"Columbo" The Most Dangerous Match (1973)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Edward M. Abroms

Writers:

Jackson Gillis (teleplay)
Jackson Gillis (story) ...

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

4 March 1973 (Season 2, Episode 7)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A chess player murders his opponent before a big match. Lt. Columbo must out-maneuver this crafty, but craven, killer.

Plot Keywords:

Chess | Murder | Chess Grandmaster | Police | Murder Suspect

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Laurence Harvey	...	Emmett Clayton
Lloyd Bochner	...	Mazoor Berozski
Jack Kruschen	...	Tomlin Dudek
Heidi Brühl	...	Linda Robinson (as Heidi Bruhl)
Paul Jenkins	...	Sergeant Douglas
Michael Fox	...	Dr. Benson
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Proprietor (as Oscar Beregi)
Mathias Reitz	...	Anton
Richard Drout Miller	...	1st Reporter (as Drout Miller)
Manuel DePina	...	2nd Reporter
Stuart Nisbet	...	Dr. Sullivan
Abigail Shelton	...	Nurse
John Finnegan	...	1st Workman

Runtime:

Germany:74 min | Italy:70 min | USA:73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2005) | UK:U

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Lloyd Bochner (playing the coach Berozski), when using various Russian-sounding words while speaking into a phone, says "Duddy Kravitz", a reference to the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by another Canadian Jew, Mordecai Richler. A movie version of the novel was released the following year, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974).

Goofs:

Continuity: As killer chess-champ Emmett Clayton steps into an elevator at the hotel, his shoes are light tan loafers, suede-looking, almost matching his suit. When he gets off the elevator, his shoes have been transformed to shiny black leather, with silver buckles.

Quotes:

Emmett Clayton: Well, chess *is* the ultimate test of the human mind, isn't it?
Tomlin Dudek: You think so? I always thought it was women.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Columbo: How to Dial a Murder (#7.4)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Sunday Mystery Movie Theme

One of the best acted of the Columbo episodes

Featuring a cast that includes Laurence Harvey, veteran actor Jack Kruschen, and Lloyd Bochner, along with star Peter Falk, "The Most Dangerous Game" ranks as one of the TOP TEN Columbo installments. Harvey soars as a self-centered chess master whose ego won't let him be defeated by his arch-rival, Krushen as a Russian champion. Harvey, an actor that seemed always on the verge of stardom, plays his part with relish, especially in the last few exchanges between himself and Falk. The "denouement" is one of the few times when an "expletive" is heard in a "Columbo" installment.

Of course, the storyline reflects the Cold War thinking that permeated much of the world at the time, and it's a bit quaint to see the mistrust between American and Soviet bodyguards to both chess players.

An added bonus for the show is the intriguing camera-work and large props used in a dream sequence.