He only says its the last time when he knows its the last time because he's caught you. Very clever way of revealing what's coming while lowering their guard.
To be fair the average TV viewer in 1975 barely knew what videotape was, yet alone what it could be capable of. The recorders he uses are IVC (International Video Corporation) one of the few high resolution yet compact video tape machines available in that era. Neat stuff and well used as a plot point.
Now we got AI which pretty much makes enhancing images possible for a lot of cases. If it's smudgy text you want identified the AI will at least be able to narrow down the words it could be.
I used to be in a band years ago, and one of my dreams was, after becoming famous, was to star in an episode of Columbo, not as the murderer, but one of the useful side characters who helps him out in his investigation,..."No, Lieutenant, that music in the background is a semitone higher, so the tape has been sped up", or something like that.
@Davtwan, Yes she did, but the one that she lost last, would not have been good for her... Even if his reason was a good one - to kill her mother, and if he did get away with it, the thought on his conscious of murdering her mother would have bothered him for the rest of his life... He blew- it when he pulled that trigger....
Well in Columbo's case always or almost always you see the murder first, the detective does not reveal the murder. The drama is in how he catches them. The so called "How catchem," inverse of the usual "Who dunnit."
And the scumbag didn’t even apologize to his wife before going away, must have been heartbreaking for her. Great script, amazing acting. This is gold!!
this episode always made me feel bad for his wife. She was so blindly devoted to him. To lose her mom and husband in a matter of days would have been devastating.
IKR…..the look of shock on her face when she realized that her own husband was the one that so brutally ended her mother’s life……..and then he had the gall to ask his wife to lie to save him…….. I almost shed a tear with her. This would crush anyone.
"I wouldn't say if it I couldn't prove it." As someone who has never watched this show as it was before my time, I can't help but think this one line explains the show--or at least the character--to perfection.
I just watched the episode and I thought the same thing when he said that line. It's something I always think of when the killer asks for evidence, and I thought it funny that he said it out loud during this episode.
My favorite part of every episode is when he drops the bumbling bafoon act and outright says, "I think you killed [insert name] and I have the evidence to prove it." Never gets old.
I feel it is due to his strong affection and connection with Gena Rowlands. It’s obvious they have wonderful chemistry from working on ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ together.
Love this episode so much. When his wife hugs him and says thank goodness you weren’t here the other night and he turned round and said to her why what do you mean? thinking that she would say that he would be proved the murderer, and all she said was because I would’ve lost both you and my mother. Really goes to show how cold and callous he was he didn’t even have the heart to know how much his wife loved him.
They don't even capture the full vibe. The slow burn of the episode might be too slow for modern viewers, especially for RUclips... but it's like watching a movie every episode. The little moments during the investigation are great... and it's such a cozy show. Feels amazing to watch on a rainy day with family.
I'm totally addicted to watching these Columbo clips. There have been tons of crime show but it's in his mannerisms and deliveries that make it so great.
Love how you can see on Columbo's face at the end how much he understood the pain he just inflicted upon the woman and how remorseful he was for having to do it.
It’s why he said “I believe it’s best that you stay out here.” Columbo even introduced her to Officer Bronson so that she wouldn’t feel too intimidated by being left with them supervising her. Columbo likely didn’t want her to have to see this firsthand because of how devastating he feels it would’ve been. And the saddest part is: he was right
Oskar Werners' voice was so warm and soft and so vulnerable, ro rich in detail... I heard some poetry read by him and just melted. He was one of the great voices.
One of the saddest Columbo endings, or possibly story endings, ever. The music certainly helps with that, and the music in this series is excellent, but it's also the acting and simply...the impact knowing that this woman, who genuinely loved her mother and husband, just lost everything.
Thanks for pointing out the music, along with the acting and writing and directing and everything which contributed to this chilling ending, and one of my very favorite episodes. 😑
I’ve watched them loads of times. I was brought up in the 70’s 80’s. And used to hate Columbo. My mum loved it. But as you do and grow wiser you realise the brilliance of the character and Falk is the best choice they chose to bring the character to life. 👍I 🇬🇧
Definitely one of the best episodes, another murderer who thought he could foil the great detective 🙄. Such great acting, sometimes you forget it's not real!
I like his last minute reaction right after Colombo introduced the proof of him being the murder of his mother-in-law. That was really an extremely impressive movie act! Bravo.
His wife was next if he wasn't caught, he didn't even look at her or say a word as he walked out, and when he hugged her you could see his look of disinterest
I think he genuinely loved his wife. When she hugged him earlier, you could see how uncomfortable he was because he felt guilty, and I think he was so ashamed that he couldn’t look at his wife at the end, so he had to get himself away from her as quickly as possible.
Both Gina Rowlands (who is still with us, alive and kicking at almost 93) and Oscar Werner were superb actors. Their reactions are very credible and moving.
I remember rewatching this show for the first time 8 years ago, at the end of each episode, coudln't help myself but Stand up and Applause. The ending is just so sudden and superb. Columbo is a pinacle of TV, I dare you to name 1 show better than Columbo !
I love when the suspect is exposed next to other people especially someone close to them, just like this one. It just adds more drama and more impactful instead of just columbo and the suspect talk alone.
Yes another of my favourite episodes is candidate for crime,the ending ends in similar fashion with Jackie Cooper being exposed in front of his wife and his young campaign worker who he is having an affair with.
Dang, those Columbo episodes. This one and two others - the one with Blythe Danner and the other one with Jackie Cooper - brought tears to my eyes at the end.
Interesting you bring that up. Blythe's hubby in that episode, who played the maestro, was none other than Rosemary's evil hubby from Rosemary's Baby: John Cassavetes, actor, director, writer extraordinaire. And what makes it all the more interesting is the wife in the wheelchair in this episode is played by Gena Rowlands. Gena was John Cassavettes' muse in filmmaking and his real life wife! And Peter Falk was one of his pals (along with Ben Gazzara). So the connections are very intertwined here in this and the episodes you mention. Gena is still alive. She's '92.
Fun fact: @1:27 her right arm (our left) moving between the screens is not intended to be a piece of evidence, it was a filming mistake because they needed two separate shots.
I guess I'll just tag along with another really small mistake instead of making a new comment, @5:21 a good third of the cigar falls down to the floor as ash, @5:28 Columbo has a completely new cigar. :)
As far as I recall, when Columbo anticipated resistance, he would show up with several officers to back him up. A perk of being a lieutenant, and not just an ordinary detective.
Yes, I know the zoom-in is impossible. I really don't care. This is one of the best climaxes in Columbo. The murderer's breakdown, his poor wife realising that he's killed her beloved mother, Columbo's restrained anger, and one last kick - what could Columbo possibly say to her afterwards? In some ways, this is one of the more tragic endings to an episode.
Funny thing is, the invitation is clearly visible on the non-zoomed version, so the story could still work without it. The zoom is essentially for the audience's benefit.
The zoom is 100% legit. Haven't you seen the C.S.I zooms where they can zoom to a license plate screw and get a full DNA from it + killer's birth certificate + the schedules of all CIA agents? Compared to that level of zooming technology this stuff is kid's level :)
@@sfprivateer Hypothetically speaking, to enable zoom, all that would be necessary is for the cameras to have more pixels than the monitors and the tape records all of the camera data. Normal playback shows the whole frame with the data averaged to what the monitor can display. Zooming in, a part of the full frame that can be displayed in full by the monitor is shown with full detail. Doing it all in analog and a mechanically scanned video tape is an exercise for the diligent student, but not, a priori, impossible. The "Banacek" series of films, another part of the "Monday Night Mysteries" ("Columbo", "Banacek", "McCloud", and "MacMillan and Wife"), would have the title character investigating 'impossible' thefts. One of them featured a theft of a railcar from a moving train. The scheme was plausible; unless, you knew about the train pipe, which made the theft impossible. Fully decoupling a railcar will let the compressed air out of the train pipe and cause the brakes to automatically engage
I agree. But the zoom was possible with the right equipment. In those days, those types of monitors used scan lines instead of pixels. NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) set the number of scan lines at 525. So, zooming in that close electronically on video tape probably would have made the image too distorted to recognize anything. It's possible, but not helpful.
Great scene, even this short clip made me feel for her. The awkward acting works really well, and i always love how Columbo utterly crushes any doubt and how the suspects just walk out in style.
My dad was an avid Columbo fan. When he watched it, I watched it. Years later (now) I'm working towards owning the complete series on DVD. And using e everything I learned from Peter Falk towards MT present reviews of Case Closed / Detective Conan. Thank you Mr. Peter Falk, for entertaining my father.
There are some Columbo villains you are just waiting for Columbo to snare him. This guy, you just wanted Columbo to finally put him out of his misery. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've seen the episode, but I vaguely remember he just seemed so weak as Columbo got closer and closer.
The thing about Columbo movies is that they are not mystery movies. They are a variation of the form of classical Greek tragedy. The central character has offended the gods by having the hubris to believe that they can pull off the perfect crime and the Furies, in the person of Lt. Columbo, arrives on the scene to hound them to their destruction. This is why that one episode where there actually is a mystery to be solved seems so wrong. We are not presented with Columbo destroying his prey.
This was such a phenomenal episode in that it brought Peter and Gina together again. They were so fantastic together in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’. Please watch if you haven’t already.
Great writing as well as acting. And the whole concept. Showing you what happened, who did it, and how they did it in the first 10 minutes. Then you spend the next 50 minutes watching him figure out something you, as the viewer, already knew. Today, there is no way this show gets made let alone on the air. We just don't have the attention span.
This show was very good. It always involved mystery, and the way Columbo investigated and checked his hunches, was very good. It takes a very observative person to see the clues he saw. And the way he could deduct what really happened from observing realtively simple things, was very good really.
The line that always stuck out to me was "I checked your alibi and for a while I accepted your story." Means Columbo was nearly beaten. But he was dog that never let go.
Oscar Werner is a good actor. When he's caught the way he shakes with impotent rage and fear is so well done. It's distinctly German, the way that repressed anger and frustration wells up in him like that and explodes, forcing him to turn away from them. I was always impressed with this scene.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 I wouldn't go that far. I was referring more to the way that Germans and English people learn to repress their anger then it explodes in violence, as compared to Mediterraneans who express it more freely and frequently. But having said that I love Germany and the German people and culture. They gave us what is probably the greatest music, culture, philosophy and science in history.
This is a beautiful scene if you look closely at the very end when the lady his wife turns around she’s crying. Then look at Columbus eyes it’s a beautiful scene
This clip's already been uploaded on this account, under the title "Tech Head Genius Wasn't Smart ENOUGH". The intro is extended with a few more seconds, but it's the same scene alright. Oh well, guess I'll watch it just one more time.
Apart from the impossible zoom-in, there was at least one other impossible "feature": the security-guard was aware immediately of the murder because he heard the noise of the falling object before the gunshot (as delicately planned by the murderer) but normally there is no audio only video in the close-circuit surveillance system. Otherwise every private conversation in that room could be overheard by the security-guard. Conclusion: it is a highly entertaining Columbo episode but it contains a few impossible scenarios.
I do love how moften Columbo features cutting edge technology of the time in some episodes though artistic license often augments what the technology was capable of. Would that 70s video technology was high resolution enough to zoom in with that kind of clarity. Still love the episode though.
9:40 "Those won't be necessary" as he sprints out the front door. It also takes me out of the moment when Columbo pulls the invitation out of his pocket and it's not in an evidence bag,
@@keirgomcginlay2044 no need for replica or evidence bag, he got it from the Gallery so he would have taken the sworn statement of the people there, no way the culprit could get away.
7:53 The technology of that era would never have allowed for such detail on a zoom. TV systems were 480i and the resolution was not that great. Even today, you would probably need at least 1080p to get detail. Still an interesting solution.
@@philpalmer8044 Yes but satellites use optical zoom. This was a picture recorded on to a video recorder at maybe 470p resolution, so any zooming into it would just degrade it further.
You guys are all wrong on this one. I actually own several one inch video systems from the 1970's and they did capture great resolution, and you could zoom to that degree. This is a one inch reel to reel video system and it's very high quality.
@@patrickjohnson5658 You are confusing the resolution of a monitor and the effect of an "Optical" and not a "digital" zoom which degrades an image. An optical zoom does not do that.
TV aberta aqui no Brasil, bem poderia transmitir Columbo novamente. Saudades dos anos 70, 80 e início dos 90, eu assistia pela 📺 TV Record. Só saudades...
When Columbo was looking at the videos in the lab there was no visible telephone on the top of the desk, but when it got zoomed-in the telephone is clearly visible.
great acting slaps his hands even tough he goes to jail love the way columbo turns and looks at the police officer when they first get there here is columbo all WRINKLED and the officer looks so clean and neat in his uniform and yet he has total respect him wow LOVE THAT!!!!!!
Wow, the resolution on those old security cameras is way better than the ones we have nowadays. With those, you can zoom in and see the writing on an envelope in a corner of the room, but nowadays you can't even clearly make out a person's face from half that distance. Insane how far technology has come.
He would have got away with it if it wasn't television. Columbo could never have zoomed in on that picture on the video monitor close enough to see the invitation letter to the gallery on his desk. It would have been just an unrecognizable blur at that magnification.
@@knighttuttrupriprock9733 My error. I did not proof read my comment back before posting it. What I meant to say is he would have got away with it, if it wasn't television, ie if it were real life. Because it was television, Columbo only caught him by zooming into a tiny spot on a video recording which could only work on TV or Hollywood movies. It is a Columbo show after all he has to catch the killer..
My favorite show of all time! Watched the originals over and over but unfortunately bits and pieces were cut out for more commercial time. But fortunately, at 62 i still remember the parts they cut out. Thats how endearing this show was to me ❤
@@Italianwop wow you have first-hand news? Sad about the wheelchair, but she's 91 yo so it happens. Had a wonderful career and was active even just a few years ago.
An excellent episode, but to zoom in with that kind of clarity would require 4K resolution or better. That technology didn't exist for another 26 years. *
Back then surveillance equipment required a whole room. Tapes were kept in attache style cases. Today that DVR recorder is the size of a walkman. If anyone remebers that gadget.
I saw this when it aired as a kid. For decades after I was positive that the villain was played by David McCallum. I was too young to have ever watched _The Man from Uncle_ but in my memory the two looked similar enough that I thought it was him! Much confusion when I finally checked it out and found I was wrong all these years!
Anybody else binge watching these old Columbo scenes? Fantastic acting.
I’ve gone through them probably three times.
I am was one of my favorite shows, love Peter Falk.
Yes my friend there also on 5usa on sky full episodes run all of the day every Sunday FYI 👋
I am too!!! Wanting more!!! So fun to watch!!! :0)
Yep
I love how he says "I promise this is the last time." You hear Columbo say those words you may as well confess and save time.
Bwhahahahaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !
He only says its the last time when he knows its the last time because he's caught you. Very clever way of revealing what's coming while lowering their guard.
🤣
But then the viewers would not get to enjoy the vicarious pleasure of stepping through the events of the commission of the crime!
I love how this is the first enhanced trope in detective stories. There is no way those tapes had enough resolution for enhancement.
Now I know who Blade Runner ripped off for Deckard's photograph scene.
It might just be! I like how the shot of the invitation is clearly a camera zoom and not a zoom of the original footage.
To be fair the average TV viewer in 1975 barely knew what videotape was, yet alone what it could be capable of.
The recorders he uses are IVC (International Video Corporation) one of the few high resolution yet compact video tape machines available in that era.
Neat stuff and well used as a plot point.
ENHANCE! ENHANCE!
Now we got AI which pretty much makes enhancing images possible for a lot of cases.
If it's smudgy text you want identified the AI will at least be able to narrow down the words it could be.
I used to be in a band years ago, and one of my dreams was, after becoming famous, was to star in an episode of Columbo, not as the murderer, but one of the useful side characters who helps him out in his investigation,..."No, Lieutenant, that music in the background is a semitone higher, so the tape has been sped up", or something like that.
Awesome. Love it.
That would have been epic
@Social Bankruptcy I'm 56 and fine.
@Social Bankruptcy I'm not dead yet!
These old Columba’s are full of trekkers. Like this one.
Revealing the murder is often bittersweet, but this one was particularly heartbreaking. That poor woman lost two people close to her that day.
@Davtwan, Yes she did, but the one that she lost last, would not have been good for her... Even if his reason was a good one - to kill her mother, and if he did get away with it, the thought on his conscious of murdering her mother would have bothered him for the rest of his life... He blew- it when he pulled that trigger....
He is a murderer. She's better off without him.
@@michaelmartinez1345 Oh, come on! Who wouldn't enjoy killing his mother in law...
Well in Columbo's case always or almost always you see the murder first, the detective does not reveal the murder. The drama is in how he catches them. The so called "How catchem," inverse of the usual "Who dunnit."
As the prophecy foretold!
And the scumbag didn’t even apologize to his wife before going away, must have been heartbreaking for her. Great script, amazing acting. This is gold!!
this episode always made me feel bad for his wife. She was so blindly devoted to him. To lose her mom and husband in a matter of days would have been devastating.
This show had great writers. The team was good. ...mmm me liked.
And the fact he expected her to lie to save his skin.
IKR…..the look of shock on her face when she realized that her own husband was the one that so brutally ended her mother’s life……..and then he had the gall to ask his wife to lie to save him……..
I almost shed a tear with her. This would crush anyone.
Gina Rowland's emotional acting when she realises he has killed her mum really is so heartbreaking, fantastic acting
And the way he looks at her after that, with compassion.
Wow shes still alive 90 years old!
Talk loved Rowland craft
"You little, nothing!"
Indeed.
"I wouldn't say if it I couldn't prove it."
As someone who has never watched this show as it was before my time, I can't help but think this one line explains the show--or at least the character--to perfection.
I just watched the episode and I thought the same thing when he said that line. It's something I always think of when the killer asks for evidence, and I thought it funny that he said it out loud during this episode.
Peter Falk in this one was really serious, and the whole episode is superb.
I was going to say the same thing ..incredibile
My favorite part of every episode is when he drops the bumbling bafoon act and outright says, "I think you killed [insert name] and I have the evidence to prove it." Never gets old.
I feel it is due to his strong affection and connection with Gena Rowlands. It’s obvious they have wonderful chemistry from working on ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ together.
Oskar Werner did a phenomenal job as the villain. Apparently this was one of Peter Falk's favorite episodes.
Osker would be 100 this yeat
@@raytylicki9001 Death is more real than life.
@@preving . Yes. And also how about The Spy Who Came In From The Cold?
let's not forget his brilliant performance as Montag in Fahrenheit 451.
German villain
Always loved the dawning "oh, no" look on the killer, as they realize the game is up.
My favorite detail was the "Could you play both tapes at the same time?' and the guy's face immediately screams "I should have worn the brown pants.'
Love this episode so much. When his wife hugs him and says thank goodness you weren’t here the other night and he turned round and said to her why what do you mean? thinking that she would say that he would be proved the murderer, and all she said was because I would’ve lost both you and my mother. Really goes to show how cold and callous he was he didn’t even have the heart to know how much his wife loved him.
Yeah, when he hugs her, even he seems disturbed at his own hearlessness.
When you rewatch these segments, you realize this was the best written and performed series ever!
Agree
My exact thoughts🎉
They don't even capture the full vibe. The slow burn of the episode might be too slow for modern viewers, especially for RUclips... but it's like watching a movie every episode. The little moments during the investigation are great... and it's such a cozy show. Feels amazing to watch on a rainy day with family.
I'm totally addicted to watching these Columbo clips. There have been tons of crime show but it's in his mannerisms and deliveries that make it so great.
😊😊
me too, i thought about binging the whole series, instead i'm just binging the endings - they're the best parts !
Love how you can see on Columbo's face at the end how much he understood the pain he just inflicted upon the woman and how remorseful he was for having to do it.
It’s why he said “I believe it’s best that you stay out here.” Columbo even introduced her to Officer Bronson so that she wouldn’t feel too intimidated by being left with them supervising her. Columbo likely didn’t want her to have to see this firsthand because of how devastating he feels it would’ve been. And the saddest part is: he was right
Oskar Werners' voice was so warm and soft and so vulnerable, ro rich in detail... I heard some poetry read by him and just melted. He was one of the great voices.
One of the saddest Columbo endings, or possibly story endings, ever. The music certainly helps with that, and the music in this series is excellent, but it's also the acting and simply...the impact knowing that this woman, who genuinely loved her mother and husband, just lost everything.
Thanks for pointing out the music, along with the acting and writing and directing and everything which contributed to this chilling ending, and one of my very favorite episodes. 😑
Wow! A security camera on which you can actually see things! These Sci-Fi movies never cease to amaze me.
😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅 funniest comment I've read.
I’ve watched them loads of times. I was brought up in the 70’s 80’s. And used to hate Columbo. My mum loved it. But as you do and grow wiser you realise the brilliance of the character and Falk is the best choice they chose to bring the character to life. 👍I
🇬🇧
The acting in this episode was phenomenal
The twitch of his lips at 8:17 when he knows he's done for - just fantastic.
"perhaps it's more convenient for you lieutenant if you just move into one of our guest rooms" lmao
Und ve vill give you a shower, too!
What a *huge* missed opportunity for Columbo.
"If that constitutes an invitation, I'll have French toast for breakfast tomorrow morning."
I absolutely LOVED Columbo as a kid. The world was so much simpler back then :)
Wasn't it just and happier, much happier too.
😥
you can tell this was personal and deep for columbo, the emotions displayed are incredible
One of the best Columbo episodes. The entire concept is so well done. A taut script, brilliant acting and a clever ending.
Can you imagine Disney having the honour of making a MODERN AUDIANCE Remake for today’s woke culture.? 🇬🇧🤣
Its amazing you can watch these episodes time and time again and never get bored.
Definitely one of the best episodes, another murderer who thought he could foil the great detective 🙄. Such great acting, sometimes you forget it's not real!
Absolutely! I love Oskar's stammering and not able to get the words out when presented with the evidence what brilliant acting!
@@daveo851 And then his last desperate attempt to get his wife to lie for him. There's something sadly realistic about that.
I don't know why I keep watching these clips. I have the entire box-set almost within reach of where I am now sat.
LOL same here LOL
There is just something pleasing about watching content that is curated for you and presented on a media platform.
Totally me too 😂 - I JUST said that to myself. The entire series box set is steps away 😂
7:16 "That's what caught my eye!". He was spot on :)
hahaha !
I like his last minute reaction right after Colombo introduced the proof of him being the murder of his mother-in-law. That was really an extremely impressive movie act! Bravo.
He really can't believe that he--the genius--entrapped himself. "This is insane!"
His wife was next if he wasn't caught, he didn't even look at her or say a word as he walked out, and when he hugged her you could see his look of disinterest
I think he genuinely loved his wife. When she hugged him earlier, you could see how uncomfortable he was because he felt guilty, and I think he was so ashamed that he couldn’t look at his wife at the end, so he had to get himself away from her as quickly as possible.
Both Gina Rowlands (who is still with us, alive and kicking at almost 93) and Oscar Werner were superb actors. Their reactions are very credible and moving.
Actually kicking?
*Gena;...
@@overdrive7349Did someone tell you she recently died?
I remember rewatching this show for the first time 8 years ago, at the end of each episode, coudln't help myself but Stand up and Applause. The ending is just so sudden and superb. Columbo is a pinacle of TV, I dare you to name 1 show better than Columbo !
I love when the suspect is exposed next to other people especially someone close to them, just like this one. It just adds more drama and more impactful instead of just columbo and the suspect talk alone.
Yes another of my favourite episodes is candidate for crime,the ending ends in similar fashion with Jackie Cooper being exposed in front of his wife and his young campaign worker who he is having an affair with.
to be fair to Columbo, he did tell her to stay away from the room, to protect her from the grief to hear all by herself directly.
Dang, those Columbo episodes. This one and two others - the one with Blythe Danner and the other one with Jackie Cooper - brought tears to my eyes at the end.
Etude in Black and Candidate for Crime
The forgotten lady always makes me weep.
Interesting you bring that up. Blythe's hubby in that episode, who played the maestro, was none other than Rosemary's evil hubby from Rosemary's Baby: John Cassavetes, actor, director, writer extraordinaire. And what makes it all the more interesting is the wife in the wheelchair in this episode is played by Gena Rowlands. Gena was John Cassavettes' muse in filmmaking and his real life wife! And Peter Falk was one of his pals (along with Ben Gazzara). So the connections are very intertwined here in this and the episodes you mention. Gena is still alive. She's '92.
Tell him Elizabeth!!!! Man looks like he is having a seizure
Fun fact: @1:27 her right arm (our left) moving between the screens is not intended to be a piece of evidence, it was a filming mistake because they needed two separate shots.
They really failed to note the position of bodies in a scene about carefully examining the position of bodies?
Other than that- you would barely notice the invitation letter to the art gallery unless you double checked the small shade of white on the table.
I guess I'll just tag along with another really small mistake instead of making a new comment, @5:21 a good third of the cigar falls down to the floor as ash, @5:28 Columbo has a completely new cigar. :)
Criminals were so nice back in the 1970's. Columbo never had to chase or fight a murderer to get them to go to the station.
Well, the Chef played by Louis Jourdan tried to poison him.
You also gotta consider that the murderers are usually rich or of high class, relying more on wits and smarts rather than brute strength and agility
They were murderers not psychopaths. They were after killing one (or two depending on character) person who stopped them getting the life they wanted.
@andrewleah1983 A few were psychos. Leonard Nimoy's character stands out as one.
As far as I recall, when Columbo anticipated resistance, he would show up with several officers to back him up. A perk of being a lieutenant, and not just an ordinary detective.
Just watched this episode tonight. Great stuff. GF and I are working our way thru the series, one show at a time and enjoying every one of them.
Yes, I know the zoom-in is impossible.
I really don't care.
This is one of the best climaxes in Columbo. The murderer's breakdown, his poor wife realising that he's killed her beloved mother, Columbo's restrained anger, and one last kick - what could Columbo possibly say to her afterwards? In some ways, this is one of the more tragic endings to an episode.
Funny thing is, the invitation is clearly visible on the non-zoomed version, so the story could still work without it. The zoom is essentially for the audience's benefit.
The zoom is 100% legit. Haven't you seen the C.S.I zooms where they can zoom to a license plate screw and get a full DNA from it + killer's birth certificate + the schedules of all CIA agents? Compared to that level of zooming technology this stuff is kid's level :)
The man is wearing a lab coat to edit videos, of course he can zoom in!
@@sfprivateer Hypothetically speaking, to enable zoom, all that would be necessary is for the cameras to have more pixels than the monitors and the tape records all of the camera data. Normal playback shows the whole frame with the data averaged to what the monitor can display. Zooming in, a part of the full frame that can be displayed in full by the monitor is shown with full detail. Doing it all in analog and a mechanically scanned video tape is an exercise for the diligent student, but not, a priori, impossible.
The "Banacek" series of films, another part of the "Monday Night Mysteries" ("Columbo", "Banacek", "McCloud", and "MacMillan and Wife"), would have the title character investigating 'impossible' thefts. One of them featured a theft of a railcar from a moving train. The scheme was plausible; unless, you knew about the train pipe, which made the theft impossible. Fully decoupling a railcar will let the compressed air out of the train pipe and cause the brakes to automatically engage
I agree. But the zoom was possible with the right equipment. In those days, those types of monitors used scan lines instead of pixels. NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) set the number of scan lines at 525. So, zooming in that close electronically on video tape probably would have made the image too distorted to recognize anything. It's possible, but not helpful.
What a star-studded cast! The acting was superb.
Great scene, even this short clip made me feel for her.
The awkward acting works really well, and i always love how Columbo utterly crushes any doubt and how the suspects just walk out in style.
Great episode and unforgettable ending !! Thanks for uploading this !!
Oskar Werner was excellent as Montag in “Fahrenheit 451” (1966)
My dad was an avid Columbo fan. When he watched it, I watched it. Years later (now) I'm working towards owning the complete series on DVD. And using e everything I learned from Peter Falk towards MT present reviews of Case Closed / Detective Conan. Thank you Mr. Peter Falk, for entertaining my father.
Gotcha! Columbo does it again. I have the whole series on DVD. he does it every time.
There are some Columbo villains you are just waiting for Columbo to snare him. This guy, you just wanted Columbo to finally put him out of his misery. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've seen the episode, but I vaguely remember he just seemed so weak as Columbo got closer and closer.
him going "this is the last time" at 4:00 is just caramel-rich. nothing better than seeing columbo know he's got a guy dead to rights
Oskar Werner was such a fine actor.
@@marymcquaid7291 Truthfully, this was the only thing I remember seeing him in, but he's very good here. I just felt the character betrayed him.
@@kali3665 Why was that? Because he was a villain?
The thing about Columbo movies is that they are not mystery movies. They are a variation of the form of classical Greek tragedy. The central character has offended the gods by having the hubris to believe that they can pull off the perfect crime and the Furies, in the person of Lt. Columbo, arrives on the scene to hound them to their destruction. This is why that one episode where there actually is a mystery to be solved seems so wrong. We are not presented with Columbo destroying his prey.
This was such a phenomenal episode in that it brought Peter and Gina together again. They were so fantastic together in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’. Please watch if you haven’t already.
Gena Rowlands is one of my favorite actresses, and "A Woman Under The Influence" is one of my favorite films. ✨
"This is the last time" You know you're done when Columbo says that to you.
Great writing as well as acting. And the whole concept. Showing you what happened, who did it, and how they did it in the first 10 minutes. Then you spend the next 50 minutes watching him figure out something you, as the viewer, already knew. Today, there is no way this show gets made let alone on the air. We just don't have the attention span.
This show was very good. It always involved mystery, and the way Columbo investigated and checked his hunches, was very good. It takes a very observative person to see the clues he saw. And the way he could deduct what really happened from observing realtively simple things, was very good really.
The haunting music adds to the timeless impact. Love it.
This is one of my favourite colombo episodes of all time with such a brilliant ending.
The line that always stuck out to me was "I checked your alibi and for a while I accepted your story." Means Columbo was nearly beaten. But he was dog that never let go.
Yet again columbo is on top form!
Oscar Werner is a good actor. When he's caught the way he shakes with impotent rage and fear is so well done. It's distinctly German, the way that repressed anger and frustration wells up in him like that and explodes, forcing him to turn away from them. I was always impressed with this scene.
Yes, very German. And then yelling at her, demanding she lie for him to get him off, had definite Nazi overtones.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 I wouldn't go that far. I was referring more to the way that Germans and English people learn to repress their anger then it explodes in violence, as compared to Mediterraneans who express it more freely and frequently. But having said that I love Germany and the German people and culture. They gave us what is probably the greatest music, culture, philosophy and science in history.
Oscar Werner is Austrian, not German, by the way. 😊
This is a beautiful scene if you look closely at the very end when the lady his wife turns around she’s crying. Then look at Columbus eyes it’s a beautiful scene
It's cut off here, but he apologizes to her.
Thank you
Somebody else called him Columbus in another episode. 😅
“I promise this is the last time”. With the slightest smirk and glint in his one eye
I’ve wondered if there will ever be a remake of “Columbo”. It’s probably almost impossible without Peter Falk.
Marc Ruffalo
No one gets over on Columbo. He’s always one step ahead.
His wife is the person I felt most sorry for watching columbo
Who's wife?
@@lethajohnson8359 The Murderers wife. Her mother is the victim. He was cheating on her,.
This episode is one of my favorites
This clip's already been uploaded on this account, under the title "Tech Head Genius Wasn't Smart ENOUGH". The intro is extended with a few more seconds, but it's the same scene alright. Oh well, guess I'll watch it just one more time.
Apart from the impossible zoom-in, there was at least one other impossible "feature": the security-guard was aware immediately of the murder because he heard the noise of the falling object before the gunshot (as delicately planned by the murderer) but normally there is no audio only video in the close-circuit surveillance system. Otherwise every private conversation in that room could be overheard by the security-guard. Conclusion: it is a highly entertaining Columbo episode but it contains a few impossible scenarios.
I do love how moften Columbo features cutting edge technology of the time in some episodes though artistic license often augments what the technology was capable of. Would that 70s video technology was high resolution enough to zoom in with that kind of clarity. Still love the episode though.
9:40 "Those won't be necessary" as he sprints out the front door. It also takes me out of the moment when Columbo pulls the invitation out of his pocket and it's not in an evidence bag,
They didn't care about accuracy back then
It also just looked cooler.
I admit, I often just assume he doesn't bring the real evidence with him most of the time. A replica is good enough to make his point.
@@keirgomcginlay2044 no need for replica or evidence bag, he got it from the Gallery so he would have taken the sworn statement of the people there, no way the culprit could get away.
7:53 The technology of that era would never have allowed for such detail on a zoom. TV systems were 480i and the resolution was not that great. Even today, you would probably need at least 1080p to get detail.
Still an interesting solution.
Even today’s 4k technology wouldn’t be that sharp zooming in like this. 😳
@@jean-pierrethibaudeau7201 And yet satellites can read number plates. Its a conspiracy.
@@philpalmer8044 Yes but satellites use optical zoom. This was a picture recorded on to a video recorder at maybe 470p resolution, so any zooming into it would just degrade it further.
You guys are all wrong on this one. I actually own several one inch video systems from the 1970's and they did capture great resolution, and you could zoom to that degree. This is a one inch reel to reel video system and it's very high quality.
@@patrickjohnson5658 You are confusing the resolution of a monitor and the effect of an "Optical" and not a "digital" zoom which degrades an image. An optical zoom does not do that.
Oscar Werner and Peter Falk were genius. Great acting!
We need Colombo and Monk together solving crimes in their weird ways
TV aberta aqui no Brasil, bem poderia transmitir Columbo novamente.
Saudades dos anos 70, 80 e início dos 90, eu assistia pela 📺 TV Record.
Só saudades...
When Columbo was looking at the videos in the lab there was no visible telephone on the top of the desk, but when it got zoomed-in the telephone is clearly visible.
That subtle change in Columbo's demeanour when he says "you practically had to step over the body" always amazed me. Incredible actor.
“I promise it will not happen again.”
*He did keep his promise.*
Thank you yet again.
The use of the footage is well ahead of its time. It shows you how special this show was.
"For awhile there, I accepted your story..." Stone cold line from Detective Columbo.
3:29 what a surprisingly badass intro for Columbo.
great acting slaps his hands even tough he goes to jail love the way columbo turns and looks at the police officer when they first get there here is columbo all WRINKLED and the officer looks so clean and neat in his uniform and yet he has total respect him wow LOVE THAT!!!!!!
Majestic ending, and with 3 great actors. Bravo.
Fantasting acting of all three. One of my most fave episodes!
Wow, the resolution on those old security cameras is way better than the ones we have nowadays. With those, you can zoom in and see the writing on an envelope in a corner of the room, but nowadays you can't even clearly make out a person's face from half that distance. Insane how far technology has come.
"You made the real murder look like an echo, knowing the tech would ignore it."
Another Number One Favorite !!!! 🙏💗🙏💗
This is also one of my favourite episodes as its one of the saddest
I hated that guy ,he was a arrogant little weasel. And he thought that he was going to get away with it .🤣
Nobody gets away from Columbo!
He would have got away with it if it wasn't television. Columbo could never have zoomed in on that picture on the video monitor close enough to see the invitation letter to the gallery on his desk. It would have been just an unrecognizable blur at that magnification.
@@patrickjohnson5658 but it was television and Columbo always gets his man!
@@knighttuttrupriprock9733 My error. I did not proof read my comment back before posting it. What I meant to say is he would have got away with it, if it wasn't television, ie if it were real life. Because it was television, Columbo only caught him by zooming into a tiny spot on a video recording which could only work on TV or Hollywood movies. It is a Columbo show after all he has to catch the killer..
@@patrickjohnson5658 it's cool, I thought that's what you meant, just checking. Columbo rules!
Here's another example of Lieutenant Columbo using technology to his advantage.
"This is insane" ...love when the bad guy says that
Actually, I think the quote was "Zis ist inzane" -- ha ha ha
Cool thing is how the killer always completely accepts defeat in the end.
My favorite show of all time! Watched the originals over and over but unfortunately bits and pieces were cut out for more commercial time. But fortunately, at 62 i still remember the parts they cut out. Thats how endearing this show was to me ❤
Utterly superb series. Iconic on every level!
Fantastic. Columbo is an inspiration for empiricists. He knows the tapes are different but he can’t say for sure without further investigation.
Poor wife. Fooled by her own husband, who eventually could've killed her too. Hope she got better.
they are acting, the character ends at the end of the show
@@bonnie_gail sober remark lol. When reading original comment, I also started wondering 'did she get better'.. I must be tired
unfortunately she is still in a wheelchair and had Covid lately
@@Italianwop wow you have first-hand news? Sad about the wheelchair, but she's 91 yo so it happens. Had a wonderful career and was active even just a few years ago.
@@maciejguzek3442 Hi Bro, I was just guessing for fun
One of the bests Columbo episodes
Just heartbreaking. Poor woman.
An excellent episode, but to zoom in with that kind of clarity would require 4K resolution or better. That technology didn't exist for another 26 years.
*
Back then surveillance equipment required a whole room. Tapes were kept in attache style cases. Today that DVR recorder is the size of a walkman. If anyone remebers that gadget.
I saw this when it aired as a kid. For decades after I was positive that the villain was played by David McCallum. I was too young to have ever watched _The Man from Uncle_ but in my memory the two looked similar enough that I thought it was him!
Much confusion when I finally checked it out and found I was wrong all these years!
Love that 1970s high quality video!
Master class of acting : between them, those three legends have five Oscar nominations.
Wonderful nostalgic trips to watch the unbeatable Columbo!!Great 👍👍clever writing.Some collection of baddies.Thanks for these uploads.
When Columbo tells the killer this is the last time he will bother them you know he has nailed them.