Patrick McGoohan spent a lot of time living down his past success as Number 6 in the cult fantasy series The Prisoner, and since 1983 has hardly commented on it. However back in 1975 he was clearly happy to join in the fun and peppered this Columbo episode (which he directed) with numerous Prisoner references. The most obvious one is the 'Be seeing you' phrase which he uses a couple of times at the start of the movie (but thankfully doesn't over- use it), but there are several others: His clothing in the fairground scene is strikingly similar to his Prisoner outfit (piped jacket, black pants, deck shoes, etc); The Long Beach amusement park scene is surely a reference of the fairground scene in The Prisoner episode The Girl Who Was Death (which was itself a Danger Man spoof), where a seductive woman attempts to lure Number 6 to his death; In this scene Brenner makes reference to 'La Paz in '67' which was the year The Prisoner was first transmitted; Brenner's home is designed in the Italianette style, similar to Portmeirion in Wales where The Prisoner was filmed; When Brenner's CIA boss arrives he does so by helicopter which was the only means of transportation into The Village in The Prisoner.
A couple of trivia notes: When McGoohan gives the panda to the girl at the amusement park this a cheeky clue to his the reason for his downfall - the Chinese have pulled out of the Olympic Games. Also McGooghan's character's last name is Brenner which the name of a pass on the Swiss-Austrian border suggesting spies/agents switching loyalties (and his counter- agent alter-ego has the German/Prussian name Steinmetz).
Finally some goofs: When Columbo is looking through the photographs taken at the amusement park the girl shows him two of a fat lady with Henderson (Leslie Neilsen) and Brenner in the background (which is how he identifies Brenner), however this doesn't add up because the girl only ever takes one photo of each visitor so why does she have two of the lady? Also neither the fat lady or any of the people in the background of the photos are in the actual scene at the start of the movie. Earlier in the scene where Columbo and Sgt Kramer leave the advertising agency watch out for a lady in the background wearing yellow slacks, a blue hat and shades, she passes by several times and has a funny exaggerated walk and yet neither cop seems to notice. Be seeing you...
A couple of trivia notes: When McGoohan gives the panda to the girl at the amusement park this a cheeky clue to his the reason for his downfall - the Chinese have pulled out of the Olympic Games. Also McGooghan's character's last name is Brenner which the name of a pass on the Swiss-Austrian border suggesting spies/agents switching loyalties (and his counter- agent alter-ego has the German/Prussian name Steinmetz).
Finally some goofs: When Columbo is looking through the photographs taken at the amusement park the girl shows him two of a fat lady with Henderson (Leslie Neilsen) and Brenner in the background (which is how he identifies Brenner), however this doesn't add up because the girl only ever takes one photo of each visitor so why does she have two of the lady? Also neither the fat lady or any of the people in the background of the photos are in the actual scene at the start of the movie. Earlier in the scene where Columbo and Sgt Kramer leave the advertising agency watch out for a lady in the background wearing yellow slacks, a blue hat and shades, she passes by several times and has a funny exaggerated walk and yet neither cop seems to notice. Be seeing you...