Gaffes

As Columbo is talking to Ted Malloy at the TV studio, during a head-on shot of Malloy, he picks up a bottle of water and holds it up by his chest as he unscrews the cap. The camera angle changes to the rear of Malloy, and his reflection can be seen in the mirror, and both his arms are down by his side with no water bottle. There is another camera angle change to a head-on shot of Malloy, and his arms are again up by his chest with the water bottle.

At Chase's home, Columbo lays the files down while he is taking the tape out of the answering machine. Without picking them up, they are back under his arm as he removes the tape. Meanwhile, Chase picks up some files and walks Columbo to the door. As Columbo leaves, he still has his files, but Chase has none. It doesn't appear that Columbo has any more than he began with.

When Columbo is talking to Fielding Chase at the restaurant, the positions of the coffee cup and flower pot switch back and forth. Is some shots the cup is closer to the edge of the table, and in others the flower pot is closer. This is most noticeable just before and after Columbo gives Chase the magazine to autograph.

When holding the check for his foundation, seen from the front, he's holding it with two hands. When seen from behind, he's holding it with one hand.

Radio commentator Fielding Chase wears a pencil-thin moustache, so wispy and light that it's barely visible even in most close-ups, except while he is talking to Columbo at the murder scene, when the moustache is suddenly, dramatically darker brown.

When Fielding is talking to a woman in the hall, she goes into the elevator. As the doors close, it's apparent the elevator isn't real. It has only one set of interior doors. Real elevators have two doors, one that closes on the outside and one that travels up or down with the car on the inside, as well as rubber levers to detect an object in between the doors as they close.

During a visit to Chase's house, Columbo and Chase are riding up the funicular railway in the right hand carriage (as seen from below). As they alight at the top, there is no carriage to the right as seen from above, so they are getting out of the other carriage.

When Fielding Chase is dialing his cell phone in the restaurant, the sound of the touch tones doesn't match his pushing the buttons on the phone. Also, Cell phones don't make noise when dialing.