"Columbo" Lady in Waiting (1971)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Norman Lloyd

Writers:

Steven Bochco (teleplay)
Barney Slater (story)
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

15 December 1971 (Season 1, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Family Business | Fratricide | Crime Solving

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Susan Clark	...	Beth Chadwick
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Mrs. Chadwick
Richard Anderson	...	Bryce Chadwick
Leslie Nielsen	...	Peter Hamilton
Joel Fluellen	...	Charles
Richard Bull	...	2nd Detective
Garry Walberg	...	1st Detective
Barbara Rhoades	...	Hostess
Jon Lormer	...	Hearing Officer
Frank Baxter	...	Fred
Susan Barrister	...	Waitress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Draper	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Frances E. Nealy	...	Hilda (uncredited)
Marcia Wallace	...	Woman at Inquest (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Lloyd

Writing credits
Steven Bochco		(teleplay)
Barney Slater		(story)
Richard Levinson		(creator) &
William Link		(creator)
Ted Leighton		story (uncredited)

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

Original Music by
Billy Goldenberg

Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(director of photography) (as Russell L. Metty)

Film Editing by
Edward M. Abroms

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

Set Decoration by
Richard Friedman

Costume Design by
Burton Miller

Production Management
Henry Kline	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Ferrin	....	assistant director

Sound Department
David H. Moriarty	....	sound

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

Music Department
Henry Mancini	....	composer: theme music

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

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• DeAgostini Japan (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• TV2 (2005) (Hungary) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

Runtime:

72 min | Italy:68 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2004) | Australia:PG

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Last film of Jessie Royce Landis.

Goofs:

Continuity: Beth's sitting on her bed, waiting for Bryce to come home. She opens a box of chocolates and reaches in for a piece. There are no wrappers on the bed at this point but as she puts the piece of candy in her mouth, the bed is suddenly littered with candy wrappers.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Columbo: Fade in to Murder (#6.1)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Love Theme from 'Red Sky At Morning'

Susan Clark in a wonderful performance

Before Susan Clark became famous for the sit-com "Webster," she was a highly-touted TV movie of the week star and had a film career as well. In this Columbo, she is a mousy, albeit wealthy young woman who has lived her life under the thumb of her father, and after he dies, her brother (Richard Anderson). She hatches a plot to kill her brother, who is interfering with her plans to marry an employee (Leslie Nielsen) of the family company but if anything could go wrong on the evening of the murder, it does.

Columbo is brought in, and if things weren't clear to him when he first enters the house, they become so after the lady completely reinvents herself, taking over the company, getting a new hair color and hairdo, a fashion makeover, and a rather unattractive, aggressive change in attitude.

There is a great performance by Jesse Royce Landis as the mother (who greets her daughter by slapping her in the face and makes Columbo pay her exorbitant cab fare).

It's a shame that Clark does nothing today, but I suppose, sadly, her age is a factor. Hopefully she's satisfied with her long marriage to Alex Karras and that's enough for her. But her fans miss her. If you're not familiar with her work, catch her in this Columbo episode.