Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star

We all know how Peter Falk, as the Chinese water-torture of Detectives, can wear down the most erudite and cunning adversary. In this episode he almost meets his match in Dabney Coleman. Coleman is one of the best actors to portray villains as he has that arrogant sneer we love to hate. The close ups of Coleman's sneer and Falk's deadly smile is a viewer's delight to behold. He and Falk playing cat and mouse is riveting drama and not to be missed.

At one point in this episode, Columbo arrives to the scene of the crime to examine some champagne corks. It's raining outside and he's let in by the maid who is extremely annoyed by his presence. He comes through the door wearing a black trucker cap reading NFI in big white letters. This is the episode my great-Uncle Marty told me about when I was ten years old, visiting him in Malibu with my brother and grandmother. He told my brother and I that he and Peter Falk had hung out at some point, and that Uncle Marty had been wearing this NFI hat (I don't have any idea where he got it). Peter Falk, being an inquisitive guy, asked my great uncle, "So, ah, what does NFI stand for?' to which Marty answered, "No F------ Idea!" Peter Falk apparently thought this was so funny that he just had to wear the hat in the episode he was currently filming! My great uncle even showed us a picture of him and Falk together wearing matching NFI hats! We always liked this story but, because he never told us the title, we could never find the episode and I was starting to think it didn't really exist until very recently I found it in the complete Columbo set! This probably means nothing to anyone else but it made me hoot with joy! Overall a fun episode with one very special scene of Columbo examining corks and questioning an angry maid all while wearing an NFI hat. Now where do I get one of those hats?

I am one of the biggest Columbo fans. I just love Peter Falk and his most famous character, Lieutenant Columbo. In this one, Dabney Coleman plays a wealthy corrupt attorney who kills his rock star girlfriend and sets her male lover with the crime. We don't actually see the crime since it's not Columbo's style to show a victim in a degrading matter. We are only given hints of what he does to her. It's fine by me. Columbo episodes are always tastefully done rather than carelessly graphic. What makes Columbo episodes so entertaining is the empathy for the victims regardless of judgment. Dabney Coleman as a popular LA criminal defense attorney tries to outsmart Columbo but fails. No criminal is smart enough to beat Columbo.

This Columbo story has Peter Falk assigned to a double homicide of a former rock star who is the live-in mistress of wealthy defense attorney Dabney Coleman. Coleman has a reputation of never losing a criminal case. But mistress Cheryl Pais has enough information on Coleman and his methods that could ruin him. Still he wants her out of his life and he'll get her out one way or another.

Several years earlier a new word entered the English language courtesy of Michelle Triola Marvin and her attempts to collect alimony from Lee Marvin whom she lived with but never legally married. Her victory started a flood of those kind of suits and palimony became a word.

Coleman arranges the murder of both Pais and the guy she's been seeing on the side. Being a criminal lawyer he knows how to do it. He's even got a suspect suitable for framing.

One thing about this episode that had a different twist. Usually Columbo has to insinuate himself with the object of his suspicions to get close to him. Here Coleman uses whatever pull he has to get close to Columbo, the better to keep the eye on the investigation.

Coleman even has an alibi cooked up courtesy of his new law partner Shera Danese. You have to see what it is and how Peter Falk blows it apart at the climax.

Coleman who has taken a patent out on playing these smarmy characters is at his smarmy best in this Columbo story. Great to see him taken down.

PLOT: A middle-aged lawyer (Dabney Coleman) learns that his companion, a former rock star (Cheryl Paris), has been having an affair at his beach house with her former drummer, but he can't throw her out without great compensation due to her threats to expose his illegal tactics. So he murders her at the beach house, framing her lover. Shera Danese plays the attorney's assistant, who wants a piece of the pie. Little Richard has a bit part.

COMMENTARY: This is a solid episode of the revival series highlighted by Coleman's arrogant lawyer locking horns with the disheveled detective and a case dependent on distinctive wine bottles and a dubious speeding ticket in Pasadena. The striking Denese was Peter Falk's wife for 34 years (until his death) and appeared in six episodes of the series.

GRADE: B+