It's All in the Game 

Lauren Staton and Lisa Martin kill their two-timing lover Nick Franco. Lauren's the one who pulled the trigger and they've made it look like Franco was killed by a burglar in his apartment.... See full summary »

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Richard Levinson (created by), William Link (created by)

Stars:

Peter Falk, Faye Dunaway, Claudia Christian

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Faye Dunaway	...	Lauren Staton
Claudia Christian	...	Lisa Martin
Armando Pucci	...	Nick Franco
Bill Macy	...	Ruddick
John Finnegan	...	Barney
Doug Sheehan	...	Riley
Shelley Morrison	...	Nick's Maid
Tom Henschel	...	Fingerprint Man
Jack Shearer	...	Investigator #1
Shashawnee Hall	...	Investigator #2
Stewart J. Zully	...	Investigator #3
Bruce Ed Morrow	...	Medical Examiner (as Bruce E. Morrow)
Heath Kizzier	...	Photo Clerk
Daniel Trent	...	Detective #1 (as Daniel T. Trent)

Storyline

Lauren Staton and Lisa Martin kill their two-timing lover Nick Franco. Lauren's the one who pulled the trigger and they've made it look like Franco was killed by a burglar in his apartment. They've prepared well with both having solid alibis. Lt. Columbo is in charge of the case and is very much attracted to the beautiful Lauren. She uses that to her advantage and is soon buying him gifts and giving him the odd kiss. Columbo is flattered but begins to see anomalies in some of the physical evidence. He becomes certain that Lauren is involved in Franco's death but realizes he will only be able to make an arrest if he gets a confession. He manages to get that but even he is surprised when learns of her true relationship to Lisa.

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Plot Keywords:

gambling | reverse footage | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le meurtre aux deux visages

Filming Locations:

14622 Ventura Blvd Ste 104, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Faye Dunaway won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for this episode.

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Goofs

The murderers trip the circuit breaker for a room in the victim's home, yet they plug an electric blanket into a wall socket, which for some reason still has power.

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Quotes

Lt. Columbo: If they did it, ya catch 'em. If an angel did it, ya get the cuffs for the hands and a rope for the wings.

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Connections

References The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

User Reviews

Timeless classic

Dunaway is astonishing in this, luminous, you cant take your eyes of her. The production values are tremendous, ,cinematography and editing are excellent, but it's the pacing that really makes this episode and the series as a whole work so well. There is the patient unhurried unveiling of evidence and plot , but this episode is different to the others because its the relationship between the two leads that keeps you involves as much as the story. and Falk as always is super. This really stands the test of time, superior television with a unique feel and tone, very different to everything we have now, do yourself a favour and take this in.