"Columbo" Blueprint for Murder (1972)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Peter Falk

Writers:

Steven Bochco (teleplay)
William Kelley (story)
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

9 February 1972 (Season 1, Episode 7)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Bo Williamson comes back from Europe after a travel two months long and finds a surprise: his wife Jennifer...

Plot Keywords:

Building | Architect | Country Music | Murderer | Howdunit

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Lt. Columbo
Patrick O'Neal	...	Elliot Markham
Janis Paige	...	Goldie Williamson
Pamela Austin	...	Jennifer Williamson
John Fiedler	...	Doctor
Forrest Tucker	...	Bo Williamson
Bettye Ackerman	...	Miss Sherman
John Finnegan	...	Carl
Nick Dennis	...	Guard
Robert Gibbons	...	Clerk
Cliff Carnell	...	Officer Wilson
Jimmy Joyce	...	Workman

Directed by
Peter Falk

Writing credits
Steven Bochco		(teleplay)
William Kelley		(story)
Richard Levinson		(creator) &
William Link		(creator)

Produced by
Richard Levinson	....	producer
William Link	....	producer
Robert F. O'Neill	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Gil Melle		(as Gil Mellé)

Cinematography by
Lloyd Ahern		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Chris Kaeselau
Robert L. Kimble

Art Direction by
Archie J. Bacon		(as Arch Bacon)

Set Decoration by
Charles S. Thompson

Costume Design by
Burton Miller

Production Management
Henry Kline	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William J. Hole Jr.	....	assistant director (as William Hole)

Sound Department
Roger A. Parish	....	sound
Alfred J. Carranza	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Henry Mancini	....	composer: "Mystery Movie" theme

Other crew
Steven Bochco	....	story editor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main titles

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2004)

Filming Locations:

Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

The only Columbo episode directed by Peter Falk.

Goofs:

Continuity: Goldie asks Columbo to turn around while she puts on her robe. As Goldie ties her belt, we clearly see the belt go across her back, and around her waist. Moments later, and for the rest of the scene, Goldie's belt is no longer around her waist, it is just tied at the front.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Columbo: Murder in Malibu (#9.6)" (1990)

The Columbo movie directed by Peter Falk himself.

This is the only actual Colubmo movie fully directed by Peter Falk himself. It's pretty much a Columbo movie by the numbers, that features all of the usual ingredients and way things are constructed.

The movie begins just as a missing person case but of course Columbo soon starts to learn that there has happened more, especially when the missing person's car gets found and he begins investigation in his own typical distinctive manner of playing dumb and annoy his suspects.

But like I said before, it's a pretty formulaic and standard made Columbo movie. Peter Falk's directing is good but it just ain't anything special. The best Columbo movies are something special because of their daring directing and approach. This movie just isn't an example of this. Peter Falk might also not had been completely satisfied with his work, since he never directed a movie again, till this very day.

The movie might also be a bit too slow moving for my taste. The movie could had used some more interaction between Lt. Columbo and the murderer, played by Patrick O'Neal. Perhaps Peter Falk was also standing behind the camera for this one, his character is maybe not as prominently featured on screen as is the case in most other Columbo movies. It takes a while for things to take shape and for Columbo to focus on his main suspect. It's just not as well and solidly constructed as most other Columbo movies.

Luckily the movie gets better as it heads toward the ending. It features a great build up ending, that begins about 15 minutes before the end credits role, when Columbo starts to dig for the body at a construction site. Things get tense, since also we as the viewers have no idea were the body is this time and also Columbo starts to question himself whether or not he is on the right track with this one (or perhaps isn't he?).

Nothing bad but it overall is just a bit too standard to consider this one of the better Columbo movies, despite its great finale.

7/10