"Columbo" Lady in Waiting (1971)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Norman Lloyd

Writers:

Steven Bochco (teleplay)
Barney Slater (story)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

15 December 1971 (Season 1, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Family Business | Fratricide | Crime Solving

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Susan Clark	...	Beth Chadwick
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Mrs. Chadwick
Richard Anderson	...	Bryce Chadwick
Leslie Nielsen	...	Peter Hamilton
Joel Fluellen	...	Charles
Richard Bull	...	2nd Detective
Garry Walberg	...	1st Detective
Barbara Rhoades	...	Hostess
Jon Lormer	...	Hearing Officer
Frank Baxter	...	Fred
Susan Barrister	...	Waitress

Runtime:

72 min | Italy:68 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2004) | Australia:PG

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Last film of Jessie Royce Landis.

Goofs:

Continuity: Beth's sitting on her bed, waiting for Bryce to come home. She opens a box of chocolates and reaches in for a piece. There are no wrappers on the bed at this point but as she puts the piece of candy in her mouth, the bed is suddenly littered with candy wrappers.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Columbo: Negative Reaction (#4.2)" (1974)

Soundtrack:

Love Theme from 'Red Sky At Morning'

Good but has some misses in it.

Basically this is one fine and good made Columbo movie that begins stylish and promising but sort of slowly turns weaker as the story progresses.

It's an early Colubmo movie so Lt. Columbo still looks a bit too clean with combed hair and all. Nevertheless Peter Falk plays his role good as always and in just the same manner as he portrayed the character in the later movies.

Susan Clark was also truly excellent in her role. She's a not too well actress but she plays a great role in this. The movie also features Leslie Nielsen in a still serious role. Something he did a lot before the '80's and he also seriously was not too bad at it.

It's a sort of slow moving movie but still with a good steady pace but the way the investigations progresses, with all of its clues throughout is not entirely satisfactory and is basically the only reason why this movie remains nothing more than an average Columbo-entry, that is still of good quality of course.

Neverhteless it was a Columbo movie I really enjoyed watching and for that reason is also a real recommendable one.

7/10