"Columbo" Publish or Perish (1974)

Director:

Robert Butler

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

18 January 1974 (Season 3, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A publisher hires a bomb enthusiast to murder a bestselling author of sex novels. Lt. Columbo is on the case.

Plot Keywords:

Publisher | Murder | Vietnam Veteran | Author | Writer

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Jack Cassidy	...	Riley Greenleaf
Mickey Spillane	...	Alan Mallory
Mariette Hartley	...	Ms. McRae
Jacques Aubuchon	...	Jeffrey Neal
John Davis Chandler	...	Eddie Kane (as John Chandler)
Gregory Sierra	...	Lou D'Allessandro
Alan Fudge	...	David Chase
Paul Shenar	...	Sgt. Young
Jack Bender	...	Wolpert
Ted Gehring	...	Security Guard
Vern Rowe	...	Restaurant Manager
Lew Palter	...	Lab Technician
George Brenlin	...	Locksmith
J.S. Johnson	...	Palmer

Runtime:

Germany:70 min | Italy:68 min | USA:73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (2005) (DVD) (self applied) | UK:PG

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

If you pay attention to piano being played in the bar you will notice that its the exact same music used as a theme in the previous film starring Jack Cassidy "Columbo: Murder by the Book (#1.1)" (1971).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although Greenleaf's publishing company is located in Los Angeles (where Columbo works), a cover letter is addressed to him in New York City.

Quotes:

Policeman in office: Wanna cup of coffee or something?
Lieutenant Columbo: No thanks I just ate. You want some advice, be careful where you eat chilli.
Policeman in office: Why, too hot?
Lieutenant Columbo: Too high!

Compelling Columbo adventure

Jack Cassidy gives an unquestionably energetic and gritty performance in his second Columbo adventure as a murderer, which oddly mirrors the theme of fictional writing that marked his previous appearance in "Murder By the Book."

Cassidy plays Riley Greenleaf, a revengeful publisher who sees his best writer (ironically played by real-life author Mickey Spillane) poached from under his nose. So he hires an unstable bomb specialist, Eddie Kane, to murder him and leave evidence at the scene to give the impression that somebody is trying to frame Greenleaf, whilst the latter goes on a drinking spree to give himself a cast-iron alibi when the murder is committed. Greenleaf then tries to pin the murder on Edddie Kane...

A really clever, expertly written and holding mystery, which slips in some very key evidence (literally) at the end. The script is tightly structured and put together in a very professional fashion, typified by the strength of Greenleaf's alibi which makes things very difficult for Columbo all the way through, coupled with the undoubted composure of Cassidy's character, who is continually plotting in a distinctly unruffled fashion, long after the first murder has been committed.

To my mind, a very high calibre Columbo story; stylish, well-handled and not telegraphed with the predictability that has weakened some potentially top-notch Columbo adventures.