrace and says, "I have to go now." He opens the door and who's on the other side.

[00:44:39]>> Good afternoon, Mr. Ben Wick.

[00:44:40]>> What is it? A new experiment?

[00:44:42]>> Columbbo says he needs some help with the tapes. He has a technical question and he promises that this is the last time he will bother them.

[00:44:49]>> This is Officer Bronson.

[00:44:51]>> How do you do it?

[00:44:53]>> Officer Bronson is played by Frank Baxter from way back in Lady and Waiting. Columbus suggests Elizabeth wait out here and then goes to tell Harold there are two tapes because one is the shooting of his mother-in-law and the other is the arrival of the security guard.

[00:45:07]>> You mean the tape I gave you your you cuts?

[00:45:10]>> Yes, sir.

[00:45:10]>> Would you play them?

[00:45:11]>> Ready.

[00:45:12]>> Good. You can start. Freeze that. Freeze this.

[00:45:16]>> Columbbo says for a while he accepted his story after checking out his alibi with Baxter and the art gallery ladies.

[00:45:22]But then he happened to be watching a football game on TV where they replayed the game.

[00:45:26]>> That's when it hit You fed a videotape of the study with no one in it down to the gate house. While it was playing, you shot your mother-in-law so that Baxter would see it after you arrived at the art show.

[00:45:35]>> Harold says, "This is an amusing little theory, but that's all it is, a theory."

[00:45:39]Colombo responds with, "He wouldn't say it if he couldn't prove it." He points to the screen and asks Harold if he sees it.

[00:45:46]>> Compare this spot with this spot. Do you see the difference?

[00:45:50]>> No. You're right. It's hard to see. I almost missed it myself.

[00:45:53]>> So then Columbo knows how to use the machine for zooming. Suddenly, >> you still don't recognize it.

[00:45:58]>> No. Well, then let's make it very close.

[00:46:02]>> Harold, that's your invitation to the art gallery.

[00:46:05]>> Oh, that upset Harold. His little subservient wife budding in on a meeting between men. Columbo says she's absolutely right. You can even see his name on it.

[00:46:14]>> I went back and got this from the Grand Galleries. This is this. The problem is it was on the desk immediately after the shooting. How did it get to the art gallery?

[00:46:23]>> He reminds Harold by his own testimony.

[00:46:25]He handed over his invitation at the art gallery, but in order to get it off the desk, he practically had to step over his mother-in-law's dead body. He looks Harold in the eye and says, "That woman was shot before you left the house, and you shot her."

[00:46:38]>> Tell the lieutenant, "Before I left the house, I saw your mother coming up to the room to wish you good night. I saw her. I saw her alive before I left. Tell him, Elizabeth."

[00:46:50]>> And the episode ends with Columbo calling over the officer. Harold saying, "Well, that won't be necessary." as he walks out on his own free will without giving his poor wife a second look and Elizabeth's teardrenched face as Columbbo solemnly bows his head, turning off the monitor, accompanied by perfectly sad music composed by Bernardo Seagal. And this ending is very reminiscent of a tude blacks in that the murdering husband tries to encourage their wife to lie [music] for them right on the spot.

[00:47:19]>> Did he put on a flower after the concert?

[00:47:23]No, no, he didn't put Nana flower afterwards.

[00:47:26]>> Let me just see you alone one moment.

[00:47:28]>> I could have stood for anything, Alex.

[00:47:29]Anything in the world, not murder.

[00:47:32]>> I do, however, need to point out that it would have been impossible to zoom into the image of his invitation and come out clear enough to read his name like that.

[00:47:41]The image of the invitation would have been a white blurry smudge the closer you got. Closed circuit TV systems used lowresolution analog technology making it grainy and of course black and white.

[00:47:55]Rather than the image being made of pixels like today we are looking at an image made from lines and this little imitation was maybe two or three lines out of 400. I have always enjoyed this episode though. I think the acting from everyone is very good. For example, as mentioned Herbert Jefferson Jr. who played Baxter [music] the security guard was exceptionally good for such a simple role. Robert Brown as Arthur was only entertaining because he was so wooden next to everybody else. Martha Scott as mother-in-law Margaret fulfilled her sharp role and was murdered well.

[00:48:29]Patricia Barry as Francine was a lot of fun at the art gallery and Peter Faulk did a wonderful job with his tone of voice and faces during that scene.

[00:48:37]Trisha Noble as Marcy Hubard said superwatch.

[00:48:40]>> Oh, that's super. He had a super watch that printed the time in red letters. He showed it to me.

[00:48:45]>> Oscar Verer is indeed unique and helped give the episode something different with his Austrian accent. His character's agreeableness and helpfulness and a sudden startling outbursts here and there kept me very interested. Jenna Rollins is a very, very good actress, but this part didn't give her much to work with. I doubt they could have gotten a better crier than her for the ending, though. very dramatic emotional conclusion from both her and Verer who shook out of frame in fury and defeat. And of course, I always enjoy the relationship between Columbbo and Dog. There's always a bonus point when they're together. I really enjoy and savor when old technology is showcased in movies and television, time capsuling its existence helps keep us grounded, reminding us how much effort it used to take to create something as we sit with our little screens magnetized to our hands today. Yes, this is a bit of a slower episode. One you could maybe take a little nap to knowing that Verer [music] will certainly wake you up when it's over so you can move on with your next project.

[00:49:46]>> I saw her I saw her life before I left 10 minutes of it.

[00:49:50]>> So for me personally, I give this episode five Columbus cigars out of five, but I am really curious what you would rate this episode. A fairly fun fact, Playback was filmed before Troubled Waters. And also, of course, Oscar Verer was 5 feet 9 in tall. And this episode was filmed one year after Jenna Rollins and Peter Faulk co-starred in A Woman Under the Influence, directed by none other than Jenna's husband, John Civvetes from Aude and Black.

[00:50:19]>> Tell me what you want me to be. How you want me to be? I can be that. I can be anything. You tell me, Nikki. Have you ever watched Remington Steel? Well, there is an episode called Stronger Than Steel from season 3 that directly references this episode to help solve a case they're working on. Columbbo. In an episode entitled Playback, Oscar Verer kills his mother-in-law. He seems to have the perfect alibi until Columbbo discovers he used a videotape to alter the apparent time of the murder.

[00:50:51]>> Are you suggesting Spooner wasn't killed at 11:00?

[00:50:54]>> If Columbbo can do it, so can we. A few alternate titles from other countries.

[00:50:59]Finland, death on screen. Japan, testimony of videotape. Russia, repeat viewing. Spain, repetition.

[00:51:12]And coming up next is a deadly state of mind.