"Columbo" Negative Reaction (1974)

Director:

Alf Kjellin

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

15 October 1974 (Season 4, Episode 2)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A photographer murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. But Lt. Columbo has an even sharper eye than the Pulitzer Prize winner.

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Kidnapping | Police | Murder | Crime Investigation

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Dick Van Dyke	...	Paul Galesko
Don Gordon	...	Alvin Deschler
Larry Storch	...	Mr. Weekly
Antoinette Bower	...	Frances Galesko
Joyce Van Patten	...	Sister of Mercy
David Sheiner	...	Ray
Michael Strong	...	Sergeant Hoffman
JoAnna Cameron	...	Lorna McGrath (as Joanna Cameron)
Vito Scotti	...	Thomas Dolan
Alice Backes	...	Mrs. Moyland
Harvey Gold	...	Harry Lewis
Bill Zuckert	...	Capt. Sampson
Adrian Ricard	...	DMV clerk
Thom Carney	...	Manager

Runtime:

USA:91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (2006) (DVD) (self applied) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Paul Hanlon's distinctive fireplace fan in "Negative Reaction", which was also in Nelson Heyward's house in "Columbo: Candidate for Crime (#3.3)" (1973).

Quotes:

[Lt. Columbo is giving driving instructor Mr. Weekly a lift in his car when Mr. Weekly insists he pull over]
Mr. Weekly: Lieutenant Columbo, I'm sure you have a driver's license. It may even have been issued in this state. It may even be valid. But all of these things not withstanding, I'm sure you'll understand why I'm electing to walk the rest of the way.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brilliant But Cancelled (2002) (TV)

fab Columbo with a dramatic turn by a comedy master

Dick Van Dyke is a photographer whose artistry gets in the way of the murder of his wife in "Negative Reaction," an excellent Columbo episode. Van Dyke is married to Antoinette Bower, who is such a bitch, Van Dyke doesn't care if he gets caught for murdering her or not. Nevertheless, he goes to great lengths to set things up perfectly. But he doesn't count on the man in the raincoat.

There is a hilarious bit in which Columbo goes to a soup kitchen to try to find a homeless man who witnessed the murder of Van Dyke's accomplice, whom Van Dyke has also killed. The well-meaning nun, beautifully portrayed by Joyce van Patten, gives Columbo some soup and tries to find him another coat, believing him a bum! I dearly love Falk as Columbo, and this is a great episode where he unmasks a murderer who was just a little too artistic for his own good.