An Exercise in Fatality

Episode aired Sep 15, 1974
TV-PGTV-PG
1h 29m

7.6/10

S4.E1

A health club owner murders one of his franchisees. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A health club owner murders one of his franchisees. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A health club owner murders one of his franchisees. Lt. Columbo is on the case.

7.6/10

2.1K

Director
- Bernard L. Kowalski
Writers
- Peter S. Fischer(teleplay by)
- Larry Cohen(story by)
- Richard Levinson
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Peter Falk and Pat Harrington Jr. in An Exercise in Fatality (1974)

Pat Harrington Jr. in An Exercise in Fatality (1974)

Gretchen Corbett in An Exercise in Fatality (1974)

Robert Conrad in An Exercise in Fatality (1974)

Director
- Bernard L. Kowalski
Writers
- Peter S. Fischer(teleplay by)
- Larry Cohen(story by)
- Richard Levinson
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

Milo Janus owns a chain of health clubs, but one of his franchisees discovers the man is cheating him - and can prove it to the authorities. Janus responds by murdering his partner and making it look as if he had accidentally killed himself trying to lift a barbell that was too heavy for him. Janus creates a would-be perfect alibi for himself involving a tape recording of his victim's voice, a phone that doesn't light up, a sexy secretary, a party for friends at his house, and a pornographic horror movie. But no alibi is perfect when the rumpled Lt. Columbo is on the case. —J. Spurlin

tape recorder health club barbell franchising office 3 more

Trivia
Columbo meets Milo at the same beach where Jim Rockford lives in the The Rockford Files (1974). He walks down to meet him past the restaurant outside Rockford's trailer.

Goofs
(at about 18 minutes in) Just after Columbo arrives at the crime scene, on his way to to Stanford's office, he walks down a corridor. In the end room you see a chair is visible in the distance. Somebody is hiding behind it, and ducks down as Columbo approaches.

Quotes
Columbo: I'll tell you how you did it if you're interested.

Crazy credits
During the end credits the usual theme music is not heard. In its place is a jingle for the fictional Milo Janus fitness club instead.

Connections
Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Lawrence Welk/David Brenner/Ashley Montagu/Joan Embery (1974)

Soundtracks
This Old Man
(uncredited)
Traditional English children's song
Sung by Peter Falk on beach

Top review

Brain meets Brawn

Excellent "Columbo" finds the perceptive detective matching wits with health guru Robert Conrad who bumped off a business partner and made it look like murder. The contrast between the self-effacing but brilliant detective and the vain, arrogant icon of physical fitness is highlighted throughout. Conrad never dares Falk to knock a battery off his shoulder, but his sense of superiority makes him less sympathetic than most of Columbo's adversaries, and it's very satisfying when the usually mild-mannered detective displays a rare flash of temper during a conversation with his prey. One of the best episodes in the series.

helpful•45