“Were You a Witness To What He Just Did? | Columbo
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- Опубліковано 7 чер 2021
- Columbo sets the trap for Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Paul Galesko (Dick Van Dyke, bearded) who kidnaped and killed his wife.
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Season 4 Episode 2 ''Negative Reaction': A photographer murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. But Lt. Columbo has an even sharper eye than the Pulitzer Prize winner.
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@Angie H. Columbo is fine, but what else do they have? Not much. Nothing to entice me to pay any money OR watch commercials. As for your need to correct a typo, you can get help for that problem. OCD.
@Angie H. lmao, text messages and such have allowances for things like that.
@Angie H. Good grief, if I were to edit the garbage you wrote, it would take half an hour and dozens of corrections. I don’t think you have any room to talk about use of the English language.
@@steviesevieria1868 Papal
Ok I will👍
This man literally fabricated a whole story, just to get a man to call him out to prove stuff he _shouldn't_ have known. That is actual genius.
not entrapment at all
@@jackkenefick2696 It's not. Entrapment is when the police influences someone to commit a crime they otherwise wouldn't have committed. Columbo here deceives the criminal to incriminate himself, something that is done regularly in interrogations.
A genius who hides behind the mask of clumsy and not smart guy!
And thats brilliant cuz his opponent doesnt take him seriously and pays 4 this ignorance-the justice wins!!!
This was imo the greatest case ever solved during this series.
@Tom-Tom Tom Do you mean the Sun Tzu book or the Sabaton song?! Cause this first I read it, but in my native launglage and a long time ago and second I know, at least a little, but this line from any verse I dont renember...
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." -Napoleon Bonaparte
Later his own enemies would take that advice
Amen
So true
@@mattshanley6755 Yep, especially at Waterloo, when Napoleon assumed that the British were in retreat, thus sent in the Old Guard to wipe what is left of the British force only for them to be met entirely by surprise, which broke the Old Guard. Also, Napoleon's assumption that Prussians would not make it in time to relieve Wellington. The assumption is the mother of all cluck ups.
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" - Sun Tzu
I think this quote applies very well to how Columbo's manipulation worked especially well by playing up a false impression of himself as a bumbling fool.
"hey do you mind if I get your shift tonight?" "no, but why?" "columbo is doing a bit and I want to be there when it happens"
😂😂😂
"Hell nah I ain't missing a show."
"Yeah, you can have it. The last time I saw him do a bit, I couldn't sleep for a week."
Two points from this episode:
1. Never assume the police are as stupid as they seem!
2. The police can lie to you all they want in an interrogation in order to get a confession out of you!
it wasn't even an interrogation, but of course they can try and deceive a suspect
3. Get yourself a goddamn lawyer!
@@ob2kenobi388 lol yup.
actually thats crazy. And it's not a legal practice in Germany. Doing this, and I am a free man, regardless any evidence
@@dmsvlcp
We know dude. A massive amount of americans are fully understanding that lying to a suspect brings a massive increase to the chance they'll falsely confess. However, the people who actually have the power to stop the practice, as well as the cops themselves, seem to either not understand it or not care.
Just realized something great or "refreshing" about this, after all these years. The other policemen/detectives in Columbo are not written to be idiots to make Columbo seem like a Genius. No incredulous looks and lines of: "How did you know that?"
Agreed. They're all just professional in everything they do. A very strong consistent team.
They knew what he was planning to do so they could witness it. They may have worked with him to plan the trap.
It's just another Tuesday for them lol
Well, the thing is Columbo plays stupid and needles the arrogant suspect into making a mistake.
I think Columbo's peers on the force were all thoughtful and intelligent professionals who knew Columbo and his way of "cracking" cases well. There was probably a great deal of mutual admiration and respect for one another among all the officers in homicide.
"You've just incriminated yourself sir, you've identified the camera." - great icy delivery.
Sgt Hoffman was stone cold cool. Wish he was in more episodes.
That actor always puts Star Trek on my mind. He played Dr. Roger Korby.
@@MrAitraining For sure, he has a lot of presence.
I think the 3rd guy that Columbo asked was Brandon Tartikoff who years later was the president of NBC
@@skyeangelofdeath7363 Yep. I recognized him as well. Michael Strong was his name.
I like that Columbo remains completely calm and civil even when accusing someone of a heinous crime. There’s no smugness or condescending attitude. He’s just like “these two things don’t add up, and that’s why i know you did it.”
Well at certain point dealing with deaths becomes a job like selling bread rolls.
He's like a doctor showing you your own X-Ray or a mechanic educating you on your car's damage.
His perpetrators are also really well behaved during these interrogations 😅
Exactly ❤
He has often said he admires some of the murderers. Very rarely did he lose his temper with them (the only exception I remember was that doctor Leonard Nimoy played)
I just noticed a couple of subtle things in this scene. First of all, Sgt. Hoffman's expression after Columbo says he dropped the original photo into the hydrochloric acid is a marker that the deception is on. Second, after Columbo says "Oh no sir, no, I wouldn't do that" he places himself in front of the shelf of cameras, which he does to bring them to Galesko's attention so that he would see the camera he used, pick it out, and incriminate himself.
Right after, “Oh there’s been no mistake sir, I’ll testify to that.” If you don’t know how clever Columbo those two lines make him seem like a bumbling idiot.
right but why would the photographer think that the developed film is in the camera? only because of bad writing. no one would develop film then put it back in the camera, why would they? why would a photographer think that the developed film is in the camera? bad writing. dumb writers and dumber audience.
6:25 And I like how Sgt Hoffman got to deliver the gotcha moment
Yes, moving in front of the cameras forced him to notice the cameras, and grab the one like a person grabbing for a life saver.
Negatives have to be removed from the camera (in total darkness) and processed and fixed before it can show the image
a print.. A processed negative wouldn’t still BE in the camera. If after the picture was shot, the film was still in the camera, you’d only ruin the film by opening it the camera. You’d destroy the image. You don’t store film in the back of the camera after you process it and make prints. You keep it in a protective envelope to keep it from being damaged. Cameras are for unexposed film, to expose it and make images. It’s not for storage of processed negatives. Looks like the ultimate gaff goes to the writers….
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That's what you get for saying Columbo "Isn' too bright".
He is so far ahead of you he is right behind you.
"nothing personal, kid, it's just a murder investigation."
They always assume that they're 5 steps ahead of Columbo, not realizing that actually he's about to lap them.
@@Nofixdahdress true. So true.
@@Nofixdahdress that's how I act. Columbo taught me well...
"On your left, sir."
My favorite moment of these is when the killer realizes Columbo is much smarter than he lets on
That part. Galesko says Columbo is not too bright, clumsy, and a little flawed, but when Columbo had to explain to him that he just proved his guilt by his own thoughtless action......and then the look on his face when he realizes Columbo just played him like a fiddle it’s like.......yeah now who’s wearing the dunce cap? Lol
This episode is the primary example of Columbo deliberately playing dumb to catch the killer of guard.
@@jerryvan-hees7130 , Columbo uses that in almost every single episode. The villain usually sees him as being inept, incompetent or just plain stupid. By the time they figure out that they’ve been played, it’s too late they’ve been caught. My favorite aspect of the show!!
So True🍃. I especially like the one where Columbo pretends he was poisoned. It made the killer (lady) so upset she slapped him😂
AGREE
Of all the gotcha moments, this is my favorite. Colombo drops the charade, and I get shivers as his intensity and bridled ferocity grows each time he asks “did you witness what he just did?”.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
@@ericephemetherson3964 What the hell are you talking about? That blow-up isn't any kind of evidence.
From where he was, I don't totally believe the third witness.
@@ericephemetherson3964 Stop spamming
@@LordVader1094 Make me!
This is one of my top episodes. Not only does the killer realize he's been caught, that he caught himself, and that without that they'd have been unable to catch him... but he also realized that all this time Columbo wasn't an idiot. And it broke him entirely.
That happened multiple times tough, I dont remember which episode where psychologist told him "you like to make believe your just a little dog that sniffs around in others gardens, while in reality you are laying a mine field"
@@georgelionon9050gah I gotta find that episode, so many times the murderer praises columbo in some wau
@@angelnavarro553 it is in "how to dial a murder", "You pass yourself off
as a puppy in a raincoat. Happily running
around the yard, digging holes
all over the garden. Only, you're laying
a minefield "
@@angelnavarro553 at minute 41
It was interesting on the few occasions that the murderer is aware that Columbo is more dangerous than he seems. Ruth Gordon being one of the best.
I love how Columbo kind of collapses at the end, like after booking the perp he's finally allowing his body to feel the weight of all the mental exhaustion he's been through and the stress of it all coming down to that one ruse at the end. He looks like he's going to go straight home and sleep for three days.
@First Of All it is a nice touch
Just shows how great he was!
@First Of All That's how i saw it as well, i was actually wanting him to put the sheet back over the photo, but that collapse was a nice touch as well.
@First Of All I had that thought as well. There's a couple of other episodes were he pays some kind of due to the victim in the last moments.
@@Cybjon Yes, that's right! He does something similar in "Murder Of A Rockstar" where he is listening to the victim's song and looking at her picture while in his car at the end of the episode.
There are two beautiful things about this "gotcha" scene. One, Columbo makes use of the murderer's own expertise in photography to induce him to incriminate himself. Galesko's exceptional intelligence in identifying what, at first, seemed like an alibi for him, based on his knowledge in photography, blinded him to the trap. Two, Columbo let his police assistant reveal the "gotcha," keeping his comments brief, followed by silence, allowing Gelesko to put the pieces together. This teleplay was by Peter Fischer, one of the best writers for the Columbo series, and a personal favorite of Peter Falk's.
Wish that guy wrote all the Columbos. Falk later on rumored to have complained to someone, why is it so hard to find decent writing?
@@Stunatra I believe Patrick McGoohan may have done a few. Found out some time ago that he was also a famous script doctor.
This is such a great episode
I thought he was appealing to his vanity, arrogance.
I love Columbo but this solution has two problems: 1) DVD only had to point out that the proof that the picture was reversed is the cabin itself. If the cabin had burned down (maybe it did but I don't remember), it would've still justified him needing the negative. 2) Once you develop a negative it would be really odd to put it back into the camera. Anyone from that era would know that. However, if it had been in another distinct case or box that DVD recognized that would have been just as incriminating but more believable.
I love how his fellow officers, whether they know the plan or not, do not interrupt or even look at Columbo like he's got nothing here. They patiently wait for him to continue and even though they might have no idea where he's going with it they know how good he is and let him do his thing.
No pettiness, no doubt, no suspicion. They are aware how good Columbo is and wait for the hammer to drop. I love it.
Years ago, this show was on Netflix for a stint. I was bored and watched an episode...next thing I know I have binged an ENTIRE SERIES...love this show.
I love that. It's truly addictive. Best detective ever. X
I've watched Columbo my whole life and still binge the entire series today. I always know what's coming next. But, it never, ever gets old to me. It is definitely the best detective series I've ever watched.
And that's how it happens.
I didn’t even have a color TV when I started watching Columbo.
@5:48 “Hold it lieutenant, before you do something you’ll regret.”
What a great line right before he does something he regrets 🌀
“Sir?..”
That portal emoji represents how that man was immediately sent to the Columbo dimension
"Hold it, Lieutenant, before you do something *I'll* regret."
Were you a witness to what he just did 😏 🤔 😳 😉 🤣
Columbo has two modes with perps: 1) plays dumb and then reveals the plot to the killer and 2) plays dumb then super confident and appears to lose and within that ruse the killer falls into his trap
You forgot one....have the perp fall in love with him to drop her guard down. She (played marvelously by Faye Dunaway) recognized how smart he was from the beginning, so his normal ruse of incompetence wouldn't work.
There are other instances where he couldn't hide his brilliance so he would have the perp think he's in total awe of the perp thus willingly let a few minor slip ups go unnoticed.
Columbo, just like my other favorite lawman ,Matt Dillon, saw the law as the law, period. Only on extremely rare occasions would they let or attempt to let a suspect go free. Both ruthlessly and uncompromisingly sought after and apprehended a targeted perp regardless of who it was except Matt was a stone cold killer to boot.
@@Nclght Most of Columbo's targets are rich people who deserve to get taken down a peg, and their motives for murder were usually petty or even evil.
"Well... ya got me this time, sir..."
Not the case with A Stitch in Crime
The look of columbo. The rumpled clothes, unshaven and hair askew disguises his complete brilliance. No one does this better than Falk. A gem in the crown of detective work. Rest in peace Peter.
Another reason it was so iconic was the fact that at times he had a cross eyed look.
Columbo is based on a character from the Russian novel, Crime and Punishment , a disheveled policeman/detective who just won't let go of a crime.
As a 27 year old who never grew up with the show or watched it in my life… this scene alone makes me wanna watch it. Blew my mind lol. When he acted legitimately defeated like “wait, the picture is reversed?” Just to feed into the suspect’s ego, letting him hang himself. 😎👌 perfect
also Hawaii Five Ole Sch TV shows were more than just entertainment
@@felixperalta5154So true... It was a genuine treat to grow up watching TV shows and movies of that era that are classics now 🙂
buy the entire seasons on DVD.. worth it.. loved being in front of the TV on Mystery Tuesdays with the entire family watching Columbo and the Mcmillan and wife and/or Mcloud with the entire family
@@fortunatoofamontillado1059 Sounds like a good time honestly
Watch it! It’s so good!
“Were you a witness to what he just did?” - Columbo, asking the guy sat at his desk, around the corner.
Let's be honest though, we all know he was watching the show. 😂 we would've been too
Pointless
Columbo tricks these suspects. They always fall for it.
Right? XD I like when he stood up and walked around lol
I couldn’t see a goddamn thing, sir. 😂😂😂
Here’s how amazing Falk was in this role: you know from the beginning who the murderer is and how he did it. There’s no mystery. Yet you are riveted
The only mystery is wondering how the murderer slipped up.
He says it himself in another episode......"it's not a whodunnit but a how did they do it?"
More than one of the people who worked on the show have said that it's not a "whodunnit", but a "howcatch'em".
It’s a great cat and mouse concept.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
Peter Falk suffered from terrible dementia at the end of his life and paparazzi shamelessly sold photos of him during that time. He deserved more dignity and respect.
Not just the paparazzi, but also the people who shamelessly consume the celebrity news. People who buy tabloids, or go to gossip sites, or find a way to consume the content.
If people didn’t care about celebrities’ lives, the paparazzi wouldn’t have anyone to sell to
Ok, Debbie Downer.
@@bbmcrae He's not wrong
Dignity and respect are two things the press doesn't have.
Exactly. His legacy still lives on.
Something I've always liked about Columbo is the way he interrogates. He doesn't grill, doesn't torment, and he doesn't draw conclusions based on "vibes". There's no, "I can just tell he's lying." There's no "we'll get a confession if we have to keep you here all night". He just respectfully visits and asks questions, deepening the detail more and more until the story stops making sense and the killer is entangled.
Too many cops believe in face reading, lie detectors, and in tormenting or even torturing confessions out of people (think about how common the trope of a cop "roughing up a perp" is) None of that works in real life. It's why we have such an epidemic of false confessions. You know what works? Listening to the facts and waiting to see if they match up.
He does use 'vibes' but only to get suspects to focus on.
I'd say Columbo going by "vibes" is actually central to the premise! He's always convinced that he knows who the murderer is from the very start, even though the person always has a good alibi and he never has any evidence they did it. We then get to watch him very cleverly obtain the evidence that supports his gut instinct.
oh, he torments alright.
respectfully
That's why I hate those NCIS, L&O style hardass cops. No finesse whatsoever. Makes me want to side with the criminals.
Lmao the murderer wasn't even mad. He was just so transfixed on how Columbo outsmarted him and stopped caring about everything else.
On how he, Sloan of all people, was outsmarted by Colombo.
From what I've gathered from a good chunk of these Columbo clips is how that does seme to be the case in a good majority of these. For some reason, I keep thinking that this will be the clip that the murderer will either try and make a run for it or try and attack Columbo in some last ditch attempt, but instead they always surrender because they know they just lost and fighting game is seemingly pointless.
I always loved how each episode ended abruptly - as soon as Columbo delivered the killer blow. No small talk, no lengthy explanations, no hammy regrets - just freeze-frame end!
The message being: 'hey, don't do it'.
There are many episodes where this is good, but a few I wish had more closure at the end.
Yep, thinking the wine episode went on a bit from the sea until they had drank his Chianti.
Not all of them. There was an episode early on in the series that ended with the reveal that the woman who killed her own secretary also killed her husband and buried him in the backyard. Then the episode just…kept going, and lasted a good extra five minutes while Columbo and the killer just chatted and even sort of complimented each other over what they’d pulled off. Then they got up and walked out to go to the station together. Maybe they decided they didn’t like doing that epilogue bit from then on.
It's called "the sad Pop." There's a video on here breaking down Columbo and how he's not the "protagonist" in the technical sense. Each episode is a classical Tragedy played out for the killer. It's the killer who we follow and sympathize with (or not) and it ends when they are confronted with their ultimate failure. Columbo is almost like a slasher in a regular spooky movie. He shows up, stalks and defeats the main characters, then fades back into the world. This show was something special
The look on galeskos face and the change in music as he realises columbo has merely been pretending to be a fool is classic .
One of the reasons that I like Colombo so much is seeing actors who I saw as the "good guys" growing up are now the bad guys. Rob Petri, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Napoleon Solo, Jim West, Artimus Gordon, Number 6, Admiral Nelson, Rollin Hand, etc, etc.
Roger Corby (What Are Little Girls Made Of?) is a Star Trek bad guy who's a good guy in this scene. :)
@@eryqeryqThat was before he became an android.
Or in this case... Bert!
Dude in the back down the hall away from anyone: Yeah I seen the whole thing, ain't nobody got a better view than me. I'm the man who seen it all.
LOL!
😂😂😂😂
Hehe yeah. I almost thought he was going to say "No, sorry, didn't see a thing."
@Angie H. Columbo slipped up right after that as well, saying "you didn't touch any of the other cameras", while he clearly shoved the first ones aside to grab the evidence camera.
Not to mention the goof that someone else mentioned here as well, Peter points with his left hand at the witnesses, and in the next shot it becomes his right arm that points.
But yeah, it's TV, not meant to be super realistic.
May as well add, "coming back from the bathroom."
I love that Columbo credits his wife in making the ransom message. She very likely helped him in finding the most effective way to cut up news paper without leaving a mess and still had parts left over.
The "Were you a witness?" scene is so powerful as well since it took me a few minutes to realize what happeend and then watched the entire scene again to realize how slowly the room was closing in and getting claustrophobic. All the tension in the room finally dissipates once the trap shuts close and Columbo confirms the kill basicly.
Yet you never saw her. One episode remains in my brain with the guillotine, not sure who acted with him though.
I always wondered was the whole “my wife” thing just part of the bit, because if memory serves we never actually see his wife. Or does Columbo actually have a living spouse who occasionally helps him with his thought process and he does all these things with her. Honestly I could see it being either way.
@@somerandomschmuck2547 Columbo pretty much embodies the old bachelor stereotype, everything he wears or owns is neglected and dilapidated (clothes, car), and when we see his own apartment from the inside (he manipulates the police commissioner into planting evidence there, making him think it's the scapegoat burglar's address), it doesn't look like a place where a married couple would live.
my theory would be that Columbo is a widower, so his wife, and most of the stories he tells, aren't completely made up, but he "revives" her both for self-comfort AND as a work tool (being an efficient man). it's a dark take on it, but you have to admit it makes sense (widowers are often more negligent than actual old bachelors, as they aren't even used to having to take care of themselves). it also adds depth to the character
@@somerandomschmuck2547 Two tantalizings facts about Columbo are unknown: 1) his wife is never seen, and 2) his first name is never revealed. I think he really did have a wife. She's with him on the episode where they take a cruise, but of couse we never see her.
The mess he made, isn't even a part of the case. It's an excuse to question further and a distraction from the camera. Genius.
He realised at the end that Columbo is the smartest person in that room.
The killers" big mistake was to underestimate Colombo and thought that he was an incompetent idiot by his dishevelled appearance, but they later realized too late that he plays the incompetent goofball, as part of his trap to catch them out, casually getting them to incriminate themselves by admitting to the murder with damning evidence.
He wanted to make the killers think he was an incompetent goofball, by looking a dishevelled mess and then pounce when they were relaxed and were not expecting it. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Colombo deliberately reversed the photograph in order to get the murderer to identify the camera he used to take the photo and incriminate himself.
Slick move by Colombo.
He likes to let the killers' arrogance, pride and ego get the best of them.
The killers realised too late how deadly Colombo really was.
Columbo is so humble and honest, even when he laid a trap for a murderer to incriminate themselves, he apologises for it.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
@@ericephemetherson3964 The photo was never reversed. The trap was to lure the man to incriminate himself.
@@ericephemetherson3964 and so what? An innocent person wouldn't have known that. Only the guilty person knows it's reversed and it successfully goads him into identifying the camera. Actually, brilliant.
Colombo was one of a rare kind! Love him! 🙏❤️🙏
@@Ludwig_PerpenhenteYou're spot-on! Columbo basically "planted a seed" in the killer's mind about the picture being reversed for him to want to prove Columbo was wrong - thus incriminating himself (by trying to prove Columbo wrong)! 😉
Very effective scene. Usually Columbo does not bother about having witnesses when the suspects incriminate themselves but handled very well here.
He did a similar thing in a hospital waiting room i think, getting so under the suspect's skin, that they start to get angry and reckless, using the other people (could've been planted) in the waiting room as his witnesses.
He had no choice or else it’s hearsay
@@michellemckillop8935 Don't know if it is hearsay, but whether it is is not dependent on how many witnessess Columbo has. That is legal sidenote, of course it is a good idea to have witnesses, it is that he usually does not that is remarkable.
@@JohnSmith-zq9mo you may be right but , in this episode he needed witnesses. You’re right that only one was necessary but it was necessary. There’s a similar episode to this in this regard. The George Hamilton one with the blind man. Obviously he needed the man’s sighted brother , but he also had other people present as well. Non- relatives. Helps make his case
Most if not all Coumbo episodes have endings with other cops present, i think you are thing of scenes when columbo is alone with killer, and you know killer is tempted to bump him off.
This is the best Columbo ending in my opinion. Columbo had absolutely no way to get Galesco so he performed a gambit that he played masterfully to get the murderer where he wanted it. And it worked.
Some people ask: who leaves negatives inside cameras after developing them...? Remember that putting the negative back in the camera was part of the set up by Galesco. That way he was serving them a crucial piece of evidence on a silver plate. Had not he done that police would have kept asking "and where are the negatives,...?", So there was no way he could weasel out of this one. He incriminated himself when he went to retrieve the negatives as only the murderer knew they had been left there.
Sure, but when Columbo said that he destroyed the original by accident, all Galesco had to do was accept it and challenge it in court. It makes no difference whether or not Columbo testifies and there was even a witness to Columbo admitting that he destroyed the original evidence by accident. Evidence tampering is an extremely serious offense and the whole case would have most likely been dropped and Columbo demoted or fired, possibly even charged with evidence tampering. Hell, if it was me, i would have sued the entire LAPD.
@@satazs6195 If I was Galesco's lawyer I wouldn't put much stock on evidence tampering because I don't think destruction by accident could be considered as tampering, as tampering means an intentional gesture. I'd go rather for entrapment, alleging that the scene was staged with the only purpose of forcing a confession out of my client. But i think if I was the DA I would put the emphasis on the fact that Galesco recognized the camera that was used by the murderer, that nobody forced him to do such a thing or asked which one it was, there was no pressure, and that indisputable piece of evidence should prevail over the fact that the detective in charge was clumsy. Worth noticing is that evidence tampering is very serious because it could invalidate that evidence but in this case the evidence that Galesco knew which camera was the one used in the murder is untouchable, that is not something you can contaminate.
A few of Columbo's cases could be easily thrown out of court because any decent defense attorney could successfully dispute the legality of what Columbo did or because the evidence is too flimsy but I think this is not one of those cases..
BTW , if you are a Dexter fan you will remember that in season 7 Quinn is blackmailed into making a gun disappear from the evidence bin, one that was the evidence on a triple murder committed by Ukrainian gang boss Sirko. Once the gun disappears Sirko walks because there is no case despite police having everything else. The same thing they did in The Shield, the cops made disappear the gun that was evidence against a young gang member and he also walks. Here there is no gun but the best piece of evidence is the picture of the victim tied up taken by the abductor/murderer so the camera that took it has the same value as the gun that killed her and only the murderer could have recognize it. Both examples I gave prove that a judge will accept and excuse police fumbling, losing or destroying evidence IF BY ACCIDENT so Columbo destroying the original wouldn't have matter much compared to Galesco showing the crime camera was his.
If the killer thought about it for a second, he would realize he didn’t need the original photo or the negative to prove the photo was reversed in the enlargement. Other details would easily prove it, like the details in the bricks or mortar of the fireplace or the direction of the shadows, for example.
How would he know any of these details if he didn't take the picture?
@@grf15 he knows that evidence (the blown-up photo) won’t hold up in court. He can prove it was reversed by taking the photo to the house where the photo was taken and show how the little details in the photo are reversed from the actual details in the background. He knows the photo had to be taken in the afternoon, even if he didn’t take the photo himself.
True, but this is good detective work. If you goad a guilty person enough times, they will almost always make a mistake. Columbo was banking on the fact he wouldn't think and would just go for the camera. This is the reason most get caught, they don't act logically. Columbo can slip up a million times, but the perp only has to slip up once for the charge to stick.
I used to be a deputy sheriff and you'd be surprised how many times people give consent to be searched when they have drugs in the car. It's shocking.
Or the name of the clock maker on the clock face.
You're missing the whole point. The only thing the enlargement was for was to get the guy to identify the camera. Only the killer would be able to do that.
I like how he gets up and walks past the cameras when talking about the photograph, thus drawing Mr. Galesko's attention to the shelf of cameras. All the while the charade has distracted him and the final pressure of Columbo declaring, despite destroying the only evidence, that the evidence, proved (past tense) that Mr. Galesko was the murderer and again whilst standing in front of the cameras. So well written and devised.
Many folks make the deadly mistake of thinking that Columbo is “not too bright”! He’s as sharp as a razor blade and amazing at setting up traps that the murderers walk right into! I love Columbo and his wife.
He knows how to look like a fool.
And his dog.
@@GillAgainsIsland12 The dog he has but the wife is a myth
@@dgib1694 I don't think his wife is a myth, because there is one episode taking place on a cruise ship (co-starring Robert Vaughn), where someone of the crew confirms that they have seen Mrs Columbo aboard. She just is never shown to the murderer nor to the audience, but Columbo must have gone aboard with his wife or a woman, at least.
Alcohol, do you remember the short-lived spin-off series, "Mrs. Columbo" with Kate Mulgrew?
Galesko's description of Columbo at 4:27 is wonderfully written--and makes the ending that much better!
I always remember this one above all others. He had no proof and no way to get the man he knew was guilty, until the man gave him the evidence with his own hands. Love that. I loved all of those gotcha moments but this was (imho) the absolute best.
One of the best, without a doubt. Especially since Mr. Galesko has been so rude and so condescending towards Columbo throughout.
This is why Columbo works unlike any other murder myster show out there! Ever since the very first episode of Columbo, the show had taken a whole twist on the mystery trope.
While most stories like Sherlock Holmes, Perry Mason, Mrs Marple and many others with the reveal of the killer, this show turns that rule around by showing the audience the murder at the beginning. The mystery here isn't 'whodunit', but 'How is he going to catch them?'
I believe this show was an inspiration for Monk
I remember Red saying something like that
So a howdunit
@@ForcesofRandomness Yeah, Monk is all about explaining seemingly impossible murders. I've never watched Columbo, but based on its descriptions it must be that Monk was heavily inspired by it.
Ace attorney is like this too
The reason the series Columbo worked, was all down to the wonderful acting by Peter Falk.
Peter wanted the part......a very intelligent man......and they offered it to Sinatra?.....
Absolutely agree.....he was masterful.....
With a little help from all the wonderful guest stars.😸
Thank the jewish script writers!
Yes i read somewhere he is somewhere in the top 100 actors of all time. Absolute pleasure to watch him act!!
If he'd have even stopped for a moment to ask "Which of these is the right camera?" then Columbo would have failed.
But the killer was just so sure he was smarter, and that he'd escaped the trap, he didn't notice the bigger one that he'd been in all along.
Yes, well done. That’s the point. All he needed to do to make his point was grab any camera he knew wasn’t the one he used.
he never needed the negative.. just ask the officers to comepare the real location to see of the clock is on the lieft side as in picture or on the right.
Or just ask, "Do you still have the negative?"
Calm, humble, even apologetic at times. He works through the clues and evidence to see what adds up and what doesn’t, he keeps his cool while laying a trap and betting that the other guy will loose his cool.
That is what makes this detective so awesome.
The look on Galeskos' face when he realizes what he did by identifying the camera. Thanks for posting. Been looking for this scene for a long time.
As I said,the ultimate shit=eating grin. No getting away when COLUMBO Gotcha!!
Like the genius with the turntable and the dictionary and the magic marker. That triumphant face that suddenly goes to chagrin. Extra points when the murderer laughs in that split second.
@@5610winston Not many actors besides Theodore Bikel could have made that over-the-top reaction giving himself away believable. Of the others that could, I'd say a good amount already appeared on Columbo! But yes, all he had to do was not say a word and be in the clear, something most people would have no problem doing, but it was too irresistible for his genius ego to keep quiet. And Bikel sold it, fitting his character and without making it look silly or preposterous.
Lol the moment it dawned on the murderer that he screwed himself.
It's that slowly dawning "That man is...far smarter then me..."
Your a little flawed but not to bright...
Priceless
But would such a machination, clever as it may be, hold up in court?
@@czl29 LOL he called him an idiot twice in less than 5 mins!
This was the first Columbo episode I saw over 40 years ago and what started me down the Columbo rabbit hole. Definitely in my top 10 and maybe top 5. This one is a real gem.
Probably the best Columbo ending in my opinion
Columbo is one show that i could watch the same episode every few months.
He is on 5usa every Sunday
@@noeleenburns2874 I have the whole DVD set and it's funny, I'm watching a episode right now.
@@freedomring4813 I have the DVD's too. Just finished watching 2 months ago. I am on to Mc Millan and Wife now. I will restart Columbo next year. Do you love the DVDS like I do? No commercials and no cuts
@@passqualecaiazza7728 Sure do.
He was Watching, they all were.
What I remember most about this episode was that closing frame. He puts his coat halfway on, sits on the desk, and slumps. Seen all the Columbos but never seen him do that except in this one. It was like he was exasperated at all the murders of innocent people, and it finally wiped him out.
I was looking to say the same thing. Might it have been that he cruelly executed his wife for "no apparent reason" and then also killed poor Deschler as an integral part of the dastardly plot. I think he was very relieved that it was his last chance to incriminate him, and it worked, ironically with his late wife watching on.
@@johnshaw359 I think he slumps in the middle of putting his coat on because he realized that this killer would have gotten away with this unless his set up worked perfectly. The killer had a perfect alibi and was so intelligent he may have figured out that grabbing the camera would incriminate him; without grabbing the camera he would have gone free. He was exasperated that his plan BARELY worked, but in the end was the brilliant result of his efforts.
glad I'm not the only one to note that...rarely saw that in many episodes: his humanity overcame him; the photo of that poor woman finally hitting him, just how awful the human race can be sometimes. The victim was there with him and while he brought her justice, there was nothing else he could do. Amazing performances from actors who knew what the hell they were doing and writers who actually CARED about the audience and wanted to Entertain.
Pity Disney has no writers like that today. Progress?!!
@@swanvictor887 Great Comment. Tap in for birdie.
Columbo's real personality to me is more direct and less polite when interacting with everybody except the murderer. He has 2 different ways of acting. That's his genius. this episode is great by the way!
I like watching this over and over again. The way he got this guy to incriminate himself was absolutely GENIUS! Even putting the camera in the back was genius!
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
@@ericephemetherson3964 16! Every possible time you can post something negative when someone else says something complimentary is a credit to what type of personality you must have. Not a good credit, to be sure, but a credit nonetheless.
What he should have said-"I'd like to speak to my attorney."
What he actually said-"If I hadn't picked out the camera."
Why would he want to speak to his attorney? He claims he had no involvement in or knowledge of the kidnapping and killing.
Wouldn’t have made a difference
He’s f**ked and he knows it
@@grf15 because they made it very clear that he is suspected of murder. if the police suspects you of murder, whether you're innocent or guilty, you should talk to a lawyer.
@@grf15 The first and only thing you should say if you are suspected by the police is “I want to speak to my attorney”
@@TheRandomhobo123 He got cocky.
What I like about this ending is it's one of the ones where I feel his facade of the bumbler drops a bit and you see his stone cold competence.
I haven't seen the series much since its original run, but I remember it that way too. He aways nails the subject at the end, but he doesn't usually drop his facade completely. It's especially satisfying. I wish I was familiar enough to name the episodes.
He acts very different if he likes the murderer or not. Generally speaking, if he dislikes them, then he will be cold to them when he finally springs his trap.
@Chambered Nautilus that's exactly it. And he reacts differently to those who are cold-blooded killers versus those who murdered accidentally or in a fit of passion. He really doesn't like cold-blooded killers.
He seems a little less angry if they killed a person who was blackmailing them.
@@macmcleod1188 And in one case, he let someone else take the fall for the real killer.
@@keith6706 that was an act of compassion. The killer no longer remembered having committed the murder and was increasingly mentally incompetent. And Columbo as well as the person who confessed both knew he would be found not guilty when the case went to trial
I think the very best Columbo episode was "Try To Catch Me", with Ruth Gordon. The scene where Columbo makes clear he caught her, and her trying to ask Columbo to disregard her guilt because of her age, the criminality of her nephew, her unlikelihood to ever again commit a crime... really well done.
And also how she poignantly suggests that had Columbo been on the case of her niece's murder, the nephew-in-law's need never happened....
@@abbynormal4740 Yep... good point.
Columbo was a wizard, he would badger the prime suspect mercilessly. 2 of my favorite episodes was the one with Johnny Cash and the one with Robert Conrad
You've got to hand it to the script writers who worked on the Columbo shows, they sure knew how to create stories and a character who could pick up the tiniest seemingly insignficant details and piece them together to solve murders.
"It's just a small thing, for the report only"
The "what?" after Columbo tells Galesko that Deschler had an alibi has to be one of the best "whats" in television history
In this episode there's a scene where the key quote is "You know, that's going to bother me." - about why the victim always hired cabs instead of renting a car. That's a good quote too, and it leads to the alibi for the victim against his having committed the kidnapping - he was taking his driving test at the time.
You call Columbo flawed and not too bright at your own peril.
Great episode.
I love how he goes out of his way to tell Gelesko he developed the photo himself cuz he knows Gelesko doesn't respect him and will jump at any chance to try and discredit him
and why would hte photographer expect a developed film to be put back into the camera? he wouldn't and so this stupid plan would not work, its only clever to idiots.
@@KyusoathLol sure
@@Kyusoath a developed film wasn’t put back into it, the negative was simply never taken out
Who knew the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins would turn bad.
@Rob Smith I always knew. That terrible accent was a dead giveaway.
Or who knew Rob Petrie could be this mean to his wife?
@Maximillian Wylde 😀
Lol yep he must have more than one personality.
and Spock and Captain Kirk and Mr. West. and Artemus.
Peter Falk was a brilliant actor, greatly appreciated and missed by everyone.
The first time I saw this episode, thought to myself "*this* is how Columbo is going to nail DVD". But it was completely different! And that's the beauty of Lt Columbo - he's so keenly aware of everything
Galesko: "Before you do something you'll regret..." (two seconds before doing something he immediately regrets). Classic.
One of the Top 10 Columbo endings ever!
For dramatic effect yes. But I don't buy that the guy would be dumb enough to fall into that trap.
Sashok, I am kinda disappointed. The negative CANNOT be in the camera. There can be only unexposed film. And I guarantee that the perpetrator would have known that too. He could not go the camera, he would try to get the DEVELOPED negative, wherever it is. Are you young or worse?
EDIT: I just accused you of being young. Stupid thing on my part. I FUCKING envy you.
@@diamonddog13 oh, i’m not so sure. Have you heard his cockney accent? 😜
This one and the one where he brings his boss back to his place and says, "This is my place.
These are my clothes."
My all-time favorite is with the commodore though where we find out the murderer in the end.
@@alldfart4590I know nothing about cameras or film, I did once have the SX-70 that apparently used the 'integral film' (both positive and negative), and were popular 1972 onward. The camera in the episode did not look like that one. Earlier Polarioid cameras:
"The first roll film camera was the Polaroid Model 95, followed by subsequent models containing various new features. Roll film came in two rolls (positive/developing agent and negative) which were loaded into the camera and was eventually offered in three sizes (40, 30, and 20 series).". So there were two rolls, and the negative *stayed* in the camera ?? (I'm asking). So if that's the case, the ending makes sense. Hard to believe they'd make such an obvious blunder as you describe. The dumb part is DickVanDyke wouldn't just say "re-create the photo and you'll see everything is backwards". Case closed. But that means getting arrested, jail time waiting for trial. He wanted to end it right then and there and wasnt thinking. Obviously no 'wow' ending without that. If I'm wrong, I'm neither young or worse.
These guys and actresses are so good and they made the series great because what we all want is a great script, a great cast and people who are relieved we are doing a wonderful job.
Relentless Columbo is absolutely relentless.
I have seen this more than 100 times at least, and I never get tired of it.
I thought it was just me!
I have watched this episode and many other Columbo episodes multiple times. It never gets old. The series and acting was just superb and timeless.
Funny AF.
Agreed.
The priceless moment you realize Colombo is the most intelligent and cunning person you've ever met...
My favorite part of this whole scene is when Columbo says, "Were you a witness to what he just did?" I can remember the first time I watched this episode decades ago and that line still sends a shiver down my spine today when I hear it. It's that ultimate 'gotcha' moment that only Columbo could pull off. My second favorite is the freeze shot at the very end when he flops down on the desk with is coat halfway on one shoulder with Mrs. Galesko looking at him from the blown-up photo. It's a picture-perfect moment literally suitable for framing.
I think my favorite part of all of these, and it’s put on display in this one especially, is the shock that the criminal feels when they realize that Columbo is not in fact a bit of a clumsy fool, but is instead a very meticulous and intelligent man
A Colombo episode is similar to reading a good detective novel.
You might know who the killer is, but how he gets the killer in the end is always worth watching.
What makes this ending so satisfying, is Peter Falk's performance from 6:09 onwards. Absolutely masterful acting.
That release of tension is so palpable, you can almost see him gradually losing interest in Galesko and just wanting to wrap things up after that carefully staged mantrap.
The sit down on the desk at the end, is akin to the sit-down after a workout; you know what you went through & only YOU know how tired, yet relaxed you now feel.
I love how he pretends to be bumbling until the second Galesko picked the camera. Then he becomes dead serious when he asks, "Were you a witness to what he just did?"
@@starwolf99 'Is that possible?,' he disingenuously asks, regarding the reversing of the photograph. 😁
This is one of my favorite Columbo closings. What a payoff! Absolutely genius writing and acting.
The ending to season 1’s “short fuse” was really cool. Juniors complete breakdown in the air trying to throw out the cigar box because he thinks it’s a bomb and the reveal he’s been tricked, and all he can do is laugh maniacally. Their egos are so large that they forget that they can even make human errors, much less be bested by another human of lower status such as a police detective. Their dignity is the double edged sword.
L'ego e la maniacalità possono essere armi a doppio taglio. Mi riferisco anche al meraviglioso "Alle prime luci dell'alba" con uno stratosferico McGoohan
This is one of those episodes where the criminal could have gotten away with it if he would have gotten a defense lawyer from the beginning.
A scary thought! It probably happens more often than most of us imagine.
It's such a risky move, which can result in a lawsuit of corruption and planting/destroying evidence to incriminate him.
If he pretended to not know which camera it is, like saying "there's the negative! You still have the negative don't you?" then he would gotten away, even benefit from the investigation.
He would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for the meddling kinds. And their dog too. Whoops, wrong show.
One of those episodes? Every Columbo Gillian would have gotten away if they had simply followed one golden rule: never talk to cops. Never.
@@billcook4768 Made me laugh! :D
Probably my favorite ending of the whole show. Just how he sits on the desk, smoking a cigar with his coat hanging over his shoulder. Very poignant.
He takes no pleasure in this…constantly unraveling the murder of innocent victims by wealthy, egotistical scum. But that’s the job, and he’s gotta get up the next day and do it all again.
My favorite has got to be the one where they check that painting for his fingerprints and after accusing the detective of planting the fingerprint right then he holds up his hands revealing he was wearing gloves.
Ironically, as a contrast to yours, one of my favorite scenes in the show is the episode where a writer lady (the killer) invites Colombo to talk during her conference because he witnesses everyday "the darkest and deepest side of human soul". Colombo instead says that he doesn't see most criminals as horrible monsters, but as people like any other, with feelings and goals, and that he sometimes even sympathize with them.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
@@ericephemetherson3964 I think it is reversed. If you watch whole episode you see that. When I saw episode I said, Hey, picture is backwards. Before the ending, explaining it.
@@trotva Then the culprit should have pointed it out to Columbo.
This is why your lawyer tells you to shup up and say nothing hahaha
This was always one of my favorite Columbo episodes. I first saw this while home sick from school as a kid, and I still remember that gotcha moment at the end to this day.
I love how Columbo never rubs it in. He is still so humble!
Especially with episodes like Any Old Port in a Storm, where he develops rapport with the murderer.
"Were you a witness to what he just did?"
"No Lieutenant I was clearly all the way back here in the back room but I'll say I did if you want me to."
He could see the suspect put the camera on the table. That's all he had to see. They hardly needed three witnesses, he was just the cherry on top.
One of the most memorable lines since 1970-"Just one more thing"!
Probably my favorite episode of Columbo ever. I always rewatch this scene over and over again. Love it. Love Columbo!
Had to look this up. The story with the developed negative remaining inside of the camera is actually correct for this particular, very rare camera, but would not make any sense otherwise for the cameras that are more familiar to people, including to the experienced photographers:
_"Polaroid 800 (1957-1962) uses the Type 40 film 1948-72. An instant roll film where the print is pulled out, but the negative remains on the roll inside the camera."_
Thank you sir
Haha, that’s actually really funny. I was confused about that.
Not rare at all. Every single Polaroid camera manufactured in their first fifteen years was set up like that. The last roll film Polaroids were discontinued in 1965.
@@audubon5425 Thank you for the correction. Another thing that needs to be corrected in my original comment is: only the last negative remains in the camera. The negatives are pulled out of the camera when the next picture is developed. There is no roll for the developed negatives inside of the camera.
That level of attention to detail is absolutely beautiful to see, my god.
Van Dike is up in age here, and yet he is still alive today.
He's 49 here. That's up in age depending on your perspective :)
I love that there is barely any music, just quiet talking and the sound of the guy putting down the camera and Columbo slamming the desk, they hit so much stronger.
This is one of my favorite parts in the whole show. The way the killer dug his own grave like a fool because of Columbo's manipulation is awesome.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
I liked A Candidate for Crime; where the senator elect, tried to tell Columbo that the bullet that near missed him from the invisible killer was dug out of the wall 2 hours before the guy claimed to have been shot at
@@starlight122012 And I like the one where Columbo screwed up badly; to cover for the murderer, the woman was driving a car with a mask on of the murderer and was caught speeding, so the photo-radar took a picture of the driver. And how can you drive with the whole mask covering the face? That was just a big flop.
@@ericephemetherson3964 oh yeh the speed camera. Funny one that one, because he said there was no shadow under the bridge of the nose from the sunlight.
some arrests where questionable on the evidence. The paintings that a guy stole to frame his aunt and just happen to have them in his house when Columbo turned up
@@starlight122012 Another thing that pisses me off about Columbo is that when he arrests someone under suspicion of a murder, he never reads his/her rights which are called the Miranda rights. No policeman acts like that because in court the whole issue of murder can be thrown out because of lack of stating rights of a citizen. It has happened before.
I've always loved how that guy told Columbo that he wasn't too bright then Columbo blinded him with the brightness of his mind!!
This was a how dumb can you be scene when your ego gets in the way. Another masterpiece by our favorite Lieutenant. Thanks 😊
I grew up with Columbo..... was one my favorite shows, and what I figured out over time was, if they just did not talk or give away details to incriminate them selves, about 90% of them would have gotten away with the crime
Columbo always has them help him out thru the show so at the end he just thought he was helping Columbo out by showing him the camera. Pure genius on Columbo’s part.
I love how in the end he is not angry nor cocky anymore, he is completely devastated, defeated and he knows, he knows he lost the moment he set foot into that room
This show was probably the best cop show of it's time, and no body could have played it better.
I love columbo.. Peter Falk you are deeply missed.. I have all the episodes on DVD but my wife and I still watch it on TV every sunday lol.. Rest in peace!
Peter Falk was a genius in his own right!
Just a natural actor ♥️
I love how everyone thought this was a kidnaping gone wrong, and Columbo sees through all the little clues Galesko left. He deserved to be caught he was arrogant, and thought he was so much smarter than Columbo, definitely one of the most vile Columbo murders.
Colombo just screwed up big time. If the picture was reversed, the whole scene in the picture would be reversed not just the clock. With the picture reversed the clock would be on the left hand side with fire palce bricks on the left hand side of the tied woman, too. By reversing a picture everything in the picture gets reversed not just single items in it. Colombo and the guy taking that picture just forgot that physical evident detail.
Justice for Alvin Deschler too. Frankly, galesko's wife was a witch. That poor guy was just out of prison looking to do the right thing with his life and gets shot at a junk yard and framed.
@@MrAitraining I confirm.
@@ericephemetherson3964 20! Between this and "I confirm" you're on a roll, troll.
Now you guys tell me when we have seen such brilliant story telling in today’s tv programs? What a classic.
Maybe the best "gotcha!" in Columbo history.