"Columbo" Dagger of the Mind (1972)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Jackson Gillis (teleplay)
Richard Levinson (creator)
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

26 November 1972 (Season 2, Episode 4)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Lilian Stanhope and Nicholas Frame are two actors in London. They have to act in Macbeth and the producer is Sir Roger Haversham who is Lilian's lover...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Scotland Yard | Investigation | Fight | Murderer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Richard Basehart	...	Nicholas Frame
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Tanner - The Butler
Bernard Fox	...	Det. Chief Supt. William Durk
John Williams	...	Sir Roger Haversham
Honor Blackman	...	Lilian Stanhope
John Fraser	...	Det. Sgt. O'Keefe
Richard Pearson	...	Diver - Pathologist
Arthur Malet	...	Joe Fenwick - Stage Doorman
Harvey Jason	...	The Director
Ronald Long	...	Mr. Jones
Hedley Mattingly	...	Customs Man (as Hedley Mattingley)
John Orchard	...	PC Charlie Fatheringham
Peter Church	...	Constable
Walker Edmiston	...	Gardener
Gerald Peters	...	Inspector Smythe (as Gerald S. Peters)
Sharon Johansen	...	Miss Dudley
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ian Abercrombie	...	Sidney (Party Guest) (uncredited)
Ronald Adam	...	George, Steward at Supt. Durk's Club (uncredited)
Veronica Anderson	...	Maid (uncredited)
Peter Ashton	...	Photographer at Sir Roger's Funeral (uncredited)
Kenneth Danziger	...	Reporter at Sir Roger's Funeral (uncredited)
Don Knight	...	Stagehand outside dressing room (voice) (uncredited)
Fran Ryan	...	Woman at airport (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Quine

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jackson Gillis		teleplay
Richard Levinson		creator
Richard Levinson		story
William Link		creator
William Link		story

Produced by
Edward K. Dodds	....	associate producer
Dean Hargrove	....	producer

Original Music by
Dick DeBenedictis		(as Dick De Benedictis)

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Unsworth		(director of photography)
Harry L. Wolf		(director of photography) (as Harry Wolf)

Film Editing by
Ronald LaVine

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

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(as John McCarthy)

Production Management
Henry Kline	....	unit manager
Kenny Williams	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Dowell	....	assistant director (as David M. Dowell)

Sound Department
Edwin S. Hall	....	sound

Special Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Grady Hunt	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor
Steve Johnson	....	colorist

Music Department
Henry Mancini	....	composer: theme "Sunday Mystery Movie"
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main titles
Jackson Gillis	....	executive story consultant

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Levinson		creator
William Link		creator

Production Companies

• Universal Studios

Distributors

• MCA (1972) (worldwide) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Deluxe Digital Studios  design
• Macrovision  quality protection
• Technicolor  color
• Universal City Studios  copyright
• Universal Title  titles and optical effects

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2005)

Filming Locations:

Imperial College Library, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Studios

Trivia:

All scenes involving Wilfrid Hyde-White had to be shot in California, as he was then a tax exile and owed thousands of pounds to the Inland Revenue in Britain.

Goofs:

Continuity: The tyres on Superintendent Durk's car in the London scenes are clearly of a different make to those on it in the scenes "in the country" (actually shot in the US).

Quotes:

Nicholas Frame: Most people, Columbo, have frightful taste, yourself included.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Pass Me By

Columbo matches wits with married murderers in London

Columbo arrives in England for a cultural exchange with Scotland Yard. Before long, circumstances place him at the scene of a suspicious accident that has claimed the life of an elderly theater mogul. Faster than you can say "Oh and one more thing...", Columbo sets the focus of his investigation on the husband and wife thespian duo who are starring in the final stage production of the deceased. Particularly enjoyable is the actual on-location footage of Falk in London, and the presence of familiar (by face if not by name) English actors Honor Blackman, Wilifrid Hyde-White and Bernard Fox in key guest-starring roles. Somewhat disappointing are the creaky plot details and the rather ethically-challenged method that Columbo employs to precipitate the inevitable confession from the hapless villains. Despite this, it is still a cut above the recent offerings in the series.