Murder by the Book (15 Sep. 1971)

When one member of a mystery writing team wants to break from his less talented partner, he becomes the victim in a real-life murder mystery.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Steven Bochco, Richard Levinson (creator),

Stars:

Peter Falk, Jack Cassidy, Rosemary Forsyth

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Jack Cassidy	...	Ken Franklin
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Joanna Ferris
Martin Milner	...	Jim Ferris
Barbara Colby	...	Lilly La Sanka
Lynette Mettey	...	Gloria Jr. (as Lynnette Mettey)
Bernie Kuby	...	Mike Tucker
Hoke Howell	...	Sergeant
Marcia Wallace	...	Woman (credit only)
Haven Earle Haley	...	2nd Reporter

Storyline

Ken Franklin is a rich socialite living in a luxurious coastal mansion bought from his years of writing crime and mystery books. However, what he once wrote as fiction becomes reality as he murders a man and then desperatly tries to cover up his crime when he is blackmailed by a witness. As usual, Columbo arrives on the scene and begins to pester his suspect with questions about the murder. Mr. Franklin soon realises though, that no murder is perfect, and that one of his books may return to haunt him.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | partner | book | insurance policy | police lieutenant | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1971 (USA)

Filming Locations:

9000 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV, Universal Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with film critic Judith Crist, Steven Spielberg revealed that, through his directorial efforts on this TV pilot, he went on to land the same role on Duel.

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Goofs

The writing partnership produced 15 Mrs. Melville books, but when Ken gives Columbo the books to take home, there are only 10. When Columbo brings them back when Ken is being interviewed, he comes with 14, and when they are piled on the table during the climactic office scene, there are 16.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Jim works in his office]
Jim Ferris: [knock on the door] Who is it?
[another knock on the door]
Jim Ferris: [He opens the door - Ken is aiming a gun at his face. Jim laughs]
Ken Franklin: Oh, you're not intimidated.
Jim Ferris: Oh, come on, Ken. You're forgetting that I'm one-half of the world's greatest mystery-writing team? You, ah, don't have gloves on, your finger's not on the trigger, and there are no bullets in the cylinder.
Ken Franklin: [smiling] You're right. I'm a lousy practical joker.

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Connections

References Prescription: Murder (1968)

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Soundtracks

"Love Theme from 'Red Sky At Morning'"
Composed by Billy Goldenberg
Heard during the bar scene

User Reviews

Not a well planned murder

Interesting that the very first Columbo episode with Jack Cassidy as the murderer was one of the less successful dramatically in my humble opinion. Because of that it convinces me more than ever that the series and the character were sold brilliantly to the television audience by Peter Falk.

Cassidy plays half of the mystery writing team of Cassidy and Martin Milner and does this guy have one hell of a racket. Milner is the creative one and Cassidy gets half the royalties by just doing the public relations with the newspapers, the TV and Radio talk shows, all that stuff with all the fringe benefits coming with it.

Well the gravy train has now come to an end because Milner wants to go out on his own. You would think that Cassidy would want the last thing to be Milner's demise because he would still hope for reconciliation. What he does do though is take out a hefty insurance policy on Milner and proceed with an elaborate murder plot.

If anything this Columbo episode proved Milner really was the creative one because he is the obvious suspect. The insurance policy and his deliberate deception with phone calls placed are traced easily enough and don't ring true. And above all he gets himself blackmailed by the owner of a general store played by Barbara Colby and has to do another and less planned murder. For a guy so arrogant as Cassidy was and he set a pattern for Columbo villains he really botched this one.

The late Barbara Colby whose career and life came so tragically to an end only a few years later, she plays an interesting if spaced out character. Her scenes with Cassidy are the best part of this episode.

Still though Columbo would face far more deceptive villains in the future.