One of my favorite Columbo movies for many, many reasons--a well-executed crime with seemingly no trail to follow, an exasperated suspect, and one of the best of all "Columboisms" you'll find in the series.
Columbo's criminals usually follow a pattern in doing themselves in. Sometimes its the smallest details forgotten in the commission of the crime, other times their undoing comes in covering their tracks later. Suitable for Framing follows the latter mold of Columbo's.
The Wild, Wild West's Ross Martin is an art critic who kills his uncle to frame his aunt following a change in his uncle's will disinheriting him. Martin leaves only just enough clues to arouse Columbo's suspicions, but not enough to slam the door shut.
Martin plays the exasperated criminal perfectly, becoming increasingly frustrated with Columbo's failure to take the bait on the frame-up until finally he overplays his hand, resulting in his undoing in one of the better closing scenes you'll see.
Most importantly is this movie's Columboism--Columbo falls asleep in the Martin's apartment after Martin graciously allows him to search it for evidence of the crime.
Columbo's criminals usually follow a pattern in doing themselves in. Sometimes its the smallest details forgotten in the commission of the crime, other times their undoing comes in covering their tracks later. Suitable for Framing follows the latter mold of Columbo's.
The Wild, Wild West's Ross Martin is an art critic who kills his uncle to frame his aunt following a change in his uncle's will disinheriting him. Martin leaves only just enough clues to arouse Columbo's suspicions, but not enough to slam the door shut.
Martin plays the exasperated criminal perfectly, becoming increasingly frustrated with Columbo's failure to take the bait on the frame-up until finally he overplays his hand, resulting in his undoing in one of the better closing scenes you'll see.
Most importantly is this movie's Columboism--Columbo falls asleep in the Martin's apartment after Martin graciously allows him to search it for evidence of the crime.