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

The barely-glimpsed actor playing Dale Kingston's uncle is B-movie icon Robert Shayne, who played Inspector Henderson on the "Superman" TV series.

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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 shows Dale Kingston a print he bought of a painting by Sam Franklin] What do you think? Any good?
Dale Kingston: For wallpaper in a child's room, absolutely perfect. In fact, looks like it might have been done by an untalented twelve-year-old.
Lt. Columbo: You know, I was kind of afraid you were gonna say something like that. But you know, then I say, why would you bother to go there last night, if this guy's stuff is so bad? I mean, this was painted by the artist whose exhibit you were covering...
Dale Kingston: Lieutenant ...
[...]

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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

Aunt Edna and Lt. Columbo — separated at birth?

Dale Kingston murders his uncle Rudy, because he's learned he won't inherit the old man's art collection. He tries to pin the murder on dear, dotty, delightful Aunt Edna, divorced many years earlier from Rudy. There are complications eventually — including from the girl who helps him with the hit on Rudy.

Many episodes start with a huge house, a shot of the exterior, a wealthy someone in the way, and the murder. Kingston plants all the evidence and arranges the crime scene without speaking and in fact during these few moments there is hardly any sound at all. Until the gunshot, and then a doorbell.

Kingston establishes his alibi, such as it is, by attending a gallery exhibit opening reception and looking at his watch multiple times, or asking other people to look at theirs. He thinks his plan rocks, and he thinks everyone else exists to help him carry it out — if only by confirming when he was at the party. Some of the art jokes are pretty good, though.

This is not my favorite episode by far, though it has a high rating here on IMDb. Ross Martin — an actor I generally enjoy and one known for being an acting teacher — descends into madness as the murderer. He starts to screech, and do stupid things. Perhaps it's purposeful, as Columbo comes closer and closer. I dunno; it grates.

One awesome scene is with the landlady, looking at the scrapbook. Watch for it!

Culled from The Columbo Case Files: Season One.