Columbo: Season 6, Episode 1Fade in to Murder (10 Oct. 1976)An egotistical but successful star off a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer and makes it look like a robbery. Director:Bernard L. Kowalski |
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Columbo: Season 6, Episode 1Fade in to Murder (10 Oct. 1976)An egotistical but successful star off a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer and makes it look like a robbery. Director:Bernard L. Kowalski |
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| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Peter Falk | ... | ||
| William Shatner | ... | ||
| Bert Remsen | ... |
Mark
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Alan Manson | ... |
Sid Daley
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Lola Albright | ... |
Clare Daley
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Danny Dayton | ... |
Director
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| Timothy Carey | ... |
Tony
(as Timothy Agoglia Carey)
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| Walter Koenig | ... |
Sgt. Johnson
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| John Finnegan | ... |
Assistant Director
(as J.P. Finnegan)
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| Victor Izay | ... |
Conroy
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| Shera Danese | ... |
Molly
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Jimmy Joyce | ... |
Camera Operator
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Frank Emmett Baxter | ... |
Walter Gray
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Fred Draper | ... |
Joseph (first scene, flubbed line)
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Ward Fowler is an actor of a soap opera and his character is Detective Lucerne. His producer is Claire Daley, once his lover and now his blackmailer. Fowler decides to kill Claire and to do in such a way as to accuse her husband. Lt. Columbo begins to investigate and he is helped by Detective Lucerne who at a certain moment suspects the actor Fowler... Written by Baldinotto da Pistoia
Decently plotted and reasonably originally conceived Columbo Season 6 opener, which sees him square-off, rather interestingly, against an actor renowned for his portrayal of the television detective Lt. Lucerne (played by William Shatner) who murders his blackmailing ex-lover (the show's producer) in a made-to-look-like robbery.
The most noticeable thing about this episode is the inordinate amount of screen time between Columbo and murderer, which therefore places a heavier emphasis than normal on having a quality script. In this respect, the scenes are carefully drawn and many of them are executed in a pleasing style, particularly as we get more information on the murderer's motives behind his crime. Nevertheless, the playful style of Columbo's interfacing with his rival (which may be too strong a word) is not a particularly rewarding approach by the script-writer, who almost airs on the side of caution to maintain a lighter atmosphere than is often the case in Columbo adventures. This style also renders a lack of build-up to the conclusion, which with all the open-mindedness in the world, is very inauspicious and unsatisfying.
Shatner's performance is carefully executed but overly hammy; although he probably does everything he is asked of in the script, particularly in conveying his character's deep-rooted insecurity, which is rather heavily portrayed at the end as he tries to seek sympathy for his crime.
I especially liked the final piece of dialogue after Columbo collars the murderer: Lt. Lucerne to Columbo - "...you would do me a enormous favour if you would stop calling me sir...."
It's a very curious episode with positives and negatives in equal measure; perhaps the script-writer could have allowed Lt. Lucerne's character to possess more self-assuredness, particularly as he gifts Columbo evidence off and on during this adventure.