FuzzyDan

Forgotten Lady is peak Columbo. Saying almost anything would spoil the experience of this surprisingly heartfelt film. Falk’s performance during the final reveal is one of his best and is shows a side of the detective that doesn’t often get to reveal itself.

As much as I hate to say it, Anne Baxter’s over-the-top performance completely undermines this Columbo mystery.

If this wasn’t already a well-written episode, the scene where Columbo takes a tumble down a hill (unscripted) makes this mystery worth watching.

The ever enjoyable Roddy McDowell delivers a devilish performance as a genius chemist willing kill to become the head of his family’s company. Many may find the murder plot outlandish, but I thought it was enjoyable.

One of the best “gotcha” endings of the entire series, from the set-up to the reveal. A classic Columbo mystery.

A stylish early entry in the Colombo mystery series, every element of this movie is pitch-perfect UNTIL the ending where a seemingly crucial piece of evidence turns out to be one of the most unbelievable coincidences in the show’s history.

The first Columbo mystery I ever saw and still my favorite. In a setting that is classic Agatha Christie, a murderous genius among geniuses tries to stay one step ahead of our disheveled detective. Character actor Theodore Bikel (Twilight Zone, Spider-Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation) delivers a great performance as the genius who finds his tenuous grip on his world slipping away as Columbo ever-reliably closes in. It’s one of the mysteries where Columbo has obvious respect for his suspect, even after the eventual “gotcha” moment. Watch for an early appearance from Jamie Lee Curtis. So much fun.

The only mystery from the classic Columbo era that I cannot sit through; a real slog.