(Review originally written at 4 February 2008)

This very first Columbo murder mystery moves might not have the same distinctive class and atmosphere of the later movies, it still is a real good murder mystery movie in its own.

This was the first of two pilot movies, which introduced Peter Falk as the scruffy Lt. Columbo. It's obvious that this was the very first Columbo movie and the whole series and all was still a work in progresses. For instance, compared to later Columbo movies, the introduction takes quite long. It takes very long before the murder 'finally' occurs. It even takes 30+ minutes(!) before the Columbo character gets finally first introduced. Perhaps this is also a reason why this movie is quite long (almost 100 minutes) compared to any other Columbo movie.

The movie also differs from later Columbo movies in its style. This movie has a typical funky-like '60's style, also with its music. But this is of course simply due to the fact that this movie was from the late 60's, while all the other Colubmo movies were from the 70's/'80's/'90's/'00's.

The character of Columbo himself is of course also still quite differently looking, since Peter Falk was only in his early 40's when he appeared in this movie. The raincoat is there, the big cigar is there but that's about it. He is still quite clean and slick looking, something the later Columbo, thank goodness, lost. But his character is already fairly much the same as in the later movies. He's scruffy, slauntering and pretends to be more stupid and childish than he really is, in order to gain the suspect's trust and can investigate without creating too much suspension in the murderers mind. He still does some un-Columbo like things, such as shouting at his suspects during interrogations and putting pressure on them.

The whole way the story is build up and Columbo investigates the case is done quite well, although the actual main story of a man killing his wife to be with his younger lover is of course not a terribly original concept within its genre. This is the foremost reason why this movie isn't among the greatest in the Columbo-series, even though there is very little wrong with the actual story-telling and this movie all in all is still among one of the better Columbo movies. Also the killing itself was done quite ingenious but the ending of the movie seemed sort of unlikely to me and also somewhat predictable.

All in all a solid start of the long running series of Columbo movies.

8/10

(Review originally written at 15 January 2008)

The Columbo movies are all great murder mysteries to watch. Difference with most other serials/movies is that in a Columbo movie you always get to see the killing right in the beginning, which also means that you already know who is the killer. So all the Columbo movies show is how Lieutenant Columbo solves the crime, in his own unique way. This is an approach that always works surprising well and the movie also still leaves plenty of surprises, since you never know exactly how the killer came to its deed and what the motive was.

The movie gets of course carried by Peter Falk as the strange and quirky but of course clever and very observing Lieutenant Columbo. Though I liked the 'old man' Columbo better in the later TV movies. He pretends to be more stupid than he in fact of course truly is, in order to harmlessly gain trust from his suspects. It's a great character and basically the foremost reason why this Columbo TV movies are so popular and still great to watch after all those years. The Columbo movies were made in even 5 different decades, all with Peter Falk in the title role, which says something of its popularity and quality of the series, that just never seems to dry out. The series will probably won't ever stop until Peter Falk is no more. Acedemy Award winner and multiple nominee Lee Grant also plays a good role but most of the other actors in this movie seem like C-grade TV series actors. Especially Patricia Mattick was annoyingly bad and all her character ever did was moaning.

This movie is the second of two Columbo pilots. Strangely enough it was made 3 years after the first Columbo pilot "Prescription: Murder", as if the first pilot was not a total success but they still wanted to give it a chance, having faith in its potential.

It has a good story that drags a bit at points and the clues left out for Lieutenant Columbo are at times a bit too obvious but knows to keep your interest throughout. It has some interesting side-plots and developments but it doesn't ever allow things to fully develop in order to make it all fit into the time span of the movie. This also means on the other hand that the movie feels like it wrapped up too fast toward the ending.

The movie features some quirky '70's effects and trick but luckily enough it never really crosses the line. It's also a reason why this movie surely doesn't feel outdated and is actually now just still as good as ever to watch.

7/10