A Bird in the Hand
- Episode aired Nov 22, 1992
- TV-PG
- 1h 38m
Columbo investigates a hit and run, followed by a car explosion.Columbo investigates a hit and run, followed by a car explosion.Columbo investigates a hit and run, followed by a car explosion.
- Lt. Robertson
- (as Frank Mc Rae)
- Fernando
- (as Leon Singer)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe football footage, which shows two mock American football teams, is excerpted from an actual Canadian Football League game shot in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Edmonton Eskimos.
- GoofsTyne Daly's "Southern accent" comes and goes throughout the episode.
- Quotes
Harold McCain: Hey, why would you need me at all? Your job here is to keep people away, isn't it?
Columbo: Oh, the traffic boys, they handle that. No, sir, I'm just waiting for more of my crew. Look at that. Even the tires are custom. Oh, I don't mind admitting, sir, this buggy sure caught my eye. See, I got a foreign car, too. It's French. I don't know if you noticed it. It's parked down there in the street?
Harold McCain: No, I didn't.
Columbo: Oh.
Harold McCain: What is your job, Lieutenant?
Columbo: Homicide.
Harold McCain: On a hit-and-run case?
Columbo: Oh, don't let that worry you, sir. And particularly not Mrs. McCain. But the violent death of anyone as well-known as Big Fred, we gotta look into it, just to make double-triple sure, that's all. Besides, our chief... he's the biggest Stallions fan in Los Angeles, if you understand what I'm saying.
Harold McCain: I guess so.
Columbo: Yeah.
Harold McCain: [a police car approaches] That's your crew now, right?
Columbo: No, no, no, no. That's the accident detail. There must be a dozen of 'em in the neighborhood by now. But, you know, I was just thinking. When the people start trampling around here...
[opens the door to Big Fred's car]
Columbo: ... we don't want 'em poking into this. There's gotta be some button you can push to lock the doors.
Harold McCain: Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah, this was Uncle Fred's pride and joy.
Columbo: Yeah. And if we have to move it, I'm sure we can find a key.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Columbo: It's All in the Game (1993)
The first is that of Steve Forrest multi-millionaire owner of a football team whose death would solve the problems of his wastrel nephew Greg Evigan. He's run down while jogging on his block in fashionable Beverly Hills. Looks very much like a hit and run, but of course Falk holds out for a bigger story.
While trying to get that gardener Leon Singer is blown up along with the late Mr. Forrest's car after Columbo asks him to move it. There's a very funny scene while Columbo is at an auto dealer's shop trying to simulate how a bomb would be placed. Just doing that action yields him a valuable clue.
Finally Evigan himself is shot to death and at that point it all falls in place after Falk traces his movements the 24 hours before he's killed.
Tyne Daly is in the cast as a most needy wife and one who has every indication of charting her own course when she's a widow.
Lots of twists in this Columbo tale, more than usual still great viewing.
- bkoganbing
- Apr 22, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Коломбо: Синица в руках
- Filming locations
- Mercedes-Benz of Encino - 16721 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA(Rolls-Royce dealership)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro