| Peter Falk | ... | Columbo | |
| Anne Baxter | ... | Nora Chandler | |
| Frank Converse | ... | Mr. Fallon | |
| Pippa Scott | ... | Jean Davis | |
| Kevin McCarthy | ... | Dr. Frank Simmons | |
| Mel Ferrer | ... | Jerry Parks | |
| Edith Head | ... | Herself | |
| Sidney Miller | ... | Director (as Sid Miller) | |
| William Bryant | ... | Sgt. Jeffries | |
| John Archer | ... | Paul | |
| Jack Griffin | ... | Gate Guard | |
| Robert E. Meredith | ... | Joe | |
| Bart Burns | ... | Sgt. Fields | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Dianne Travis | ... | Blonde In Road (uncredited) | |
| Episode Crew |
Directed by | |||
| Richard Quine | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Jackson Gillis | (written by) | |
| Richard Levinson | (creator) & | |
| William Link | (creator) | |
Produced by | |||
| Edward K. Dodds | .... | associate producer | |
| Dean Hargrove | .... | producer | |
Cinematography by | |||
| Harry L. Wolf | (director of photography) (as Harry Wolf) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Buddy Small | (as Budd Small) | ||
Art Direction by | |||
| Archie J. Bacon | (as Arch Bacon) | ||
Set Decoration by | |||
| John McCarthy Jr. | (set decorations) (as John McCarthy) | ||
Production Management | |||
| Henry Kline | .... | unit manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| David Dowell | .... | assistant director (as David M. Dowell) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Edwin S. Hall | .... | sound | |
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 | .... | main title design | |
| Jackson Gillis | .... | executive story consultant | |
| Main series | Episode guide | Full cast and crew |
| Company credits | External reviews | IMDb TV section |
| IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section |
Frankly, when considering a "Columbo" plot revolving around a faded actress, the 1975 "Forgotten Lady," with Janet Leigh, is far more memorable than this exploration of 70s TV movie-making. The plot seems to borrow bits from various Hollywood sources, such as Shirley Temple and her bungalow at 20th Century Fox in the 30s, etc.
I always enjoy Anne Baxter's performances, but this comes across as a bit over-the-top. Granted, the script requires that she intentionally overact for Columbo, but at times, her supposed "natural" scenes are also a bit camp/vamp.
Even when this first aired in January, 1973, I knew who Edith Head was, and got a kick seeing her cameo.
Director Quine was also at the helm of my least-favorite episode, the one shown prior to this,"Dagger of the Mind." Both exhibit unnecessary scenery chewing, and stray from the formula that usually makes any "Columbo" episode a television classic.