User Reviews

As a huge fan of Columbo, I very much liked A Matter of Honor, even if I don't consider it either one of the best or the worst of the series. It is beautifully shot with some of the loveliest scenery of any Columbo music, and while the music score is not one of the best or the most atmospheric I loved the flavour it had. The script is clever, with a number of funny and tense moments, and while I did find the idea of Columbo being recognised in Mexico rather hard to swallow and some of the values did seem as though they originated from an era much earlier than the 70s, the story is diverting with a clever murder and solution as well as some good values. The pace isn't the most brisk of all episodes, it is occasionally a tad leaden in the middle, but not problematic enough to call Matter of Honor completely dull. I also liked the mention of the case that formed the episode Troubled Waters. The acting is fine, with only A Martinez disappointing, coming across as too lightweight for his role. Peter Falk is brilliant though as he always was, embodying Columbo with a sense of cunning and endearing humour. Riccardo Montalban is equally great, very arrogant and irritable in character but very good-looking. Pedro Armendariz Jnr. delights also as Sanchez, I loved the scenes between him and Columbo, beautifully played and intelligently written, but at the same time I did wish there was more between Columbo and Montalban's Montoya. Overall, a solid episode. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Quite a good Columbo mystery, and a fine performance by Ricardo Montalban to enjoy. The only drawback was that the mores of the main characters seemed a little anachronistic; protecting one's family honour as a motive for murder seems like a story out of the Zorro era, not 1970s Mexico. The only other implausibility was that a vacationing Lt. Columbo would be recognized and invited to take part in a murder investigation in another country. The film stopped short of patronizing the Mexican police authorities, and Pedro Armanderoz, Jr. played Det. Sanchez as a very competent and able counterpart to Columbo, but the set-up was a little unlikely.

Columbo is on vacation in Mexico and he is a stranger to this country. Guest stars Ricardo Montalban stars as a celebrity matador who kills the man who knows his deepest secret. A. Martinez from L.A. Law, Santa Barbara, and General Hospital has a memorable role as the son of the victim. Anyway, it's typical Columbo with a usual formula. He gets entangled with his own problems. They mention a previous crime solved in another episode entitled "Troubled Waters." Well anyway, this Columbo episode doesn't rank up there as one of my personal favorites but it is worth watching great actors like Falk and Montalban have exchanges and A. Martinez perform in a supporting role. Even today, Mexicans are rarely seen on mainstream television shows and it gave a very different exposure rather than everybody in the country crossing the border. Nobody seemed in this episode to be racing to get over the Border. Keep that in mind and nobody was smuggled in Columbo's car.

A well-paced, well-thought-out adventure for Columbo whose penchant for spotting seemingly trivial and unrelated clues at an "accident" scene is highlighted in enjoyable fashion here.

The fact that Columbo is cajoled into helping the Mexican police with their investigations whilst he is on holiday provides an alternative platform for Columbo to exploit his careful, crafty and meticulous style of detective work, which increasingly irritates the renowned (murdering) bull-fighter in this story who is considered to be totally above reproach; this structure works particularly well.

Another asset to this adventure is that the clues are inserted into the script at well-chosen moments, and coupled with the fact that Columbo struggles to discover a motive to underpin the murder, it all leads to a fascinating conclusion.

The main drawback, on reflection, appears to be the rather stiff performance of Ricardo Montalban in the murderer's role; the fractious on-screen chemistry between Columbo and adversary is plentifully evident in many of the best Columbo episodes, but it never really seems to consistently ignite here.

Nevertheless, a good standard outing for the scruffy detective, which is certainly well worth watching, although it would not quite reach the vintage description.

Ricardo Montalban plays a proud matador in Mexico who, after an accident involving a bull, feels compelled to murder one of the witnesses, cleverly using a bull as the weapon, despite him being an old friend, because he cannot take the chance that his honor/reputation will be threatened. Enter Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) who is visiting Mexico at the time, and after an auto accident, finds himself stranded and forced to investigate the death at the request of the police, which he does conclude to be murder, despite being way out of his jurisdiction to make an actual arrest... Montalban in particular is quite good, elevating this otherwise routine entry.

Yes we've owned all 69 Columbia episodes forever.

As such, we've seen them all too many times. And yes, we'll do it again😊 'A Matter of Honor' was not one of my favs after first viewing so any years ago. But I came to appreciate Montalban's role more with time. Of course Falk's role as Columbo is only the best ever put on tv; thanks in large part to great writing.

The unveiling of the facts follows the usual course. And the TJ Chief of Police, (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.), who practically kidnaps Columbo to solicit his help; is a super likable guy. And because the suspect is such a prominent & influential member of the community, he REALLY needs Columbo, both for investigative & scapegoat reasons. One of the great things about this episode, IS the police chief's reckoning with himself as to "what kind of man/cop; he himself really is. ?

I might have rated it a star too high; but remember; whatever the worst Columbo episode is, it is nonetheless better than (pretty much), all other tv.

Bob R.

Columbo and his wife (where is she exactly?) are on vacation in Mexico. He rear ends a man and the guy claims his neck is broken. This is his inroad into the police department when an officer recognizes the claimant. Now we are introduced to bullfighting in this roundabout way and Columbo is soon investigating the death of a man, gored by a bull. Ricardo Montalban is himself a matador who was forced to retire because he was gored in the leg. The whole thing is founded on fear and the wages of fear. The whole thing is sort of short on reality. Columbo is clever, but this time it seems really strained. Not up to standards.

(There are Spoilers) On vacation with his old lady in Mexico Let. Columbo, Peter Falk, gets into a minor fender-bender. Columbo is then forced to leave his car, which has only a slight dent on it,for the weekend to be examined by the local authorities to clear up any local insurance charges. Not willing to leave his car behind and go back to L.a Columbo gets very friendly with local police Commandante Sanchez, Perdro Armendariz, who's a big fan of his by reading about Let. Columbo's exploits as a L.A homicide detective in the local Mexican press.

It just turns out that Commandante Sanchez is involved in investigating a messy accident at the famous Montoya Ranch. One of the workers Hector Rangel, Robert Carrlcart, was gored to death by the ranch's most dangerous bull "Marinero". "Marinero" had earlier put Hector's son the local up and coming star bull fighter Curro, A. Martinez, in the hospital when he also gored him but in the foot not like he did Hector in the chest and upper body that ended up killing him.

The ranch owner the legendary Mexican bull fighter Luis Montoya, Rocardo Montalban, begged Hector not to fight "Marinero" but the bull-headed Hector wouldn't listen. Knowing that his hot-blooded son Curro would go back into the bull ring to have another round with the dangerous bull as soon as he recovered. Hector in an effort to keep his son from getting killed in him wanting to face "Marieno again in the bull ring went to take on bull himself. Something strange happens when Hector readied himself to take on "Marinero". Luis shoots him with a dart gun, loaded with a dose of Choloral Hydrate, from behind getting Hector a bit dozy. This gave "Marinero" all the time he needs, by making Hector an easy and stationary target, to run Hector through and finish him off with his deadly horns.

At first thinking it's was just a terrible accident with a father trying to finish the job that his son started, kill "Marinero" in a bull-fight, Commandante Sanchez is about to file it away as just that an accidental death. Let. Columbo, who's just tagging along for the ride, thinks outer wise and unofficially takes control of the case, to Luis Montoya's great annoyance. Let. Columbo starts to zero in on the circumstances of Hector's death and they all spell premeditated murder.

Being afraid of challenging the legendary Montoya's description of Hector's death, an unfortunate accident, Commandante Sanchez has Let. Columbo, unofficially mind you, take over the case. It's then that Let. Columbo comes up with a number of major inconsistencies that lead straight to Montoya as the murderer of Hector Rangel. With Montoya using the killer bull Marinero" as the murder weapon.

Dogging Luis like a bloodhound Let. Columbo never gives him a moments rest as he constantly pesters him about his whereabouts the day Hector was killed. Coming up with a number of clues that contradicts all of Luis' alibis Let. Columbo drives Louis almost to the point of using his skills as a champion bull-fighter to do in the very aggressive and no BS, Det. Columbo. Commandente Sanchez who at first wouldn't dear to stand up to national hero Luis Montoya sees like Let. Columbo that he's holding something back in his description of the last hours of the life of his good and life-long friend Hector Rangel. Risking his job as a well paid comm-andante in the Mexican Police Commandente Sanchez himself, like Let. Columbo, starts getting under Luis' skin together with the pesky and annoying L.A detective.

It turned out that the brave and heroic champion bull-fighter Luis Montoya turned yellow and chickened out when Curro was attacked and gored by the rampaging bull "Marinero". It turned that Hector, not Luis, coming to his son's rescue. This fact that only Hector knew of Luis' cowardice and would have gladly kept it secret in order the save his friend Luis' reputation, as a fearless man in the bull ring, was what got the hurt and humiliated him. Luis Montoya had to have Hector killed to save his reputation even if he was the only one who know about his freezing up at the sight of danger.

It was only later when Columbo, together with a recovered Curro, tricked Luis Montoya to get into the bull ring with the wild mad, and foaming from the mouth, "Marinero" that he proved just what a gutless coward he is, or became, and at the same time also proved that he was responsible for Hector's murder.

The episode begins with Columbo in Mexico. He's in trouble because a group of folks staged an accident and Columbo barely speaks Spanish. Fortunately a local policeman intervenes...unfortunately, he has to stay in the country for a few more days AND this policeman asks him to help on a case. It seems that on the estate of a great retired bullfighter, Don Montoya (Ricardo Montalban), there have been a couple accidents. First, a young bullfighter in training was severely injured. Second, shortly after that the injured man's father is torn to pieces by the same bull. Soon, Columbo is convinced that the death was NOT an accident...the bull was 'helped'. But why??

This is a sub-par episode because by the end Columbo found a good reason for the murder but in no way did he prove that the murderer killed anyone....no evidence at all. Yet, inexplicably, the man surrendered to police and the credits began to roll! Overall, quite weak...and a disappointment.

By the way, this as well as episodes of "Mannix", "Quincy", "Murder She Wrote", "Cannon" and "Columbo" have convinced me that crimefighters should NEVER go on vacation....bodies are sure to begin piling up wherever they go!

Most of the first Colombo series were pretty good, and this is one of the better ones. The whole series in fact ranks up there among the most enjoyable, each episode sprinkled judiciously with touches of originality in the script and characters, if not always in the plots. Colombo, from the beginning, always made effective use of such props as his raincoat, his cigar, and his car. Later episodes, alas, showed signs of flagging interest on the part of the writers and producers. Several of them had a disgusting ice-cream-eating floppy eared dog. That dog represented nothing more than desperation, and contempt for the viewers who, it must have been assumed, were getting bored with jokes about the raincoat. I have a cat. Or at least I did until the perfidious beast took off on me three weeks ago.

No dog in this one though. The car figures in the plot. And the script is engaging as Colombo, a complete ignoramus when it comes to Mexican culture, unravels a plot centering on bullfighting mores.

Here's Montalban's car caretaker (Jorge Rivero, who was the strutting Pierre Cordona in Hawks' "Rio Lobo") to Colombo: "Why are you asking me all these questions?" Colombo: "I can't help being a policeman. It's an occupational hazard." Rivero: "Occupational hazard?" Colombo: "Yes, that's what we call it. No matter where you go you take your work with you." Rivero: "Oh. We call that 'loco'."

Interesting location shooting too, presumably Tijuana. Colombo is waylayed by the Mexican police while carrying one of those multi-striped woven bags that every American tourist must buy. Many of the crew were Mexican, and the score is written by an Hispanic too, and sounds appropriate.

Most of the actors are up to par, except for Martinez who, in this company, sounds lightweight. And the girl is, how you say, no importa? But Ricardo Montalban should receive some kind of prize from the Gerontological Society of America. Holy Guacamole, that man looks good. He's awesomely fit, and handsome too. And he does a splendid job in the role of Senor Montoya, El Matador. Stern, proud, and irritable. The whole episode is, in a way, a tribute to the Mexican film industry, what with Montalban, Rivero, and the son of Pedro Armendariz, all of them stars in their own country. (Where is Gabriel Figueroa?)

The audience learns a little about bullfighting too (but not much). If there's a problem, it's a problem that tended to recur in the series. Colombo stumbles accidentally on clues and interprets them with improbable accuracy. Sometimes he seems to have ESP. He walks into a room he's never been in before, glances around the walls, walks over and picks up what looks like one pool cue out of half a dozen in a rack, and says, "This was Hector's lance?" How did he know that? He practically intuits the nature and method of the murder.

But it doesn't matter. It's an enjoyable entry.

A MATTER OF HONOR is a 1976 episode of the COLUMBO show that sees the crumpled detective heading south of the border to engage in some vacationing. While there, he becomes involved in the suspicious death of a former matador, and is forced to become a sleuth once more in order to solve the case.

These Columbo "fish out of water" stories are always fun to watch and A MATTER OF HONOR is no exception. I thought the story might be unpalatable, considering that bullfighting features predominantly and all, but the topic is presented in such a way as to focus on the facts rather than to celebrate or condemn the 'sport'.

Peter Falk gets to have fun with an easy role in this one, and there's more humour involving his clapped-out car. The script, which is well-paced and celebrates Mexican culture, throws in some references to a previous story, TROUBLED WATERS. Ricardo Montalban (STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN) is an effectively snotty villain, and popular Hispanic actor Pedro Armendariz Jr. is likable as the Mexican cop. Watch out for a cameo from Jorge Rivero as the chauffeur.

I don't really know what it is with Ted Post and Columbo movies but the two movies that he directed are also both (this one included) among the least likely ones. Their stories are not really believable. In his first Columbo movie "Columbo: A Case of Immunity" there is an unbelievable story of Columbo trying to solve the murder committed by a person with diplomatic immunity on a premises were the LAPD simply has no jurisdiction and in this movie the in Mexico stranded Columbo is called in by the Mexican police to help and solve a murder committed on the bookkeeper of a famous former matador.

Oh well it doesn't mean that his two Columbo movies aren't good and fun to watch but it obviously also doesn't rank them among the best Columbo movie entries. It's a movie that still features the usual successful Columbo formula, making this still a perfectly watchable Columbo movie obviously.

It's not the first time Columbo travels to a strange foreign country and gets mixed in with a murder. It places the Columbo character once more out of his usual familiar environment, which of course provides the movie with some good comical moments, in which Columbo has difficulties adapting himself to the Mexican ways. He's also walking around in sunny, hot Mexico with his complete suit and trademark raincoat on.

Unlike most other Columbo movies, this one doesn't feature many well known actors in the key parts. Sure Ricardo Montalban has done lots of work for TV that he is known for but he's not really the star that usually plays the killer in a Columbo movie. It doesn't mean that he's horrible or anything like that in this but yet the movie still feels as if it could had really benefited from a better and well known actor opposite Peter Falk.

A slightly below average, though enjoyable, Columbo movie.

6/10

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As a lifelong fan of Columbo (even the 1990's movies on ABC TV), this episode is the one of the worst, if the THE worst. An argument can be made for the George Hamilton/Lesley Anne Down episode, but I digress.

So what's wrong with "A Matter of Honor"? Moreover, what's right with it? Boring story, leaden direction and a script that should have had a Surgeon General's warning, Columbo meanders through through 90 lonnnnnnng minutes tying Ricardo Montolban (as a retired bullfighter, yet) as the murderer.

By the time the episode ends, I wonder where I can get my 90 minutes back.

Luis Montoya (Ricardo Montalban) is an ex-bullfighter, renowned throughout Mexico for his courage in the ring. His trusted bookkeeper, Hector Rangel (Robert Carricart), has a son (A Martinez) who is also a bullfighter. The son was recently gored in the ring and sent to the hospital. Montoya and the elder Rangel were both at this bullfight, and something happens that neither can ever forget. When days later, Rangel ends up dead in the bullring, it looks as if he tried to revenge his son on the bull by fighting it alone. Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) of the Los Angeles police department, on vacation with his wife in Tijuana, is persuaded to investigate the case by Commandante Sanchez (Pedro Armendáriz). Our rumpled, redoubtable detective notices things that lead him to suspect murder—with a bull as the murder weapon.

Columbo's official trip to London ("Dagger of the Mind"), his vacation on a cruise ship to Acapulco ("Troubled Waters") and now his trip to Tijuana, all have lead him into investigating tricky crimes. No matter where he goes, rich and famous people are trying to pull off the perfect murder.

This is the first time that any direct reference is made to another episode. Commandante Sanchez is familiar with the case in "Troubled Waters," which is why he asks Columbo to join him on this one. Acknowledging earlier episodes is a mistake. It requires a great suspension of disbelief to accept that a single L.A. police lieutenant would ever encounter more than one of these high profile cases in a lifetime; or that any one of them wouldn't earn him fame and an instant promotion. The best way to pull this off is to pretend that each case is unique and that none of the others really happened. To me, every "Columbo" exists in its own alternate universe.

Having Columbo investigate a murder in a Mexican bullring is one of several novelties the series tried around this time. It's odd that the more this show departs from its strict formula, the more it seems like a conventional TV show. There's nothing particularly wrong with this episode; it just feels like a hundred other TV time-passers. Also, by this point in the series, the show had begun to look and sound more conventional anyway. Gone are the weird visual flourishes, like the murder cover-up that is presented to us in Robert Culp's eyeglasses (" Death Lends a Hand."); and gone is the psychedelic music from Billy Goldenberg.

Still, the scenes where Peter Falk plays cat-and-mouse with the guest villain-of-the-month are invariably entertaining, even in the weakest episodes. And it's nice to see Ricardo Montalban in something more watchable than "Fantasy Island."

PLOT: While visiting Mexico Columbo becomes involved in a suspicious death at a bull-fighting ranch owned by a proud ex-Matador (Ricardo Montalban).

COMMENTARY: While it's nice to have the rumpled sleuth as a fish out of water in Mexico and Montalban is always a highlight, this is one of the lesser Columbo segments. If you don't speak Spanish it helps to utilize the subtitles to discern what's going on. Even then, the details are murky and the motive is not revealed until the climax. Moreover, there doesn't seem to be enough evidence for the formidable murderer to give up so passively; unless, of course, it was a matter of honor (just kidding, but not really).

Still, Columbo's relationship with the Mexican detective (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.) is entertaining, Maria Grimm as Nina is a plus (although her role is decidedly fringe), and the Mexican locations & Mexican cast are refreshing (I'm assuming parts were shot in Tijuana, but I can't get info). The story just needed more clarity and oomph.

This is a shorter installment at 72 minutes.

GRADE: C