"Columbo" Any Old Port in a Storm (1973)

Director:

Leo Penn

Writers:

Stanley Ralph Ross (teleplay)
Larry Cohen (story)
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

7 October 1973 (Season 3, Episode 2)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A connoisseur running a California winery murders his younger half-brother to prevent him from selling the family business. Lt. Columbo is on the case.

Plot Keywords:

Winery | Wine | Wine Connoisseur | Murder | Detective

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Donald Pleasence	...	Adrian Carsini
Joyce Jillson	...	Joan Stacey
Gary Conway	...	Enrico Guiseppe Carsini
Dana Elcar	...	Falcon
Julie Harris	...	Karen Fielding
Vito Scotti	...	Maitre d'
Robert Donner	...	The Drunk
Robert Ellenstein	...	Stein
Robert Walden	...	Billy Fine
Regis Cordic	...	Lewis (as Regis J. Cordic)
Reid Smith	...	Andy Stevens
John McCann	...	Officer
George Gaynes	...	Frenchman
Monte Landis	...	Steward (as Monty Landis)
Walker Edmiston	...	Auctioneer
Pamela Campbell	...	Cassie Marlowe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rand Brooks	...	Jerry - Wine Lab Assistant (uncredited)
Charlie Jones	...	Newscaster (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Frank Puglia	...	Janitor at Winery (uncredited)

Directed by
Leo Penn

Writing credits
Stanley Ralph Ross		(teleplay)
Larry Cohen		(story)
Richard Levinson		(creator) &
William Link		(creator)

Produced by
Robert F. O'Neill	....	producer

Original Music by
Dick DeBenedictis		(as Dick De Benedictis)

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

Film Editing by
Larry Lester
Buddy Small		(as Budd Small)

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

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer

Production Management
Wilbur Mosier	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Boston	....	assistant director

Sound Department
David H. Moriarty	....	sound

Stunts
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Grady Hunt	....	costumes

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

Music Department
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor

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

Production Companies

• Universal TV (as Universal Studios)

Distributors

• MCA (1973) (worldwide) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "Columbo: The Complete Third Season")
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Viasat3 (2008) (Hungary) (TV) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (2005) (DVD) (self applied) | Australia:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Peter Falk has stated, that this episode is his personal favorite. He said,that this was the first episode in which Columbo developed a sincere fondness for the murderer. Speaking of Columbo and the Donald Pleasence character, he said that "the two men shared something in common -- an admiration for excellence."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Adrian Carsini emerges from the wine cellar after moving the body, he is bare-handed. But seconds later, as he runs across to his brother's car, he is wearing snuggly fitted leather driving gloves.

Quotes:

Adrian Carsini:[to Karen] I dislike telegrams and I dislike receiving them. There's something about a telegram that makes me feel that some kind of tragedy has occurred.

Movie Connections:

References This Gun for Hire (1942)

Soundtrack:

This Old Man

vintage Columbo

When a frightened young woman comes into the police station to report a missing fiancée, she runs into Columbo and he has pity on her. Thus begins "Any Old Port in a Storm," a fantastic "Columbo" episode about a vineyard owner, his half brother, his secretary, and a big secret. Donald Pleasance is exceedingly unlikable as Adrian, who runs Carsini Wines - at a loss - and collects wine as well. Gary Conway is his playboy half-brother who's sick of seeing the family fortune dwindling away. Fearful that his wine business will be turned into a Gallo-type operation, Adrian kills his brother and leaves the body in the wine cellar before he and his secretary, beautifully portrayed by Julie Harris, attend a wine auction in New York.

It's not long before Columbo becomes involved and learns his wines so that he can go toe to toe with a murderer, who is now having the screws put to him by Harris, an old maid who knows what he did and wants marriage for her silence. The whole thing culminates in an exquisite dinner for which Columbo has chosen all the wine.

The masterful Larry Cohen wrote this script, and you'll find this episode and its subtleties right up there with the best of the "Columbo" series.