Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > "Columbo" Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989)
Prev | 45 of 52 Episodes | Next

"Columbo" Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989)



Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   481 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 25% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Leo Penn
Writers:
Richard Levinson (creator) &
William Link (creator) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Columbo Goes to the Guillotine on IMDbPro.
TV Series:
"Columbo" (1971)
Original Air Date:
6 February 1989 (Season 8, Episode 1)
Plot:
An egocentric psychic murders his old mentor, a magician charged to expose him as fraud, by beheading him while he's rehearsing his guillotine trick. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
a winning newer Columbo more

Cast

  (Episode Cast overview, first billed only)

Peter Falk ... Columbo

Anthony Andrews ... Elliott Blake

Karen Austin ... Dr. Paula Hall
James Greene ... Bert Spindler

Alan Fudge ... Mr. Harrow
Dana Andersen ... Dori
Robert Costanzo ... Sgt. Russo
Anthony Zerbe ... Max Dyson
Michael Bacall ... Tommy

Charles Howerton ... Colonel Eckherdt
Milt Kogan ... Medical Examiner
Tony Amendola ... Clergyman
Rob Garrison ... Young Man

Frank Simons ... Polygraph Operator
Lenny Hicks ... Eddie
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
Germany:87 min | USA:120 min (including commercials)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Stereo
Certification:
Iceland:L | Sweden:15 (2007) (DVD) | Norway:15 (2007) (DVD) | Denmark:15 (2007) (DVD) | Finland:K-18 (2007) (DVD) (self applied) | Finland:S (1989) (VHS) | Netherlands:6 | UK:PG | Australia:PG | USA:Unrated
Company:
Universal TV more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Tommy does the card trick for Columbo in the magic shop he holds the deck a bit too high for the camera angle - you can see that, in fact, the entire deck is made up of Aces of Diamonds. more
Quotes:
Bert Spindler: He was loved. Well, not by those mind readers and psychics; they weren't so crazy about him, once he got on their case. But magicians loved him. I loved him.
Lt. Columbo: I've never seen so many wonderful tricks. Those beautiful Chinese rings, and that terrific birdcage. Once, on a vacation with Mrs. Columbo, I saw a magician make a tiger disappear right out of the ring, but I've never seen a trick like that guillotine trick upstairs. That must be some dangerous trick.
Bert Spindler: Not if you're careful. Max built in some safeguards, made it all foolproof.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Follows "Columbo: A Case of Immunity (#5.2)" (1975) more

FAQ

Who is the model for Anthony Zerbe's character?
more
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
a winning newer Columbo, 23 December 2005
9/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States

When Columbo returned to television in the late '80s, the integrity of the original series was usually in place. The qualities that made Columbo tops were never more apparent than in "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine," with guest stars Anthony Andrews, Anthony Zerbe, and Karen Austin. Andrews plays a psychic being wooed by a government organization for his gifts, but of course, they want to see proof. He is connected with a psychic institute run by beautiful Karen Austin, who not only wants the credibility a win like this could give her institute, but Andrews himself. She is running tests and helping him cheat.

Enter Zerbe, a magician who makes his living debunking psychics. He is brought in by the government to administer special tests to Andrews. Turns out, he and Andrews knew each other once, long ago, in a third world prison, and when Zerbe saw his chance to get out, he did, leaving Andrews behind. There is a hint here of more than just a prison friendship - in the hands of two excellent actors like Zerbe and Andrews, they have etched these characters and their relationship with a lot of layers. Andrews plays the card of their old friendship to get Zerbe to give him elaborate tests that are carried out by trickery, and then sanction him as real to the government. This accomplished, Andrews plays the revenge card for what Zerbe did by abandoning him years ago and, in a remarkable scene, gets rid of him. It's brilliantly done as the murder is never shown, but it makes you sick anyway.

It's up to Columbo to debunk the psychic and reveal him for what he really is, a cold-blooded killer. Watch Columbo figure out the tests, with the help of a boy who is a magic aficionado, and be prepared to be caught up in the scenario and feel like you've just seen a pretty great magic show. One of the truly great Columbos.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "Columbo" (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Continuity error? Sabreman64
How does the ending explain anything? breinhardt-1
Karen Austin's eyes old_tv_guy
more

Related Links

Main series Episode guide Full cast and crew
Company credits External reviews IMDb TV section
IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.