Suitable for Framing (17 Nov. 1971)

Noted art critic Dale Kingston kills his uncle for his valuable collection of paintings. Despite Columbo's suspicions, all the clues point to the dead man's ex-wife. Can the lieutenant reveal the true culprit before it is too late?

Director:

Hy Averback

Writers:

Jackson Gillis, Richard Levinson (creator),

Stars:

Peter Falk, Ross Martin, Don Ameche

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Ross Martin	...	Dale Kingston
Don Ameche	...	Frank Simpson
Kim Hunter	...	Edna Matthews
Rosanna Huffman	...	Tracy O'Connor
Joan Shawlee	...	Mitilda
Barney Phillips	...	Captain Wyler
Mary Wickes	...	Landlady
Vic Tayback	...	Sam Franklin
Sandra Gould	...	Matron
Curt Conway	...	Evans
Claude Johnson	...	Policeman
Dennis Rucker	...	Parking Boy (Joe)

Storyline

Lt. Colombo investigates the murder of Rudy Matthews, an art collector who is found shot to death in his home. The killer is the dead man's nephew, art critic Dale Kingston who, with the help of his accomplice Tracy O'Connor, tries to mask the time of death and then give himself an alibi by attending an art exhibit From the outset, Colombo can't quite understand why one of the two missing paintings was by a lesser artist and why a thief wouldn't have taken something more expensive. Kingston tries to point Colombo in the direction of his aunt, Matthews ex-wife Edna. The fact that Matthews left everything, including his entire art collection, to her seems to support that idea. Colombo isn't buying it and sets a clever trap for him.

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Plot Keywords:

art critic | murder | painting | alibi | landlady | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1971 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ross Martin, who plays the killer, was Peter Falk's acting teacher.

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Goofs

While in the TV studio, Columbo asks Dale if the coffee machine works and Dale confirms it does. After Columbo puts coins in the coffee machine he instantly takes removes the cup of coffee from the machine (it would have taken some time for the machine to fill the cup). Columbo waves the hand holding the coffee around as if the cup was empty while talking to Dale. In the same scene we see the cup in his right hand, then it mysteriously disappears, only to re-appear at the end of the scene. At the end of the scene, Columbo puts the cup on a table after have never once taken a sip of the coffee.

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Quotes

Lt. Columbo: [Columbo comes to talk with Dale Kingston after he finishes hosting his TV art program] Uh, so this is a television studio, huh?
Dale Kingston: Yes.
Lt. Columbo: Quite a place.
Dale Kingston: Well, it's a barn, really. I'm sure it's not as glamorous as you thought it'd be.
Lt. Columbo: That's right, it isn't, uh, but things aren't really what they seem to be, are they?
Dale Kingston: My, how observant you are.

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Soundtracks

"Promenade"
from Pictures at an Exhibition
by Modest Mussorgsky
Heard during the cocktail party sequence in the art gallery

User Reviews

A Better Columbo!

I love Columbo and I won't deny it. A relative got me hooked on it when I was younger. It's one of the better episodes. I love watching Columbo going to the art gallery. That's a classic comic scene in my opinion. Alice's Vic Tayback plays an artist and Oscar winner Kim Hunter also has a small part. Who would have thought that paintings and art would be an interesting topic for a Columbo episode but it works just fine. Anyway, the classic scene is how Columbo approaches art more like somebody who would mistaken air conditioning for a work of art than an art expert. The episode focuses on art, greed, and family relations. All in all, the episode is one of the better ones of Columbo. It's worth noting to see Vic Tayback and Kim Hunter in it as well.