This outing is very good because of the face off through out the show by Columbo (Faulk) and Hassan (Hector Elizondo). Sal Mineo is great in a short role as Habib who is helping Hassan who has convinced him he will become a hero for what he is doing. Barry Robbins does OK in a short role as King of a Middle East Nation here to visit the US.
Hassan is the main coordinator here. He has Habib help him establish an alibi for his murder of an embassy official at the Middle East Embassy just before the King is coming to visit. He sets up Habib at the same time as the guy Columbo is supposed to think did the murder. While Columbo jumps at the bait, he seems to realize almost immediately that something smells about the frame up.
The strength of this one is the face offs but then there is a twist at the end when Columbo faces off Hassan one more time to tell him he has it all figured out. Hassan appears to have himself protected from Columbo because he is a foreign national here. The face off thus becomes more interesting.
Hassan is the main coordinator here. He has Habib help him establish an alibi for his murder of an embassy official at the Middle East Embassy just before the King is coming to visit. He sets up Habib at the same time as the guy Columbo is supposed to think did the murder. While Columbo jumps at the bait, he seems to realize almost immediately that something smells about the frame up.
The strength of this one is the face offs but then there is a twist at the end when Columbo faces off Hassan one more time to tell him he has it all figured out. Hassan appears to have himself protected from Columbo because he is a foreign national here. The face off thus becomes more interesting.