"Columbo" A Friend in Deed (1974)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Ben Gazzara

Writers:

Peter S. Fischer (written by)
Richard Levinson (creator) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

5 May 1974 (Season 3, Episode 8)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A police commissioner provides a false alibi for a wife killer, but then expects an alibi in return.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Crime Solving | Detective | Nude Woman Murdered

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Richard Kiley	...	Mark Halperin
Rosemary Murphy	...	Margaret Halperin
Michael McGuire	...	Hugh Caldwell
Val Avery	...	Artie Jessup
Eric Christmas	...	Bruno Wexler
Eleanor Zee	...	Thelma
John Finnegan	...	Lt. Dreyer
Arlene Martel	...	Salesgirl (as Arlene Martell)
Victor Campos	...	Doyle
Joshua Bryant	...	Dr. MacMurray
John Calvin	...	Charlie Shoup
Byron Morrow	...	Amos Lawrence
James V. Christy	...	Sharkey
Alma Beltran	...	Mrs. Fernandez
Albert Popwell	...	Al Como
Ben Marino	...	Sgt. Ned Randall
Judson Morgan	...	Charles
T.J. Castronova	...	Policeman (as Tom Castronova)
Paul Sorensen	...	Police Pilot
Bernie Kuby	...	Nathan Flowers
Mike Lally	...	2nd Bartender
Richard Lanci	...	1st Patrolman (as Richard Lance)
Eldon Burke	...	Photographer
Jack Krupnick	...	Limousine Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dianne Turley Travis	...	Woman In Bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Ben Gazzara

Writing credits
Peter S. Fischer		(written by)
Richard Levinson		(creator) &
William Link		(creator)

Produced by
Edward K. Dodds	....	producer
Dean Hargrove	....	executive producer
Roland Kibbee	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dick DeBenedictis		(as Dick De Benedictis)
Billy Goldenberg

Cinematography by
William Cronjager		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Kimble

Art Direction by
John W. Corso

Set Decoration by
Bill McLaughlin		(as William McLaughlin)

Production Management
Brad H. Aronson	....	unit manager (as Brad Aronson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Cook	....	assistant director (as Phillip Cook)

Sound Department
Wallace R. Bearden	....	sound (as Wallace Bearden)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Grady Hunt	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor
Arnold Baker	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

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

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main titles

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

Runtime:

USA:95 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:

Richard Kiley and Rosemary Murphy had not met before shooting their first scene, where Kiley's character Mark Halperin dives into a swimming pool to pull out his drowned wife, played by Murphy, and attempt to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Upon finishing the scene, Kiley held out his hand to Murphy and said, "How do you do? I'm Richard Kiley."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Columbo's car refuses to start at the victim's house, he has a smoking cigar in his mouth, but during a brief close-up shot of him at his car it's not there.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Columbo: A Case of Immunity (#5.2)" (1975)

Soundtrack:

Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring

A top episode of a top series

This series - particularly the earlier episodes - is certainly one of the best ever. I missed this particular one when originally aired, but saw it several years later, and then again recently. (Like Andy Griffith's "Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock," this is a program for which one is grateful for the reruns available on cable today.)

This particular program, though, is the one I'd probably label my all-time favorite - among many, including those with the ubiquitous Columbo "killers," Jack Cassidy, George Hamilton, etc.

One of the greatest mistakes in the entire history of film was the casting of Peter O'Toole in the lead for "Man of La Mancha," rather than Richard Kiley, whose Broadway performance in this role was among the most acclaimed, ever. Kiley was an immensely- and diversely-talented actor, who should be more prominently recognized and remembered among his peers than he is.

His portrayal as the egotistic, manipulative, greedy deputy police commissioner, and the villain of this episode, is outstanding. The "shtick" of this series, of course, included the usually smooth, urbane, well-dressed, cosmopolitan qualities of the villains - contrasted markedly with Columbo's being the opposite in all of these.

This aspect is certainly apparent here - and the only somewhat puzzling part of the story is the seeming absence of Kiley's knowledge of Columbo's abilities beneath his sloppy exterior - and he would have certainly seen the records of the department certifying the lieutenant's significant abilities.

The main paradox in the history of "Columbo" was the ease with which he seemed to be able always to remain "under the radar," both within the department (even with those with whom he was most closely associated) and on the outside - despite having had to possess a better record for detection and solution of serious crimes than Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Sam Spade - combined.

There is no way a review of a "Columbo" episode could be a spoiler. We know from the outset that Kiley is the villain here - however, Columbo's inevitable foiling his devious, wily superior, is perhaps the most clever in the history of this long series.