The Columbo DVD box sets are allowing me to savor these old episodes without commercials and with the ability to watch parts over again to see how clues are planted. As another comment also stated, this episode may not be the most cleverly plotted or most exciting, BUT it has the great Anne Baxter as a fading star who was married to a now-deceased studio head and is now pitted against a sleazy tell-all biographer, played by another great, Mel Ferrer. Baxter's assistant is having an affair with Ferrer. The assistant winds up dead, but switched cars with Ferrer at the last minute. So was Ferrer or the assistant the intended target? Columbo doesn't miss a beat as he investigates, and as in the best Columbo episodes every seemingly throw-away remark or observation later takes on great significance. And it's always fun to see the Columbo character star-struck around celebrities, asking the celebrity to call his brother-in-law on the phone and the like.
In addition to seeing Columbo "crack" the case, the viewer doesn't really understand the motivation for the crime until the final scene, which adds another level of excitement. With a supporting cast including Kevin McCarthy and Frank Converse, this is an episode you should definitely check out. Baxter and Ferrer bring such class to the show. And Falk is always perfect in this role...
In addition to seeing Columbo "crack" the case, the viewer doesn't really understand the motivation for the crime until the final scene, which adds another level of excitement. With a supporting cast including Kevin McCarthy and Frank Converse, this is an episode you should definitely check out. Baxter and Ferrer bring such class to the show. And Falk is always perfect in this role...