It is arguable that the ‘Columbo’ TV series has no place in a ‘Murder Mystery’ blog for the simple reason that there is never any mystery about the identity of the murderer. The viewer not only knows right from the start who the villain is, but also sees exactly how the murder is plotted and carried out.
It is amazing to think that such a formula can hold the viewers’ attention over and over again, and yet each episode holds us spellbound as we watch the wily detective piece together the various small discrepancies in an often otherwise perfect crime.
One of the reasons Columbo’s appeal has lasted for nearly forty years, apart from the brilliance of his deductions, is the nature of the man himself.
That his scruffy brown raincoat, clapped-out banger of a car and general air of ineptitude hide a razor-sharp intellect, goes without saying. But there is so much more to Columbo. There is an almost childlike naivety about him that is very lovable – he will become dazzled and shy in the presence of a glamorous film star, thrilled and excited to meet a sporting hero and genuinely fascinated by the workings of a famous illusionist’s sleight of hand. But never at any point will he forget that he is on the trail of a murderer, and woe betide anyone who is taken in by Columbo’s apparent gullibility.
Columbo has a habit, highly irritating to the guilty party, of turning up at often inappropriate moments, to ask yet another question. Having satisfied the detective on this particular point, the suspect will think he is rid of him for the time being, when Columbo will turn at the door with the famous remark, ‘Just one more thing…’
There is so much that goes towards making this fictional detective a TV icon – his humanity (he often genuinely regrets having to arrest a ‘justified’ murderer,) his love for his dog, the wife we never see, his lack of social graces (using a priceless piece of porcelain as an ashtray, for example) and of course his dogged determination to catch the villain. But the main reason for the phenomenal success of this series must be the flawless, brilliant portrayal of the character by Peter Falk. Peter Falk IS Columbo and for better or worse, whatever other parts he plays, he will only ever really be seen as the scruffy, deceptively meek but ultimately infallible Lieutenant Columbo.
Wonderful Columbo Clip
The Columbo Collection
Murder Mystery Blog: Columbo
1 comment:
Peter Falk, who played the Lt. Columbo is one of a kind, there will never be another him. He was indeed did a great job in the Columbo. | Columbo
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