"Columbo" Candidate for Crime (1973)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Boris Sagal

Writers:

Irv Pearlberg (teleplay) &
Alvin R. Friedman (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

4 November 1973 (Season 3, Episode 3)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Senatorial candidate Nelson Hayward murders his domineering campaign manager, staging it to appear that Hayward himself was the intended victim of a mob hit gone wrong. Columbo hits the campaign trail to catch the killer.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Campaign Manager | Politician | Election | Detective

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Jackie Cooper	...	Nelson Hayward
Joanne Linville	...	Mrs. Hayward
Tisha Sterling	...	Linda Johnson
Ken Swofford	...	Harry Stone
Robert Karnes	...	Sgt. Vernon
Jay Varela	...	Sgt. Rojas
Vito Scotti	...	Chadwick
Regis Cordic	...	Deputy Commissioner
Sandy Kenyon	...	Harris
Jack Riley	...	Director
Mario Gallo	...	Dr. Perenchio
Jude Farese	...	Highway Patrolman
Clete Roberts	...	TV Anchor Man
Angelo Grisanti	...	1st Detective

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (2005) (DVD) (self applied)

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

The children's song, "This Old Man" appears in almost every episode of the Columbo series, sometimes as background music, but more often Lt. Columbo is seen singing, humming, or whistling the tune. The episode, "Candidate for Crime" is the only episode where the murderer ('Jackie Cooper', as political candidate Nelson Hayward) is seen using it, in this case whistling it, as he prepares to film a campaign commercial.

Goofs:

Continuity: We see Chadwick the tailor put his glasses on. Then in close-up, the glasses have disappeared. Returning to the long shot, the glasses reappear on his nose.

Quotes:

[Columbo's car has been repaired. He's presented with the bill]
Lt. Columbo: That much, huh?
Shelly: Wasn't the parts so much as the time it took. It's not easy to work on a car in that condition.
Lt. Columbo: Will you take a check?
Shelly: You haven't got a credit card?
Lt. Columbo: I'm from the police. Lieutenant Columbo.
Shelly: What, are you... undercover or something?
Lt. Columbo: No, I'm underpaid.

Soundtrack:

This Old Man

Simply Columbo

This Columbo episode is one of the best episodes of this popular long running series. It is based on a California Senate campaign. I loved to watch this one to see Katey Sagal as the candidate's secretary, years before her Married with Children fame. I enjoy watching Joanna Linville's performance as the drunken candidate's wife. Columbo is at his greatest in these classic episodes. The plot is well written and sensible to understanding the motives and actions of the murder. One of the best scenes is when Columbo goes to an exclusive tailor in Beverly Hills and ask about buying a suit. They recommend Sears or some mainstream department store. After all, Columbo can't afford a tailor made suit on a detective's salary.