Une étrange association

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS is one of the more lively outings for the late-stage Columbo as it features a different kind of murder for the detective to get his (false) teeth into. While George Wendt's simplistic villain isn't one of the best the series has to offer, the sub-plot involving a disgruntled mob boss (played by the delightful Rod Steiger) more than makes up for the shortcomings elsewhere.

Wendt is a completely ruthless character, a horse breeder who bumps off his own brother in the early part of the story. A noticeably aged Columbo proceeds to investigate and gets involved with the usual minor clues involving ashes in an car ash tray and a mysterious phone call received by the victim just prior to his death.

At this point the Mafia sub-plot comes to light and things get more interesting, all leading to one of the finest and most intricate climaxes ever seen in a Columbo. The ending itself is enough to make the episode, it's that good. Watch out for RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD's Don Calfa in a minor role as a bartender, and Columbo series regular Bruno Kirby as a police sergeant.

Tired of his brother's gambling losses and influence on his life, Graham McVeigh sets it out so that younger Teddy will get in way over his head with bookie Bruno Romano. Graham kills Teddy on a deserted road and then arranges for Romano to come to his house to collect payment – only to kill him and call the police claiming self-defence. His plan is that the police will put the murder on Romano and just close the case. However some cigarette ash in Teddy's car is enough of a problem for Lieutenant Columbo to keep poking his nose in long after Graham had hoped it would all just go away. Meanwhile Romano's mobster boss informs Columbo that it must have been Graham that did the crime and that, either way, he must be punished.

With the last two or three of the new Columbo's I watched the producers (including Falk himself) seemed to be busily trying to do something different from the usual formula – with mixed results it must be said. So with this entry in the series I welcomed the return to the basic cat'n'mouse games that are played between Columbo and his prey while he gradually closes in on them. The film sets up the usual "perfect plan" and then moves ahead from there; it was almost a relief to me to see the formula back in place. The story is a nice one and in some ways the addition of the mobster adds a bit of spice to it but did change the character of Columbo a little bit – would he really just sit and listen to a man threaten murder and just eat soup? Anyway, the story unfolds reasonably well and it does just enough to work as a formula and, although the conclusion lacks logic it is still enjoyably delivered - it is just a shame that the usual strength of the films is a weakness here – namely the performances Well, not performances plural maybe but certainly performance. Wendt is far too boorish and lacking subtlety to convince – it is very much an one-note man and it doesn't lend itself well to the twists and turns within the story. It is a shame because so few of the new Columbo films produce a really good cat n'mouse story and this should have been a good one if not for his very basic turn. Falk is good although I don't think he or the material coped well with the moral complexity that came with technically working with a mobster. Kirby makes a welcome return in a small role that honours his long term connection to the series. Steiger is a nice addition despite my reservations and he certainly stands above a poor Yagher and a terrible "apples & pears, gov'ner" performance from a laughable Mayo-Chandler (influence within the industry one suspects).

Overall this was a welcome return to the formula after one too many duff Columbo's trying something new. The story is fine but it is just a shame that the usual tense chemistry is blown by a roundly poor turn from Wendt. A solid enough formula piece for fans but it is hard not to feel like it has managed to dribble past three defenders just to put the ball wide of an open goal.

PLOT: The co-owner of an equestrian center (George Wendt) murders his gambling brother and frames his mob bookie, which he also kills. Columbo finds a number of anomalies that don't fit the puzzle and so teams-up with a mob boss (Rod Steiger) to break the murderer.

COMMENTARY: Cheers' Wendt makes for a notable villain, but the biggest flaw in his scheme was to murder the mob bookie and frame him. Whilst this might get rid of his incompetent brother and pacify the police, it would certainly provoke the Mafia to come looking for him. What good is it to own a horse farm when you're dead? And why would he assume the bookie would come to his abode alone (which he curiously does)?

Some people pan the episode on the grounds that Columbo has spoken Italian in a few previous segments (e.g. "Murder Under Glass" and "Death Hits the Jackpot") and yet he claims to not know the language here, which is inconsistent. A likely explanation is that Columbo makes up a new backstory depending on the people and situation with which he's dealing. In short, his immediate mission determines his backstory. Here he obviously wanted the mafia to think he couldn't speak Italian so that they might speak Italian around him, which he would understand.

Another criticism is that it's wrong for Columbo to align himself with organized crime and engage in entrapment. Yet this is indirectly addressed in the episode, although you might have to read between the lines a bit. Columbo KNOWS who the real murderer is; and apparently so does the Don. They both want justice and the Don grants Columbo the grace to acquire it legally, which he can't do without proper evidence and a confession. So they team-up to get it one way or another. In other words, justice is Columbo's prime objective, not being 100% legally correct.

As for entrapment, Columbo is known for resorting to these kinds of (unrealistic) shenanigans to break his opponent and obtain justice, as witnessed throughout the series (e.g. "Prescription: Murder," "Butterfly and Shades of Grey" and "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo").

The last five Columbo episodes (actually TV movies) were released over the course of nine years from 1995-2003 with "Strange Bedfellows" beginning this run. All of them are worthy installments for one reason or another.

GRADE: B

George Wendt who played beer swilling Norm Peterson on Cheers for years is our guest villain in this Columbo film. He is the owner with his brother of a thoroughbred horse breeding farm with big plans for the future. The problem is he's got a wastrel spendthrift brother in Jeff Yagher who owes some bookies really big bucks. Wendt's decided that the brother has to be eliminated as he can't carry his ever increasing debts.

But Wendt is not only a real slime ball he's a little bit crazy in his scheme. Not only does he kill the brother he kills Jay Acovone whom he lures to his house. Acovone is both a restaurant owner and a bookie and well connected to Mafia crime boss Rod Steiger who is a half owner in the place. You want to mess with those guys? He claims he killed Acovone as a matter of self defense.

I have to say that Wendt apparently had a well conceived plan, but those little details that Columbo spots are what does him in. Things that Wendt could not have foreseen just make Peter Falk zero in on him more and more.

Real Columbo fans could not miss the similarities between this story and one from the 70s where Hector Elizondo kills someone in the consulate of a Mideast kingdom. It was also a whole lot of little things that Falk suspect him, but he couldn't quite nail him. He uses the same gambit from that story to nail Wendt in this one.

You'll have to see the film to know what I am talking about.

A little over the top, and might not fly 100% in reality, but still one of the wildest, funniest and wackiest of all the 69 episodes. Columbo is not the doddering old fool that he portrays in some of the later movies. He is serious, with a tinge of humor throughout. Although he seemingly goes on and on with his stories, in actuality few of his lines are wasted at all. In every line he drops some subtle allusion that is part of his grand design to ensnare his suspect. George Wendt will never be mistaken for a great actor. But he actually is well cast in this particular role - a lying, not too bright criminal, who nonetheless designs a brilliant, extremely complex murder/frame-up plan that only Columbo can figure out. Consequently, he is convinced that he is smarter than he actually is. So naturally he looks down at Columbo and keeps saying unnecessary things w/o realizing that Columbo is setting him up. Rod Steiger, in a brilliant performance as a mafia godfather, is hilarious and delectable (although even someone like me, who can't speak any Italian, can easily detect that his Italian diction is laughable, spoken like a true American of French, Scottish, and German descent might speak it). As for those reviewers who say this film is bad because Columbo is out of character, I respectfully disagree. He often uses questionable means to get the proof of the murderer's guilt, once he is convinced that he surely has the actual murderer. Yeah, it's a little overboard here, but it works because it is done with a sly smile, rather than in a purely serious manner. The final wild roller coaster ride seems finally to have entered the realm of the inconceivable, until the truth is revealed about what just happened and it gives you a big laugh. Hang on!