Ashes to Ashes (8 Oct. 1998)

After a much maligned Hollywood gossip columnist is murdered by her former lover, Columbo tries to find a way to prove he was responsible for the crime.

Director:

Patrick McGoohan

Writers:

Richard Levinson (creator), William Link (creator),

Stars:

Peter Falk, Patrick McGoohan, Rue McClanahan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Patrick McGoohan	...	Eric Prince
Rue McClanahan	...	Verity Chandler
Richard Riehle	...	Sergeant Degarmo
Spencer Garrett	...	Roger Gambles
Aubrey Morris	...	Fred
Edie McClurg	...	Mrs. Lerby
Richard Libertini
Ron Masak	...	Eddie Fenelle (as Ron Másak)
Catherine McGoohan	...	Rita
Scott N. Stevens
Sally Kellerman	...	Liz Houston
Conrad Bachmann	...	Henry Chalfont (as Conrad Bachman)
Ken Weiler	...	Singer
Sid Burston	...	Driver

Storyline

Columbo is called in to investigate the disappearance of a Hollywood gossip reporter. All evidence points to one of the last people who saw her alive a mortician-to-the-stars with more than a few skeletons rattling around in his closet.

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Plot Keywords:

hollywood | police | police detective | mortician | camera shot of feet | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1998 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The mortuary exterior setting was filmed at the Laury's Restaurant Garden Center and Retail Shop located in Glendale. The facility had been closed by the Laury's management, remaining vacant for a year, when the "Columbo" production team surveyed the sight for the film's mortuary exterior location. The Spanish themed facility had a huge parking area adjacent to the building's main entrance providing an area for a helicopter to land, and to lift off. The parking area was clear of overhead telephone and electric wires, no palm trees, nor planting that would obstruct a pilot maneuvering a helicopter into the landing sight. The buildings' interiors were impractical for filming. The art department added mortuary signs; plugged the central entrance arcade with a double door entrance which was matched on the Universal Studio stage mortuary interior foyer set; restoring landscaping to the sight's grounds with shrubs, palms, and flowering plants. Filming scenes involving the helicopter were done at the sight; one scene which required the helicopter to hover above the ground camera crew's angle shot of Sally Kellerman opening a cremation urn to scatter ashes in the wind. Not anticipating the back draft wind, when Sally opened the prop to dump sand, the dust and sand whipped back up into the helicopter and all over Sally! Another aerial helicopter sequence was filmed over the actual "Hollywood" sign with Sally Kellerman dumping the sand out of the prop urn. Creative license allowed the illegal dump! Only on a "Columbo"!!!

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Goofs

During the first 5 minutes of the film, Verity (played by Rue McClanahan) attends a funeral. She kisses the deceased who is lying in an open casket and leaves a red lipstick mark on his face. The mortician's female assistant is immediately instructed to remove the mark. When she does, the deceased's face visibly flinches as the stain is rubbed off his face with a tissue.

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Connections

Follows Columbo: It's All in the Game (1993)

User Reviews

First-class Columbo comedy-mystery

A tremendous cast, by latter-day Columbo standards, including Rue McClanahan, Sally Kellerman, Edie McClurg, Richard Libertini, Aubrey Morris, and Ron Masak have a field day chewing up the scenery in clever scene after clever scene. Legendary tap dancer Arthur Duncan even shows up to add the proper element of theatre d'absurd to the proceedings. The dialogue is well-above average in the cleverness department as well. The twists and turns are ingenious. McGoohan has a field day as director and actor. The last line puts the proper icing on the cake. This is one of the very best of the latter-day Columbo movies.