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

With the exception of the two pilot episodes, this is the only episode where the phrase "Peter Falk as Columbo" appears in one frame at the beginning. Usually, "Peter Falk as" is shown first, followed by "Columbo" in a separate frame.

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Goofs

Lisa Martin waits with the corpse, which is covered with an electric blanket. Notice the corpse's face: a few seconds after the doorbell rings, the dead man dramatically blinks his eye. The camera angle and the actor's heavy eyelids create a startling effect as he bats his lashes. Apparently the actor's eyes are open except for the blink, which is puzzling since we earlier saw the dead body with his eyes closed.

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Quotes

Barney: Can I ask you a question?
Lt. Columbo: No!
Barney: How do you do a thing like that? How do you lock up the lady the way you feel about her?
Lt. Columbo: Who said I felt anything about her?
Barney: You did!
Lt. Columbo: Listen, you believe everything a cop tells you, you're a damn fool.

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Connections

Referenced in Faye Dunaway: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2017)

User Reviews

Terrific Columbo movie

Out of the many "Columbo" TV episodes and movies, this one ranks among the best. Dunaway (who took home an Emmy for this) is sensational as a wealthy woman involved in the killing of her gambling, slimy younger boyfriend. She and Peter Falk play a game of cat and mouse with him constantly trying to get to the truth and her distracting him with offhand romantic comments and gestures. The chemistry between these very different actors is extraordinary. It sounds impossible that the queen of glamour would have any rapport with this rumpled, cross-eyed detective, but their relationship is fascinating. Falk's blushing at the interest from Dunaway is very charming and her adoration of him softens her sometimes severe edges. The convoluted story keeps viewers guessing as well, but the fun is in watching the stars bounce off each other. She is a monument to make-up and hairspray while he barely runs a comb through his hair, but they are a delight. WATCH THIS!