Harold Van Wick has squandered the resources of his mother-in-law's electronics firm and a day of reckoning has come. Harold shoots her, but uses his electronic know-how and a closed-circuit TV system to give himself a cast-iron alibi. Columbo however is unconvinced. Can he use Van Wick's hi-tech gadgets to ensnare him ?
This Columbo story, beautifully written by David P. Lewis and Booker Bradshaw, is one of the best, with a brilliant modus-operandi (time-delaying the murder footage), lots of clever ideas (the missing mulch, the gunshot opening the door, the light on the doll) and some great comic moments (the air vent gag in the art gallery is a scream). It also has a great killer in the shape of Werner (the star of François Truffaut's classics Jules Et Jim and Fahrenheit 451), whose nervous, edgy performance - all teeth and hair - is a study in paranoia, with a great crack-up at the end. Rowlands (a close friend of Falk's) is also excellent as the trusting, wheelchair-bound wife who holds the key to the case. Director Kowalski (who helmed three other Columbo yarns) effortlessly tells the intriguing story, knowing just when to apply suspense and humour for maximum effect. Falk, as ever, is absolutely bang-on in his signature role, and it's a joy to watch his performance.
This Columbo story, beautifully written by David P. Lewis and Booker Bradshaw, is one of the best, with a brilliant modus-operandi (time-delaying the murder footage), lots of clever ideas (the missing mulch, the gunshot opening the door, the light on the doll) and some great comic moments (the air vent gag in the art gallery is a scream). It also has a great killer in the shape of Werner (the star of François Truffaut's classics Jules Et Jim and Fahrenheit 451), whose nervous, edgy performance - all teeth and hair - is a study in paranoia, with a great crack-up at the end. Rowlands (a close friend of Falk's) is also excellent as the trusting, wheelchair-bound wife who holds the key to the case. Director Kowalski (who helmed three other Columbo yarns) effortlessly tells the intriguing story, knowing just when to apply suspense and humour for maximum effect. Falk, as ever, is absolutely bang-on in his signature role, and it's a joy to watch his performance.