"Columbo" A Deadly State of Mind (1975)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Harvey Hart

Writers:

Peter S. Fischer (written by)
Richard Levinson (creator)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

27 April 1975 (Season 4, Episode 6)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A psychiatrist, who specializes in hypnosis, murders the husband of his mistress and convinces her to lie to the police; it's up to Lt. Columbo to discover the truth.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Psychiatrist | Book | Hypnosis | Research

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
George Hamilton	...	Dr. Mark Collier
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Nadia Donner (as Lesley Warren)
Stephen Elliott	...	Carl Donner
Karen Machon	...	Dr. Anita Borden
Bruce Kirby	...	Sergeant Kramer
William Wintersole	...	Dr. Hunt
Ryan MacDonald	...	Charles Whelan
Jack Manning	...	Daniel Morris
Fred Draper	...	David Morris
Glorie Kaufman	...	Brenda
Redmond Gleeson	...	Arnold
Vance Davis	...	Officer Hendryx
Danny Wells	...	Gary Keppler
Morris Buchanan	...	Lab Man

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (2006) (DVD) (self applied)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

This is one of the few Columbo episodes where the original murder is a spontaneous act. In most episodes the murder is carefully planned.

Quotes:

Charles Whelan: [watching a rat in a maze] They remind me of my junior assistants!
Dr. Anita Borden: We call her Willy.
Charles Whelan: I don't have a Willy.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Columbo: Blueprint for Murder (#1.7)" (1972)

A Superior Columbo!

Columbo episodes always seem to have the same formula. Especially since we know who does the crime after the first ten minutes, we love surprises in how Columbo catches his man or woman. In this episode, George Hamilton shows off his acting talents. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the man can act very well. He plays a psychiatrist who kills the husband of Lesley Ann Warren's character rather than ruin his reputation. The fun with Columbo episodes is that the crime is never too gruesome or motives are never too dark. Anyway, the doctor's patient is the prime witness and he gets her in the worst way. The crime happens at a beach-front estate secluded from neighbors and traffic. Anyway, watching Columbo catch him is particularly worth it especially sine you don't feel for Hamilton's character as a victim.