"Columbo" A Stitch in Crime (1973)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Hy Averback

Writers:

Richard Levinson (creator) &
William Link (creator) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

11 February 1973 (Season 2, Episode 6)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A surgeon has an ingenious plan for murdering his partner in a research project, but a nurse catches onto the scheme.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Surgeon | Murder | Detective | Doctor

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Leonard Nimoy	...	Dr. Barry Mayfield
Anne Francis	...	Nurse Sharon Martin
Nita Talbot	...	Marcia Dalton
Will Geer	...	Dr. Edmund Hidemann
Aneta Corsaut	...	Nurse Morgan
Jared Martin	...	Harry Alexander
Victor Millan	...	Detective Flores
Ken Sansom	...	Paul (as Kenneth Sansom)
Murray MacLeod	...	Dr. Simpson
Leonard Simon	...	Dr. Michaelson
Ron Stokes	...	Tom
Patsy Garrett	...	Cleaning Woman

Directed by
Hy Averback

Writing credits
Richard Levinson		(creator) &
William Link		(creator)
Shirl Hendryx		(written by)

Produced by
Edward K. Dodds	....	associate producer
Dean Hargrove	....	producer

Original Music by
Billy Goldenberg

Cinematography by
Harry L. Wolf		(director of photography) (as Harry Wolf)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Kimble

Art Direction by
Archie J. Bacon		(as Arch Bacon)

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(as John McCarthy)

Costume Design by
Grady Hunt

Production Management
Henry Kline	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Foster H. Phinney	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Edwin S. Hall	....	sound

Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Henry Mancini	....	composer: "Mystery Movie" theme
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main title
Jackson Gillis	....	executive story consultant

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

Runtime:

USA:73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2005) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Universal TV

Goofs:

Continuity: The three items on Dr. Barry Mayfield's desk in his office change position, depending on camera angle.

Quotes:

Dr. Barry Mayfield: Maybe Marcia knows more than she's telling.
Lt. Columbo: Oh, actually I think she knows less than she's telling.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Columbo: Murder by the Book (#1.1)" (1971)

Soundtrack:

Sunday Mystery Movie Theme

Well enough stitched together Columbo adventure

This is a largely potent, cleverly-titled and unpredictably effective Season 2 episode from the Columbo series which sees an impulsive and scheming surgeon (played by Leonary Nimoy) murder a nurse who realises that he is going to botch a heart valve operation on his more circumspect and cautious colleague, who are both involved in a revolutionary medical project.

Leonary Nimoy "warms up" in his role as the villain: he is initially a little wooden but ultimately his character provides a stern test for Columbo's powers of deduction and, in turn, Nimoy is very effective in portraying the villain's tenacity and calculating nature.

The script-writer allows the plot to drift a little in mid-section, primarily because of the pursuance of the drug-related theme which is the made-to-look motive used by the killer.

Will Geer's portrayal of his slightly irritating and fussy characterisation is almost too good; since it borders too much towards comedy and this dilutes the tension a little.

The last twenty minutes or so are very well-portrayed: the remarkable thing in this episode is that it is very difficult to anticipate how Columbo will nail the killer. In separate sequences, we see Columbo uncharacteristically lose his temper infront of the murderer and then shake his hand and admit defeat.....

Despite some lesser moments in the middle, the brisk opening and the relentlessly surprising end make this a highly recommended, if not totally faultless Columbo story.