One of Columbo's most masterful skills is the ability to annoy people. He plays dumb, he panders to their ego, he nips at their heels and gets under their skin. Eventually they get so angry and annoyed that they let something slip or make themselves look guilty. Brilliant.
No. He is the equal of his adversary. He does not have any power. However, there is no such thing as the perfect crime, and Columbo knows that the suspect will be caught.
What I love about Columbo is that he isn't even a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's more like a shepherd disguised as a sheep! He's a genuinely good person who wants to protect the innocent but he is a serious danger to wrongdoers.
he confronted EVERY villain in a different context but the SAME classic Columbo way, lol, he sometimes though, on rare occasion, had to call in the police early due to potentially dangerous situations, if I recall.
Columbo has a high re-watch value, because of the way it is written. Most detective stories it's a "Who dunnit". Columbo is a "How they did it" sort of show. With who dunnit's as soon as you re-watch the show, you remember who dunnit. But with Columbo, it's more about how did Columbo figure it out. And that's not as easy to remember. So if you space out the shows a few yrs apart. It's like watching it for the first time.
its peter faulks charm and dry wit that make it so ageless. he isnt a tall man but he is walking around killers usually much larger than himself without a care in the world.
I was broken hearted when he got too old to play him and again when he died. I have everything he's ever done on DVD. Rest in peace Peter Falk you are missed.
Keith Jones. Well now I’m confused. I just pulled up a site saying he passed in June 2019 and sites that say the opposite. I’ll keep happy thoughts. ❤️💖
I like how Columbo refers to Candidate For Crime in this. It's interesting to hear Columbo summarise the whole episode as an amazing story, but he doesn't know where to begin in writing it down. Nice continuity hearing Columbo refer to another case that we've seen onscreen. Brilliant episode, one of the first I remember watching. Jack Cassidy is the consummate Columbo villain.
Totally agree Great actors always We're the best in Columbo ❤ We're golden years back then when we had the best stars always every time Am watching fugitive classic tv drama series David Jason 1960 Another classic especially black and white Great stars always When tv was great
@@cylon6 totally agree Great natural actors Were so good Kept coming back to get Columbo We had the best stars always Back then When tv was great Dont for get another classic. TV. Serious. Fugitive 1960 Am still watching today
@@Italianwop Robert Vaughn was the first I saw in Columbo when I first saw the series. I was a kid then but I always had a good memory for special guest stars in TV shows.
Columbo is probably the best written, produced and acted detective in television history. No one before him was as good and no one since can touch him.
@@robinsoto2700 Right! They were both great at creating tension and acrimony between their characters and Columbo. Two of the greatest Columbo villains in the shows history.
@@junesanders463 Apart from being insufferably smug, as you so astutely pointed out; Ross Martin also treated Columbo with palpable disdain, derision and utter contempt throughout the episode. But Falk had the last laugh as per usual. Prime example of outstanding writing and acting all around.
All 3 Jack Cassidy episodes arguably belong at least in the top 10 best Columbo episodes. He was a great actor, and he was just explosive when paired with Falk, as they each seemed to bring out the best in the other.
Yes. There were so many actors he could have used but it's no coincidence that Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp and Patrick Mcgoohan were in multiple eposodes. He had great chemistry with them.
@@pR1mal. But unlike the aforementioned three actors, who were chosen for their talent and great rapport with Falk, Danese was chosen purely because of nepotism. She was a mediocre actress overall, and a bad fit for Columbo.
B-) I had already "thumbs up"-ed your comment, but came back to remark - after a comment elsewhere prompted me to find a bit more on Jack's bio . . . and learn - ironically, it was apparently Jack's later failure to stomp out a cigarette that causes his death, by fire . . . after passing out on his couch with a lit ciggy.
@@ultimathule1000 , indeed ! . . . I believe he "passed out" on his couch, lit ciggy in hand because of (yet another) long night of drinking. while he was not a victim of so called "spontaneous combustion" . . . one supposed explanation of that phenomenon is typically a person with ample fat reserves (not applicable in jack's case) and a Lot of booze in their system, where a fire source actually (slowly) ignites and consumes most of the body . . . ewww ! . . . but I digress ! B-)
I always loved how he toyed with the crook, using seemingly random stories to annoy to the point where they are pretty much ready to spill the beans to end their on torment...
What I love is how often Columbo figures it out from a single visit to the crime scene and the very first conversation with the killer. And how often he gets them with a trap he laid for them literally the day after they committed the crime or he met them.
Jack Cassidy was born to be Columbo villian. His 3 starring roles in Columbo were top notch episodes. It was tragic that he had such a horrid death in a house fire!
Peter Falk and Jack Cassidy.. surely the best acting duo in the best crime series ever made. I have all the Columbo DVDs and l will never tire of watching them. Tip top brilliance 👌
Jack Cassidy having the same reception when he gets off the elevator, with policemen outside, just like Murder by the Book. I really enjoyed this episode of Columbo. Great acting by Jack Cassidy.
Jack Cassidy was a wonderful charismatic actor who added his own special charm to every movie and TV series he appeared in. Father of 70's idol David Cassidy of _The Partridge Family_ fame, he died in 1976, well before his time at the young age of 49 in a house fire said to be started by a cigarette as he fell asleep. Sadly missed as he was a brilliant supporting cast actor.
What a brilliant shot at 7:00 when the younger man steps out of the room. It's like the men are standing on a chess board and Columbo is slowly moving the pieces (suspect/accomplice) across the board until ultimately -- CHECKMATE.
I love Columbo episodes. Every episode is predictable, yet you still enjoy it like you were seeing your first Columbo episode. The elements of a Columbo episode: 1. Perp is usually some well to do person who plans the perfect crime 2. Columbo appears disheveled when going to the scene. 3. Columbo flatters perp and plays dumb. Wife is always a big fan 4. Perp goes from being eagerly cooperative to irritated at Columbo. "Just one more thing" 5. Perp is usually smug and assumes Columbo is dumb. 6. Columbo springs the evidence gathered on perp. He realizes underneath the old raincoat is a shrewd detective. But it's too late because he underestimated Columbo and his smugness ultimately constructed his guillotine.
I've watched this episode many times and will watch it again every few years because the acting and plot was so good. Jack Cassidy was superb. Both he and Robert Culp were the best "baddies" of the series among many great ones. Even though my favorite episode is "A Friend In Deed" with Richard Kiley who played the corrupt police commissioner Mark Halperin..
I agree. The scene where Jack Cassidy acts all drunk at the bar and causes a car accident in order to establish an alibi is some of his most entertaining Columbo work. Also, A Friend in Deed is maybe my favorite episode too. It's pretty dark and serious for the most part, which I like, plus the contrast between the wealthy neighborhood where the murders take place to the dive bar that the Artie Jessup character hangs out at is interesting. Great gotcha moment too at the end.
@@Well_hello_there_ --"Madame in your condition I'd call a plastic surgeon." Great line from Cassidy after the car accident. "Publish or Perish" probably cracks the Top 10 Columbo episodes for me. Only the early ones filmed in the '70s which were the best ones..
@@Well_hello_there_ i've sometimes wondered if he played it so well because he battled with alcoholism. Didn't Jack Cassidy die in a fire he created whilst intoxicated?
Jack Cassidy had a real passion for villainy in the publishing industry :) I'm not sure why they added another gotcha moment when this one was set up so perfectly. Regardless I love all things Columbo. This episode, like so many, was an absolute treasure.
David Cassidy so loved and admired his father. He wanted so much to be just like his dad. For his dad to be proud of him. When David became a superstar ( very famous and very wealthy ) Jack couldn't handle his jealous envy which only worsened their relationship. Terribly sad.
This is one of the best gotchas simply due to Jack Cassidy's character's smugness disintegrating with each passing minute. As his patience starts to run out and his desperation increases, Columbo increases the strength of his reveals and evidence. The denoument comes to literally stop jack Cassidy in his tracks & even then Columbo doesn't accuse him outright. Pure class all the way, from the writing to the acting & direction.
And for the life of me, I don’t see how Eddie Kane wrote an ending six months ago . . which wasn’t invented until last week. And it wasn’t even Alan Mallory. It was his agent, Miss McCrae.
@@madams3478 "for the life of me, I don’t see ..." Why the hell should Greenleaf hep Columbo figure things out? Come with a downright formal accusation, which will of necessity be extremely flimsy and tenuous, and expose yoursel to ridicule and disgrace at the courtroom!
The wonderful thing is that Columbo already figured it out much before this scene, he was just wrapping up all the loose ends with the suspect to leave him with no way to escape.
Hands down the All-time best detective series and in my Top 3 of *any* TV series, period. Columbo was as perfect a series as it gets---the acting, the writing, the guest stars. An absolute gem..
@@johnking5174 It was a tasteless comment and I'll gladly ignore you. Unfortunately, UA-cam is wall to wall with people like you so I'm sure I'll meet your ilk again.
@5:55 "Now, look, Columbo, I've had you up to here! And frankly, I'm not interested in locks and keys and open doors and air conditioners and how he got in here!" - great performance, I keep watching it over and over again...
It would have been fun if Columbo had met one murderer who said they weren't interested in the murder or discussing any of Columbo's thoughts or clues.
Or a suspect who immediately hired a lawyer and only ever said "no comment" whenever Columbo asked him a question. And Columbo still would have gotten him.
it's a delicate thing to cold shoulder a murder detective he's snooping around outside your window, and keeps popping up getting a judge to sign off on 'harrassment' a few days into an investigation is not a sure thing by any means
Murderers usually have such egos that they can’t help themselves. They think they are smarter than everyone else. Of course they would find it amusing to discuss clues and thoughts that they would assume were going nowhere.
I can watch this 10 THOUSAND times, and the pacing, Peter Faulk's delivery, the case, all still are just as enticing and masterful as the first watch. What a masterpiece of television history..
THE CASE WAS SOLVED AT THE MIDDLE OF THE CLIP WHEN COLUMBO ASKED HIM HOW THE HELL DID KANE HAVE THE KEY TO THE LOCK THAT COLUMBO CHANGED. BUT THEN COLUMBO HAS TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO HUMILIATE HIM.
Didn’t happen, but it makes an interesting detail in the story. Sometimes men would flick ashes in the cuffs of their pants... but I don’t remember EVER seeing someone stamp out a cigarette on a floor. It was very common to flick the butt on the ground outside without stamping it out first, though
He nails him twice in this one . . . 1st with the key since Greenleaf was the only person Columbo told about it ["If I find the key, I'll find the killer" . . . but it was a deliberate trap set by Columbo] and 2nd the whole thing about the ending.
i just watched season 4 ep 1, don't remember the name, and in the episode columbo was mentioning how he got a new boss and his opinion of him. the previous ep, aka the season three finale, was columbo proving his boss (aka the police commissioner) had helped cover up the accidental murder his neighbor committed, then murdered his wife and blackmailed the neighbor into helping him. gave me a nice laugh when he made that new boss comment the following ep :^)
The shocking thing about this episode is that Mr. Black was unable to parlay his appearance as a locksmith on Columbo into an Academy Award winning acting career. Hollywood can be so cruel.
One of Columbo's most masterful skills is the ability to annoy people. He plays dumb, he panders to their ego, he nips at their heels and gets under their skin. Eventually they get so angry and annoyed that they let something slip or make themselves look guilty. Brilliant.
No. He is the equal of his adversary. He does not have any power. However, there is no such thing as the perfect crime, and Columbo knows that the suspect will be caught.
@@dunbustin Are you kidding? perfect crimes happen every day! The fact that we don;t hear about them is what makes them perfect.
😂😂😂😂
gibberish
@@Mozart1220 If we do not hear about them, then how do you know they are happening?
The late Jack Cassidy was a very underrated actor. He was fantasticly superb in the episodes he appeared in.👏👏👏👍😀
Yes agreed ...talented man but sad life ...
Agreed
Jack Cassidy and Robert Culp are my two favorite villains I love to watch Columbo put through the wringer.
not underrated, jerk off.
What I love about Columbo is that he isn't even a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's more like a shepherd disguised as a sheep! He's a genuinely good person who wants to protect the innocent but he is a serious danger to wrongdoers.
Maybe that is why director Wim Wenders, chose Peter Falk to play an angel in that movie.
Binge watching Columbo polishes my heart! I admire his unrelenting ownership of Columbo’s characteristics! RIPOWER PETER FALK💌
he confronted EVERY villain in a different context but the SAME classic Columbo way, lol, he sometimes though, on rare occasion, had to call in the police early due to potentially dangerous situations, if I recall.
@@Ubu987 My favourite all time film...
He always gives them so hard evidence
that the only option they have
is to admit
I always loved how Jack Cassidy would accept the defeat with a smile. Such a great villain he played. But always with a touch of dastardly class.
Jack would have been a good Snidely Whiplash.
And the moustache just made it. He has an air of Terry Thomas about him, almost. The villain you can't help but root for.
Peter Falk was absolutely the best in this role, I still like to watch the reruns when I can.
and that's why Mrs Partridge must have fallen for him!?
Jack Cassidy should have learned and known better than try to get away with murder from Colombo again!!!
Columbo has a high re-watch value, because of the way it is written. Most detective stories it's a "Who dunnit". Columbo is a "How they did it" sort of show. With who dunnit's as soon as you re-watch the show, you remember who dunnit. But with Columbo, it's more about how did Columbo figure it out. And that's not as easy to remember. So if you space out the shows a few yrs apart. It's like watching it for the first time.
Wow, you're so right. The entire point of the show is the hardest part to remember. The ending doesn't even matter, so how can you spoil it? Jeeze.
Yeah. You have to watch it again to see what you may have missed the last time.
Not a whodunit...a howcatchem...
its peter faulks charm and dry wit that make it so ageless. he isnt a tall man but he is walking around killers usually much larger than himself without a care in the world.
Also, the series has so many 'delicious' moments (what the French call frissons) you can watch them over and over still get that 'French Shiver'.
No actor could wear a turtleneck with such style and deliver his dialogue with such scornful disdain than the inimitable Jack Cassidy.
Maybe Nick Cassidy 😉
Hands down. Or should I say neck down?
"I want to tell you something, this writing isn't as easy as it looks."
A writer had to write that. Hehe
"That's a lie"
"I resent that!"
Amazing comeback
I was broken hearted when he got too old to play him and again when he died. I have everything he's ever done on DVD. Rest in peace Peter Falk you are missed.
I can see that you are a real Columbophile!
I felt the same way about David Jansen (Jack Frost), two of the best tv detective. Rest In Peace both of you. 💖
@@maryelizabeth6797 last time I looked David Jason (Jack Frost) was alive and kicking!
Keith Jones. Well now I’m confused. I just pulled up a site saying he passed in June 2019 and sites that say the opposite. I’ll keep happy thoughts. ❤️💖
Gonna have to buy it all on Blu-Ray again, because who wants to watch this in 480p these days?
I could re-watch Columbo every single day (and at times, I have!). Great all-time show. Peter Falk 💯
I like how Columbo refers to Candidate For Crime in this. It's interesting to hear Columbo summarise the whole episode as an amazing story, but he doesn't know where to begin in writing it down. Nice continuity hearing Columbo refer to another case that we've seen onscreen. Brilliant episode, one of the first I remember watching. Jack Cassidy is the consummate Columbo villain.
I just was thinking the same thing and was wondering if anyone caught it
Bravo.
In a good way.
4 more weeks of summer.
The refer to Candidate For Crime was not exact. He mentions the member of his guard, but it is not fact. IT was not about guard man.
@@jthetailor6948 Same here. That was another outstanding Columbo episode.
Jack Cassidy and Robert Culp should have been nominated and won Emmys for their Columbo work.
Totally agree
Great actors always
We're the best in Columbo ❤
We're golden years back then when we had the best stars always every time
Am watching fugitive classic tv drama series David Jason 1960
Another classic especially black and white
Great stars always
When tv was great
Do not forget Robert Vaughn.
@@cylon6 totally agree
Great natural actors
Were so good
Kept coming back to get Columbo
We had the best stars always
Back then
When tv was great
Dont for get another classic.
TV. Serious. Fugitive 1960
Am still watching today
@@Italianwop As good as he was, I think Culp and Cassidy were superior.
@@Italianwop Robert Vaughn was the first I saw in Columbo when I first saw the series. I was a kid then but I always had a good memory for special guest stars in TV shows.
Columbo is probably the best written, produced and acted detective in television history. No one before him was as good and no one since can touch him.
Jack Cassidy was always a great Columbo villain!
The Best IMO
Agree. So sad he also passed. R I P
I loved Jack Cassidy!. He was a deliciously nefarious foil for the world class Ltd Columbo !!!!! 😆
Him and Robert culp
@@robinsoto2700 Right! They were both great at creating tension and acrimony between their characters and Columbo. Two of the greatest Columbo villains in the shows history.
1:00 Colombo is discussing Candidate for Crime, one of the best episodes imo.
@Mz Thompsun B-) haaaa . . . and so a squabble of the ages begins ! . . .
yeah, especially like the conclusion with the bullet in the wall, Columbo was so sneaky
I concur heartily. The "Gotcha" at the end is only surpassed by the one in "Suitable for Framing" episode.
@@rezathenightfly Ross Martin was so smug in that episode.
Definitely my favorite.
@@junesanders463 Apart from being insufferably smug, as you so astutely pointed out; Ross Martin also treated Columbo with palpable disdain, derision and utter contempt throughout the episode. But Falk had the last laugh as per usual. Prime example of outstanding writing and acting all around.
All 3 Jack Cassidy episodes arguably belong at least in the top 10 best Columbo episodes. He was a great actor, and he was just explosive when paired with Falk, as they each seemed to bring out the best in the other.
"Explosive" is a perfect term for this episode! lol
ABSOLUTELY.
Yes. There were so many actors he could have used but it's no coincidence that Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp and Patrick Mcgoohan were in multiple eposodes. He had great chemistry with them.
@@pR1mal. But unlike the aforementioned three actors, who were chosen for their talent and great rapport with Falk, Danese was chosen purely because of nepotism. She was a mediocre actress overall, and a bad fit for Columbo.
@@pR1mal. and Shawn Cassidy of the Hardy Boys ....he was married to Shirley Jones
How times change, I was shocked when he threw his cigarette on the floor.
B-) I had already "thumbs up"-ed your comment, but came back to remark - after a comment elsewhere prompted me to find a bit more on Jack's bio . . . and learn - ironically, it was apparently Jack's later failure to stomp out a cigarette that causes his death, by fire . . . after passing out on his couch with a lit ciggy.
@@solarnaut : and alcohol was involved, too ...
@@ultimathule1000 , indeed ! . . . I believe he "passed out" on his couch, lit ciggy in hand because of (yet another) long night of drinking. while he was not a victim of so called "spontaneous combustion" . . . one supposed explanation of that phenomenon is typically a person with ample fat reserves (not applicable in jack's case) and a Lot of booze in their system, where a fire source actually (slowly) ignites and consumes most of the body . . . ewww ! . . . but I digress ! B-)
Jack Cassidy dying that way really is an ironic twist. For this episode, I think its an homage to Mickey Spillane's character Mike Hammer.
I noticed that too, like dude who does that?
"Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
"I'm a locksmith. And I'm a locksmith."
Leslie Nielsen vs Columbo.
Yes so odd to see Leslie Nielsen in a dead serious part 😮
LOL
The look on that guys face was priceless when he found out about the new lock.
Poor Robert Culp and Jack Cassidy - Columbo REALLY knew how to make them squirm and these two were the best 'squirmers' in the series.
No one quite captures the feeling of hopelessness and the experience of a man tormented by guilt more than Jack Cassidy.
I always loved how he toyed with the crook, using seemingly random stories to annoy to the point where they are pretty much ready to spill the beans to end their on torment...
Omen Akumaru, lol! Great way to put it!
“No sir that would be impossible“ villain begins to show panic “why?“
Peter Falk was an incredibly talented sketch artist. He could have had a career in art.
Columbo is just like a disappointed parent who knows everything and is waiting for the child to confess first.
What I love is how often Columbo figures it out from a single visit to the crime scene and the very first conversation with the killer.
And how often he gets them with a trap he laid for them literally the day after they committed the crime or he met them.
Yes! He catches on real quick!
Jack Cassidy was born to be Columbo villian. His 3 starring roles in Columbo were top notch episodes. It was tragic that he had such a horrid death in a house fire!
he was also a abusive husband to Shirley Jones they say
@@stellertonybeller1972 Hmmm , was it really an accident or a celebrity MURDER.... Or maybe I've watched to many Columbo episodes lately.
PAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA this comment's written like a Norm Macdonald joke. I was really not expecting a graphic reminder of his death at the end, there.
@@Romancefantasy pure accident. He fell asleep while smoking and dropped the cigarette on a Naugahyde couch, which is highly flammable.
He was a bad alcoholic. That had a lot to do with what happened.
Peter Falk and Jack Cassidy.. surely the best acting duo in the best crime series ever made. I have all the Columbo DVDs and l will never tire of watching them. Tip top brilliance 👌
Jack Cassidy having the same reception when he gets off the elevator, with policemen outside, just like Murder by the Book. I really enjoyed this episode of Columbo. Great acting by Jack Cassidy.
The same when he was playing the Magician !
Terrific episode.
I love when Columbo references previous murders (in this case, it’s the “The man who fired the shot is still in this room”).
That ending was brilliant!
1:03 I love the reference to the "Candidate for crime" episode !
Jack Cassidy was a wonderful charismatic actor who added his own special charm to every movie and TV series he appeared in. Father of 70's idol David Cassidy of _The Partridge Family_ fame, he died in 1976, well before his time at the young age of 49 in a house fire said to be started by a cigarette as he fell asleep. Sadly missed as he was a brilliant supporting cast actor.
Great performance by the late great Jack Cassidy.
1927-1976🙏🏼🕯️🙏🏼
Only 49?
@@hopebobhartley3812 That's correct !!!
What a brilliant shot at 7:00 when the younger man steps out of the room. It's like the men are standing on a chess board and Columbo is slowly moving the pieces (suspect/accomplice) across the board until ultimately -- CHECKMATE.
I love Columbo episodes. Every episode is predictable, yet you still enjoy it like you were seeing your first Columbo episode. The elements of a Columbo episode:
1. Perp is usually some well to do person who plans the perfect crime
2. Columbo appears disheveled when going to the scene.
3. Columbo flatters perp and plays dumb. Wife is always a big fan
4. Perp goes from being eagerly cooperative to irritated at Columbo. "Just one more thing"
5. Perp is usually smug and assumes Columbo is dumb.
6. Columbo springs the evidence gathered on perp. He realizes underneath the old raincoat is a shrewd detective. But it's too late because he underestimated Columbo and his smugness ultimately constructed his guillotine.
But what’s not predictable is how he nabs the killer.
@@GillAgainsIsland12 Yes - what was it the culprit overlooked that Columbo will catch them on? That's what we want to find out.
Columbo is the best series ever created.
Monk is excellent, too.
I've watched this episode many times and will watch it again every few years because the acting and plot was so good. Jack Cassidy was superb. Both he and Robert Culp were the best "baddies" of the series among many great ones. Even though my favorite episode is "A Friend In Deed" with Richard Kiley who played the corrupt police commissioner Mark Halperin..
I agree. The scene where Jack Cassidy acts all drunk at the bar and causes a car accident in order to establish an alibi is some of his most entertaining Columbo work. Also, A Friend in Deed is maybe my favorite episode too. It's pretty dark and serious for the most part, which I like, plus the contrast between the wealthy neighborhood where the murders take place to the dive bar that the Artie Jessup character hangs out at is interesting. Great gotcha moment too at the end.
@@Well_hello_there_ --"Madame in your condition I'd call a plastic surgeon." Great line from Cassidy after the car accident. "Publish or Perish" probably cracks the Top 10 Columbo episodes for me. Only the early ones filmed in the '70s which were the best ones..
@@Well_hello_there_ i've sometimes wondered if he played it so well because he battled with alcoholism. Didn't Jack Cassidy die in a fire he created whilst intoxicated?
Was this the pilot episode directed by Steven Spielberg?
@@bb21again.67 murder by the book
Cassidy had a great voice.
This is my favourite gotcha of all the Columbo episodes.
"Long as you're curious, sir..."
Jack Cassidy had a real passion for villainy in the publishing industry :) I'm not sure why they added another gotcha moment when this one was set up so perfectly. Regardless I love all things Columbo. This episode, like so many, was an absolute treasure.
David Cassidy so loved and admired his father. He wanted so much to be just like his dad. For his dad to be proud of him. When David became a superstar ( very famous and very wealthy ) Jack couldn't handle his jealous envy which only worsened their relationship. Terribly sad.
This is one of the best gotchas simply due to Jack Cassidy's character's smugness disintegrating with each passing minute.
As his patience starts to run out and his desperation increases, Columbo increases the strength of his reveals and evidence. The denoument comes to literally stop jack Cassidy in his tracks & even then Columbo doesn't accuse him outright. Pure class all the way, from the writing to the acting & direction.
A perfect summation.
And for the life of me, I don’t see how Eddie Kane wrote an ending six months ago . . which wasn’t invented until last week. And it wasn’t even Alan Mallory. It was his agent, Miss McCrae.
"Columbo doesn't accuse him outright", i. e. Columbo FAILS at what a police detecti must do. So, seriously, WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
@@madams3478 "for the life of me, I don’t see ..." Why the hell should Greenleaf hep Columbo figure things out? Come with a downright formal accusation, which will of necessity be extremely flimsy and tenuous, and expose yoursel to ridicule and disgrace at the courtroom!
@stevemrmusic9
Cassidy: Who ordered the lock changes?
Locksmith: He did
And the gotcha look on columbo's face!
The wonderful thing is that Columbo already figured it out much before this scene, he was just wrapping up all the loose ends with the suspect to leave him with no way to escape.
I have all the episodes. I've watched them all over and over.
Don't you just hate that Jack Cassidy? What an excellent villain!
I can’t keep from watching this scene over and over again watching Jack Cassidy go ballistic !
Jack Cassidy was a very underrated actor.
Jack wasn't underrated at all, as the glowing comments on this page clearly demonstrate. He was very cultured actor indeed, and appreciated by many.
What do you mean? Why do a thousand comments use “ underrated”? Why can’t you think of something original to say?
As a comic character on "He & She" he evinced a stoner brand of comic acting way ahead of its time!
@@garyfrancis6193What do you have as a workable synonym?
gibberish,fool
I love how Columbo start his conversation by referencing one of the previous Episodes.
“When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Sherlock Holmes.
The Greatest Detective
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I thought that was Spock. LOL
Most definitely.
Like when his and Watson's tent was stolen.
the best part, when the suspect was begging to know why finding the key that fits the lock was such a problem.
I watched all these episodes in my early teens it help me along alot.
Jack Cassidy was an incredible actor. Great voice. Did he just put out is smoke right there lol
Wearing a turtleneck and sport jacket..Haha I remember those days!
2 of the 3 Jack Cassidy Columbo appearances involve fire, and Jack died in that terrible fire in 1976. Still eerie after 46 years.
Yep. Fire from Heaven. There was a book written about it. When you've got a lazy 5 minutes, check out "Mary Reeser" in Florida, 1951.
@@pintificate thanks... I'll check it out.
Jack Cassidy's expressions are SO on point! Brilliant acting!
Love how the LT plays with him.
Hands down the All-time best detective series and in my Top 3 of *any* TV series, period. Columbo was as perfect a series as it gets---the acting, the writing, the guest stars. An absolute gem..
when the villain turns up i love it when the officers there look at him as if they know what he done
Columbo ‘ does that make any sense to you at all ‘
Jack Cassidy ‘ sure is a puzzle alright ‘ ... that side eye 👀
Jack Cassidy is a great actor!!! I love him in every episode he does!!!! I watch it everytime it's on, and record it!!! Columbo, is my favorite!!!!!
Such a tragic end to Jack's life. RIP, good actor.
A very "hot" ending yes
A man plagued by demons who always turned in good work.
@@johnking5174 Really? Was that kind of comment necessary?
@@husbandryenvy433 It is a comment. If you are such a snowflake, just ignore me. People have said much worse.
@@johnking5174 It was a tasteless comment and I'll gladly ignore you. Unfortunately, UA-cam is wall to wall with people like you so I'm sure I'll meet your ilk again.
When they get tetchy you know Columbo is getting close.
Indeed ! first they are amused;
then they are annoyed;
then they are afraid;
then they are cuffed B-)
@5:55 "Now, look, Columbo, I've had you up to here! And frankly, I'm not interested in locks and keys and open doors and air conditioners and how he got in here!" -
great performance, I keep watching it over and over again...
The producers and writers should have just had Jack Cassidy on every week as a different villian. He was that awesome as Columbo's nemesis.
one of the many truly great columbo capture scenes
It would have been fun if Columbo had met one murderer who said they weren't interested in the murder or discussing any of Columbo's thoughts or clues.
Or a suspect who immediately hired a lawyer and only ever said "no comment" whenever Columbo asked him a question.
And Columbo still would have gotten him.
it's a delicate thing to cold shoulder a murder detective
he's snooping around outside your window, and keeps popping up
getting a judge to sign off on 'harrassment' a few days into an investigation is not a sure thing by any means
Murderers usually have such egos that they can’t help themselves. They think they are smarter than everyone else. Of course they would find it amusing to discuss clues and thoughts that they would assume were going nowhere.
Who are you, and how did you get in here?
I'm a locksmith, and I'm a locksmith.
'Police Squad' with Leslie Nielsen, or did the joke exist before then?
@@gubernatorial1723 No
I can watch this 10 THOUSAND times, and the pacing, Peter Faulk's delivery, the case, all still are just as enticing and masterful as the first watch. What a masterpiece of television history..
0:10 He knows he was caught, you can see it in his eyes.
Nothing beats the key that fits that lock bit, hilarious deception by Columbo.
2:36 - I like Mr Black, it's a tiny little role, but George Brenlin displays perfect comedic timing...
Columbo: 'Mr Black is a Locksmith'
Jack Cassidy: 'Hooray'
It was always a case of cat and mouse, once Columbo got his claws into you, look out for that mousetrap!
Keep the cheese, I just want out of the trap.
The performances and writing in these were phenomenal!
Jack Cassidy class act
"Forgive me, sir. I didnt know you were expecting guests" 😅😏😊👍🏻
3:10 Mr Black is a locksmith
...hurray... :/
Pfff the delivery is priceless
THE CASE WAS SOLVED AT THE MIDDLE OF THE CLIP WHEN COLUMBO ASKED HIM HOW THE HELL DID KANE HAVE THE KEY TO THE LOCK THAT COLUMBO CHANGED. BUT THEN COLUMBO HAS TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO HUMILIATE HIM.
Ahh, the 70's when you could just throw you cigarette on the floor and step it out!
Wow!! Saw that...and wondered how rude. Cleaner says 'No Fare'!
Didn’t happen, but it makes an interesting detail in the story. Sometimes men would flick ashes in the cuffs of their pants... but I don’t remember EVER seeing someone stamp out a cigarette on a floor. It was very common to flick the butt on the ground outside without stamping it out first, though
I feel like a dinosaur … but I would love to living back in the 70’s
@@cherylbeyer5132 You missed a great culture of people who stomped butts on the floor. It happened in NYC.
Jack Cassidy never gave AF. In TV or in his real life.
The one and only Columbo
Cassidy was Excellent in this episode, I never realized how good an actor he was - Superb performance by Cassidy 👏
He nails him twice in this one . . . 1st with the key since Greenleaf was the only person Columbo told about it ["If I find the key, I'll find the killer" . . . but it was a deliberate trap set by Columbo] and 2nd the whole thing about the ending.
Ah, that face when the suspect first realizes Columbia is wise to him … priceless!
No - price _full_ , not price _less_ . The actor was paid handsomely to pull that face.
R.I.P, Mr. Columbo, your legacy will never die, Aman.
The scene when Clodombo corners Jack Cassidy and Cassdy's eye movent is so perfect acting as a lead character gets caught. Great writing.
Eye movement is not an achievement of writing.
David Cassidy's dad, both him and his son, R.I.P.
Also Dad of Shaun of the Hardy Boys wit Shirley Jones.
What about Nick Cassidy then? Any relation? (A young Formula E driver)
Thanks! But I'd sure love to find full episodes. Love my Colombo!
The thing is...even after Columbo explains it, I'm still perplexed. No wonder his suspects were so annoyed with him.
It was all about the lock change ; that was where Columbo "got" his man here ; genius
I love when Columbo mentioned the senator case which is the "Candidate for Murder" episode.
The US senator case!! Never knew he referenced other cases. Has he done this before? So cooool :))
I don't think so.
@@tilesetter1953 There was an episode where he referenced the cruise caper...
He reference in later years solving a case where the gum from the murder teeth prints are in the gum …
i just watched season 4 ep 1, don't remember the name, and in the episode columbo was mentioning how he got a new boss and his opinion of him. the previous ep, aka the season three finale, was columbo proving his boss (aka the police commissioner) had helped cover up the accidental murder his neighbor committed, then murdered his wife and blackmailed the neighbor into helping him. gave me a nice laugh when he made that new boss comment the following ep :^)
always very well done.. the suspects are always annoyed not scared by columbo until the last minute.. they think they are superior..
Bro just tosses his lit cigarette on the floor inside a building and walks away
The shocking thing about this episode is that Mr. Black was unable to parlay his appearance as a locksmith on Columbo into an Academy Award winning acting career. Hollywood can be so cruel.
True....but on the other hand he has achieved a kind of immortality
through this very brief appearance!!
Cassidy and culp..two great villains..
Masterful!...when Lt. Columbo says you are lying, it's time to spill the beans!!
“I understood for the first time that I didn't understand what I thought I understood”― Seiji Ozawa.
Cassidy’s character killed the golden goose in “Murder By the Book”.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Love how he set him up!
If I can find the key to that lock I can find the murderer............