User Reviews

Elliot Markham is an ambitious architect who is currying favour with a rich man's wife in order to bankroll a big construction project. But when the millionaire promises to pull the finances, Elliot decides to silence his objections permanently ...

Craftily written by Steven Bochco and William Kelley, this is one of the best of the early Columbo stories, and the only one to be directed by Falk himself (he also wrote one of the later era ones, It's All In The Game, from 1993). I love the way Columbo's suspicions come from behavioural inconsistencies (in this case, the classical music on the car radio) rather than physical evidence, and that all his dealings with the killer are to some degree a performance; fooling Markham into thinking he's mortified by the lack of a corpus delicti in the building foundation, only to catch him in the act later. This one is also more overtly humorous than most of the early ones, particularly in the extended comic sequence at the civic planning office. Falk is as brilliant as ever here, peppering his polite bluster with razor-sharp hidden meanings, O'Neal makes a fine cold-hearted killer, Paige is terrific as the unflappable ex-wife, the inimitable Tucker (the star of one of my favourite B-movies, The Trollenberg Terror) is perfect as the hot-headed Texan cuckold, and don't miss John Fiedler (the nervous little guy from 12 Angry Men) in a funny scene as a doctor. As with several Columbo TV-movies, this is fine fare for the classic car enthusiast - O'Neal drives a Mercedes-Benz W108 series, whilst Tucker's car is a gorgeous beige sixth-generation Cadillac Coupe Deville. One of the best Columbo flicks, with terrific performances and a first-rate story.

The best things about this episode, the seventh and last from the show's first full year, are the performances by the eclectic supporting cast. First there is the eventual victim, Bo, played by a convincing, mildly amusing and a bit disturbing Forrest Tucker. Then there's flamboyant ex-wife, Goldie, portrayed with an extra dose of panache by singer, actress and legendary WWII pinup girl, Janis Paige (who, after ending her massage to speak with the Lieutenant, suggests he turn his back so as to avoid being "corrupted" by her)! And character actor John Fiedler (trust me; you will recognize him) makes a cameo appearance, as big Bo's cardiac/pacemaker doctor. Patrick O'Neal, in the first of his two eventual Columbo appearances, plays an arrogant and pretentious architect. After needlessly digging up a massive new building's foundation, you'll be forgiven for thinking that the Lieutenant has finally been outsmarted. But, as usual, just keep watching.

These detective shows cycle through different worlds and here we are in the world of architecture, with the obligatory futuristic model on a table that we know is going to be swept aside in one arm movement by an angry character.

So this was Peter Falk's one and only attempt at directing? He did a good job. Another commenter complained Columbo was unusually "stiff and stern". I noticed the absence of the "humour" that consists of Columbo being humiliated, or asking "What'd you pay for a pair of shoes like that?" or "Oh, my wife loves modernistic office buildings".

The construction site makes a great background for the action, with muscly extras doing real digging. Oh, just one more thing that bothers me... Columbo is sometimes accompanied by a sergeant, but we never see his office, we never see the police station, we have no sense that he is part of a team - apart from the squad car men we sometimes see when the body's discovered. He doesn't have sidekicks. And where are forensics?

Goldie is a fun character, always dressed in a bit of lamé, but why is she there? She pushes the investigation on, and refuses to believe that Beau is "travelling in Europe and unavailable". This leaves Mrs Williamson to look gullible and dim.

This one is directed by Falk and he decided that more is better. In my opinion he was wrong. Over two thirds of this episode is spent on the LT getting paperwork to dig up a body or body parts. The episode slows down as the LT is rebuked by the bad guy for delaying construction. The LT has to endure the criticism. The viewers have to endure this episode.

**SPOILERS** Off beat Columbo movie with the body of the murder victim disappearing, were not even at first sure if he was murdered, and not surfacing until the last ten minutes of the movie.

Coming back home from a European business vacation Texas tycoon Bo Williamson, Forrest Tucker, is fit to be tied when he finds out that his wife Jennifer, Pamala Austin, had allowed big time architect, and an authority of the ancient Egyptian builder's, Elliot Markham (Patrick O'Neal) used his hard earned money to start construction of a brand new town in the area that's to be named after him Williamson City. Throwing a fit at Markham's office City Bo storms out and drives to the building site to confront a startled and surprised Elliot Markham. In a very heated exchange Bo let's Markham know in no uncertain terms that he may as well pack up and leave together with his team of construction workers. Bo's cutting off all the money from his wife Pamala who's been, while he was away in Europe, bankrolling Markham's grandiose Williamson City project.

Back at his spread, the massive Williamson Ranch, Bo get's in his car turns on a tape of Country & Western music and is suddenly surprised by an unexpected and unwanted visitor who pops out of the back seat, Elliot Markham with a .38 pointed at Bo's head. We never see what happens to Bo but it's obvious that Markham blew him away. It's one of Bo's old lady, his first, Goldie (Janis Paige) who at first suspects that there's foul play involved in her ex-husband's strange disappearance.

With Lt. Columbo, Peter Falk, called on the case and, due to Goldie insistence, it being classified a possible homicide. This has Markham cover all his tracks by steering Columbo in the wrong direction to where Bo's body really is. At first it seems like Bo just took off to glob-trot around the world. Yet Bo not getting in contact with Goldie and even more suspicious not even seeing his doctor John Fiedler about replacing his pacemakers battery made Bo's sudden disappearance look more and more suspicious to Lt. Columbo.

Markham very sure of himself in being Lt. Columbo's superior in the brains department and totally underestimating Columbo's ability to see through his BS and get to the meat of the matter. Markham gets the L.A detective to have the foundation of Williamson City dug up and dismantled trying to trick Lt. Columbo into thinking that Bo is buried in it.

With no body found and Lt. Columbo looking foolish, for falling for the diabolic and clever Markham's scheme, Markham now goes back to his tool shad where he had kept Bo's body on ice all this time. Markham plans to put Bo, buried under tons of cement, in the foundation that was just dug up! Knowing that Columbo or anyone else in the LAPD wouldn't dare to dig it up, after coming up empty the first time, for a second time. Markham didn't know it but he was in for a big surprise.

With Markham getting a flat tire and then a highway patrolman (Cliff Carnell) coming to the scene to help him change it, everything was going according to plan for him. Markham even talked the officer into getting him, by saying his spear is out of air, help keeping the highway patrolman away from the trunk where Bo's body is hidden.

Markham's biggest boo boo was that he went back to the construction site to dispose of Bo's body the exact way he told Lt. Columbo that he, had he murdered him, would have done it! Knowing that sooner of later Markham would execute his plan of planting Bo right into the very foundations of the city that he named after him Columbo and the L.A police were there waiting to arrest him.

When he returns from two months travelling, horse lover Bo Williamson finds that his wife has invested heavily in the architectural visions of Elliot Markham. Williamson goes nuts and tells Markham to get off the gravy train because it stops right now. When Markham learns that Mrs Williamson is unreachable and that her husband can't reach her, he decides to kill Bo and make it look like his trip has just been extended indefinitely. It all goes well until Bo's first wife notices the cheques have stopped and calls the police to file a missing persons report. Columbo is sent to investigate and, although Elliot and Jennifer assure him all is fine, Goldie insists something is up and, while looking, Columbo starts to agree with her.

As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula – we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler – it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. Here we have a strong mystery that sticks well to what the series does well; building on the little things, we follow Columbo as he tries to piece together what little he has into a case. The development of the story is quite satisfying and I quite liked the way that in some regards the audience were kept in the dark about some detail. The ending lacks a touch of logic but is still enjoyable for what it is. Little touches like Columbo's brush with bureaucracy and his incident with the doctor just help add the feeling of variety to good effect.

The characters have the great cat and mouse stuff that always works well in the series and the cast take to it well. Falk does a bit of kowtowing to architecture but mostly he is just persistent – keeping doggedly on until the very end. O'Neal has the convincing arrogance that makes him such a good mark for Columbo; he is strong right to the very end and it is this dynamic that makes it work. Paige is colourful but does the job to get the plot going, and she certainly makes Austin look dull. Tucker, Fiedler and Gibbons all add value in smaller roles but, as always, it is the lead two that make the film and they both deliver the goods here.

Overall a strong entry in the series that is a fine example of what the Columbo films are famous for. The plot is strong and engaging while the two leads fizz off one another – Falk with his persistent doggedness and O'Neal with his arrogant taunting of Columbo. Satisfying, interesting, enjoyable and well worth watching.