Columbo's Best "Gotcha" Moments! | Columbo 

Columbo was not a "who done it", rather it was a "how solve it". All about the sly, coy and cagey detective Lt, Columbo employeed in solving the crime. A great twist on a TV detective series.

@@Tsamokie It's been a while but I seem to remember one episode where he solved the murder by the way the victim's shoes were tied. It was like, "Oh hell no, Columbo!" Falk owned that character.👍🏾

Am I imagining it or was there 1 episode where you don't see who did it at the start? I'm sure there was just 1.

I like to say "as addicting as Columbo episodes". One of the very few TV programs or movies I can watch over and over again. It took me a while but I've got all the Columbos on DVD.

You are guilty of describing Columbo to a “T”

Yes - agree. And not only did the perpetrators realize the gig was up - it also suddenly dawned on them that Columbo was far smarter than he chose to let on - not only was the gig up - they had been outplayed, outsmarted and outwitted on every level

Very clever screenwriting...

Superman does the same

'At ease' they call it :)

@@humbleopinion1499 In the sky high IQ one the supposed geniuses realised they were in the presence of a super genius basically a shabby version of sherlock holmes

He's rather English in that regard.

Good old fashion American Class.

I imagine that because it seems like Colombo primarily uses words rather than violence to subdue the criminal’s he’s pursuing, it’s a tactic to allow people to feel more free to talk. It’s basically him playing good cop as much as possible so people feel more comfortable to say literally anything around him.

Well, he knew to be polite and not give the game away.

„I like my job. Oh, I like it a lot and I'm not depressed by it. And I don't think the world is full of criminals or full of murderers, because it isn't! It’s full of nice people, just like you and if it wasn’t for my job, I wouldn't be getting to meet you like this. And I'll tell you something else: even with some of the murderers that I meet, I even like them too. Sometimes! I like 'em and even respect 'em. Not for what they did! Certainly not for that. But for that part of them, which is intelligent, or funny, or polite or just nice. Because I know there's niceness in everyone. A little bit anyhow. You can take a cop's word for it.“ (from the 1977 episode „Try And Catch Me“)

Lol bet that drove the writers and especially the egomaniacal directors nuts. Good!

this info makes every scene of a "gotcha!" so much more funny because you can see them genuinely getting impatient and getting snappy when he keeps on rambling and rambling, or adding in things that don't need to be there

That was one of the greatest things about the Show. Columbo on his first meeting of a person could get the vibe they were the killer. He was fun to see him get the proof. But Columbo Taunted them to make them think he was a bumbling fool. Where in some cases it would make the killer think they hand the upper hand which could also make them make further mistake.

@@imarriedabrkfsttaco3737 I heard sometimes he and the writers and head guys would fight about the direction an episode. But Peter had so much He just wanted to make sure the show was good. The only story I heard that he ticked off his costars of an episode was the episode with Eddie Albert. He had gotten so upset He walked off the set and didn't show up. So, they had to film around things to keep the episode running. He finally got over his anger and came to the show. However, they had filmed most of it. He wanted to do his scenes with the actors which they had already done without him. The Director stood his ground and said no. Eddie said to him you know I always wanted to work with your but you are really an a-hole. Suzanne Plshette was in that episode, and they had been long time friends and she got very angry with him for a while. However, they did make up. All in all, though Peter Falk was very nice guy. But he just wanted to make sure the show was the best it could be. The funny thing is the episode with Eddie Albert was also a good episode.

We all remember the speeding scene with the radar speed trap, but I seem to remember a scene where a life was truly in peril (as truly, anyhow, as it can be in a fictional teleplay) when Columbo was pushing that little 403 to limits the viewer wouldn't have expected to be possible.

@@5610winston Yes! Even though as you say it wasn’t real, it was so well done it was harrowing!

@@petermanley7525 Then there was the episode when Robert Vaughn was a passenger in a comedic scene where Dennis Dugan was trying to master the four-on-the-tree (and yes, the 403s and the early Peugeot 404s had a four-speed where first was back and down as in a standard three-speed and fourth was a dog-leg forward and up from third, I had several friends who had examples of both, see also 2-Stroke Turbo's _DKW Freeway Blast_ involving a car even homlier than Columbo's car, demonstrating the shift pattern I described.

@@5610winston Very true. And your favourite episode?

@@5610winston Very true. And your favourite episode?

Zactly

So true!

glad he never retired

Only Columbo was better than him!!!

He was made for it.

This is so precious

I had a similar ritual with my dad. Only we d make instant soup and load it with cream and cheese. We watched it dubbed in our native language so I had never heard the original voices before. I m 40 now and I m going to visit my dad soon I ll try to catch an episode with him :)

same with mee !!!

I'm delighted that you have this shared time! Make sure to enjoy it, as you will treasure these memories when they're gone. It's amazing how small things, (like a relaxed amiable time bonding over a shared television show) will become an important memory, when your loved parent is gone. Best wishes to you and yours. 😊

I always had something similar with my mom ( she remembers watching episodes when they first came out). When she retired as a teacher I got her a signed peter faulk drawing of columbo. He was also a terrific artist.

The use of the classical music reaching an intense crescendo was also a brilliant touch

😂 Dead

COLUMBO NOT CLOUSEAU!

@@Jerry-up8bk You're right, of course. Inspector Clouseau's trench coat was not rumpled.

Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 clearly saw that episode

Brilliant writing.

When writers was writers and not activists pushing some pathetic agenda down the viewers throat.

I'd agree. When it was on the network, it was always a must-watch.

Leslie Nelson was better as Columbo.

Nonsense. The writers ruined the show by telling you who the culprit was at the start

Yes! This actor here, the one at the beginning insisting that the man was blind, I recognize as the same actor who played a creepy villain named Mr. Morden on the excellent sci-fi series "Babylon Five." That smarmy expression he does so well is unmistakable.

​​@@rowanaforrest9792 George Hamilton. But the Babylon 5 actor was different, named Ed Wasser.

@@ronmackinnon9374 Oh, thanks. I did think his nose looks different than Mr. Morden's, I wondered about that, but the voice and facial expressions are so similar. Wow :)

There is some quality scowling at the end of episodes of Columbo, as you might yourself if you were caught out by the cheeky scruff! 😆

especially "bye bye sky high IQ chase"

It was a stroke of genius. And of ego

These are my two favorite shows!

Poirot was one of the inspirations for the character

Poirot is not self-deprecating

But Hercule Poirot wasn’t self-deprecating; he was actually pompous and full of himself, and extraordinarily proud of his “little grey cells”.

Poirot? Self-deprecating? That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone describe that character that way.

Don't see it much anymore. With the advances in tech we've seen more flashy cuts and music overlays. It has its place. But this type of show is missed hugely!

Absolutely, things made way more sense back then

@@VeeSeven700 Nothing to do with advances in tech, it's just a change in the medium. Big factor of course is the music video, that by its nature will have more frequent cuts (to match the beat). And the directors who started out in music videos (easier to get into this, on a very small budget even, than in TV or _gasp_ feature films) then went into other TV and (_gasp_ ;-)) feature films, and took that style with them. Which in turn changed out viewing habits.

Nicely put 🔝✅

​@@demianschultz3749 Everything made more sense back then! 😂

I always liked the way they would sometimes get annoyed at his continual questions!

By that point in the show, ..."Just one more thing....," the solution of the crime became secondary; it became increasingly evident that the guilty person may just beg to be hauled off by police officers!

And sexist… he questioned that woman about whether she fly a plane alone like he is in the 60’s… oh wait

Yep, when he said that….it was the end of the end, game over.

​@@kevina3372I mean, some people have co pilots, hell depending on the plane it might even be out of necessity. Knowing if there was a second person with the one being questioned is a pertinent thing to a murder investigation

Its such a great way to show how many steps he was ahead at all times. He assumed that accusation of him touching the paintings then and there might come up. And he prepared accordingly.

​@@SpielkindFRYep, Columbo is the kind of guy who's playing chess while the murderer is playing tic-tac-toe.

literally proving two steps ahead, not only did he catch him in the finger prints...he knew the guy would say "you just did that now" so had the gloves prepped

the consequences were never the same!

The first episode of Columbo I ever caught was the one with Jackie Cooper as the candidate. Was hooked ever since. This was in the 80's long after the show had ended and just before the revival.

That, and the one where the wine opener was used for poison, were my two favorite episodes of all time. And it's kind of soothing to watch how slowly things were filmed back then. A great 40-second shot of just the Big C walking up to the door of the house wasn't uncommon.

Columbo was even geniuser than the genius.

Would have worked on Bernard Samson. But then again, Bernie wouldn't have murdered someone (although he did kill if necessary in his line of work).

@@darrennew8211 the wine opener was same mistake as friend in deed..from the off the police conned him....told him go to some house....the jerk went......question was..so you ate food with some guy,,,he drop dead...you didnt go fast to a docter or a hospital??police chief friend in deed,,,,from the off again,,,,he phoned columbo,,,,,,,,why did he phone a homosicide police man?how he know a person was dead/murdered......then they both get for about 1hour plus of just one more things........lol,,,,,,,,

It's great but a good lawyer would get him off. Imagine how Columbo would sound in court against some denials. I love the show but a lawyer and a lie on the stand would get so many of them off.

Ross was a highly underrated actor IMHO

For this to work, Columbo has to keep his hands in his coat pockets throughout the scene.

Me and my brother still randomly quote "he he touched them!!! You touched them you you"

The lip quivering 😄

Yeah cos gloves aren't removable! Seemed like something they overlooked... I'd love to see how some of these cases stand up in court.

in some cases Columbo was clearly able to empathize with the perpetrator and respect them on some level, like with the wine expert, or the musician (played by Johnny Cash). some of them were less despicable than others, and often committed murders because they truly had their backs against the wall, in a way. for some others he had no sympathy (like the surgeon played by "Spock"), they had no redeeming qualities. what i find refreshing was the atmosphere of intellectual honesty permeating the show, which even the villains adhered to. the murderers, once faced with the inevitable conclusion, pretty much never deny it, they don't try to defy logic. they have to accept the conclusion, because reality can't be twisted anymore at this point. it makes me think of chess (that i play, although i'm not particularly high rated). when it's checkmate, it's checkmate - there's no point in arguing further, it is what it is, right there on the board. you've made a mistake somewhere, and here's the indisputable result. there's this famous quote from an interwar chess grandmaster Tartakower - "on the chessboard, lies and hypocrisy do not survive long". very suiting here, the way i feel about it.

​@@vibovitold I completely agree. The mystery writer that killed her niece's husband/murderer in her home vault is one that Columbo might have struggled with a bit. At the end she actually thought our hero would sympathize with her enough to _'look the other way'_ ... but he reminded her they were both _"professionals."_ And he actually did drop the case when Janet Leigh murdered her husband so she could again start dancing. BUT the circumstances were VERY SPECIAL and it would have been no benefit to arrest her.

@@donarthiazi2443 Which episode is that?

@@gnarlin4964 They were _Try and Catch Me_ where the old woman killed her niece's murderer in a locked vault. And _Forgotten Lady_ where Columbo did not arrest Janet Leigh. I loved them... especially _Forgotten Lady._ Edit: Columbo didn't just not arrest her because he felt sorry for her. Watch the episode and you'll see 😉

@@donarthiazi2443 That was the great Ruth Gordon of Rosemary Baby's fame.

He is excellent with the complements as he his worming his way into ito the case .

"just one more thing" sir 😁

That cinched it😮😂😂😂

Not so fast, Eddie. You see, while you claimed to be at the country club playing tennis with the victim, your phone message machine shows that you called at 2:34 pm. But according to the log at your club, you showed up at the club 10 minutes after that. But there's no way you could have gotten to the club only ten minutes later. You see there happened to be a road detour that day due to bridge work. That bridge closed half an hour before that call. But you could not have known that, Your identical twin Herbert showed up in your place wearing your club jacket. At first I didn't notice but then I saw that you sign your name a bit differently when you made the mistake of giving me your autographed picture of your days as a magician.

Hehe, it's a rare treat to meet someone who's even heard of 'Monk', let alone appreciates it's awesomeness, so thank you :)

Absolutely!

And none of them can hold a candle to Columbo because it was a 90 minute show.

@@rabeapakind3709 Her?

Perfect crime? Oh, I'm sorry, sir. There's no such thing as a perfect crime. It's an illusion.

​@@vibovitold yeah

@@vibovitoldNoice!

That was genius

My favorite episode.

"Suitable for Framing" - sadly on the DVD of the series they give away the "Gotcha" having a photo of Columbo with the gloves on from the end - it's fine when you know it, but if you hadn't seen it before... 😮

So funny

Yes!!!

VERY ASTUTE, thought that myself, now & again!!

@@markbonner1139 thought what ?

I almost felt sorry for the guy, he went from smug to a blubbering idiot in less than a minute

Columbo knew he had an ego, and used that to his advantage, Colombo not only had the suspect admit his crime, he had him show him how he did it.

@@agriperma not smart enough to keep his ego in check, had he let columbo show him his method which would not work he might have gotten away

It's a genius piece of TV the way it builds to a crescendo. Brilliant acting from both men.

Yes! Genius

On my personal favorites.

i never tire of Columbo after all these years. Watch it every time a can and have the DVD' of the original and the remake.

In the UK one of our channels has them almost on a permanent cycle every Sunday. May have seen them many times but they still have a charm that you rarely see in detective drama's today.

The best reaction was Ross Martin's in suitable for framing

@@siddharthsen7035 "Th th this is an entrapment. It's a set up that's all." 😆 With the quivering lips.

They were caught up with their pants down!!! Literally!!!

@@brendathompson2288 the quivering lips is what makes it so epic 😁

@@siddharthsen7035 Yeah, when Columbo pulls out his gloved hands. Sweet. Second to that is when Columbo calls out the "blind man's" brother whom is indeed the blind man. Godfrey, I just adore Columbo and Peter Faulk's rendition.

The gotcha moment when Colombo was wearing gloves at the end was brilliant!!!

Love this memory. I remember that feeling of staying up late to watch something "eking out the day before sleep and then school" :)

Didn't Sunday Night Mystery have four shows which rotated each Sunday? I don't remember what the other three were.

@@adotintheshark4848 McMillan & Wife and McCloud were the other 2. I liked them too but Columbo was my favorite.

@@rmr5740 Similar memories. I loved watching Columbo when I was a young teenager. Very clever show and of course unforgettable Peter Folk. I'm from Poland and American TV series such as Columbo, Kojak and San Francisco Streets were very popular in Poland in 70s . Polish state TV showed them every Thursday nights as an evening of crime stories and late Saturday nights.

@@tomekhauzer Impressive! Soviet-era Poland actually allowed this American TV.

This show was definitely one of the best of its time, and I’d say the movie industry in general has devolved over the past 50 years or so, but most the best television series have been produced in the 21st century: The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Shield, and, more recently, Severance come to mind. Cable and streaming services have allowed television to escape the confines of the old broadcast TV format, in which content that wasn’t “family-friendly” was not allowed.

@@gregbors8364 You are right that TV drama has developed over the years and is much better for it but Columbo was and still is worth watching because of the character of Columbo; Peter Falk played him perfectly in my opinion ... i always get the impression that the guest stars enjoyed being involved in each plot as the guilty party and created the enjoyment for the viewer to want to watch .. I personally still enjoy watching repeat episodes of the shows

Except he could have put the gloves on in the interim, no?

To me it was one of the few occasions that Columbo showed the Machiavelli side of his character

​@@dixonpinfold2582sure, but the perp already has zero composure at that point. It's probably something that he would think about in jail, but with all the pivots and trying to keep a story straight in the moment, he's probably not thinking about that.

@@dixonpinfold2582Columbo is shown to have his hands in his pockets for that entire scene. The moment he walks into the door his hands are in his pockets. We never see them until he reveals the gloves.

​@@dixonpinfold2582put on a coat and put gloves in the pockets then see if you can put the gloves on one handed without taking your hands out of the pockets

I know what you mean. Surreal.

I WAS ONLY 4 OR 5 WHEN MY PARENTS WATCHED COLUMBO AT TV, NOW I AM 51 AND WATCHES IT EVERYDAY WITHMY FATHER WHOIS 96!! HEIS LIKE A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY!!

@@mariaml9854 ...After all these years....your father has the right to be considered "Family"!!! And Maria...There's no need to shout..... It's your DAD THAT IS DEAF.... Not the rest of us. But God Bless ya!

@@patagualianmostly7437 DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU. AM I SHOUTING??

You’re right I’m 50 and it only seemed like last week I was in my early 20s.

I've been watching Columbo for 50 years, and I never get tired of him. He's one of the greatest characters ever created for TV.

Dont forget the writers, insanely good.

The great race is a must see film,,, here in the UK columbo is on channel 21 every Sunday from 9 till 9,,

@@1971dave - The Great Race is such a funny movie. One of my favorites. Jack Lemmon stole the show, and Peter Falk was hilarious as his assistant.

Me 2 Kay!! I honestly haven’t watched these episodes for more than 20 years but now seeing them again almost brings tears to my eyes … so awesome how family friendly entertainment from a forgotten time can bring back so many memories and take you back … 😢 I miss wholesome TV shows & movies like this … what a CLASSIC Columbo was ♥️

Peter Falk did an amazing job being this strange Lt. And I'm glad that he was the one playing columbo because he truly is unpredictable in the sense that you can't quite tell what's going on in that goofy head of his

Also I never knew until now but he's got a glass eye and yet it somehow has so much life and emotion in it that it's hard to tell unless you pay close attention

The expression screams "I mean, bruh..."

My friend and I watched that episode when it first aired. He joked, "if it's Columbo's apartment, maybe he's the culprit."

That episode just showed that the Commissioner didn't have much between his ears to get to where he was. The only way to explain why he would put his top cop on his wife's murder case.

Clark Kents boss in one episode.

@@RTG1031 that's right. Earlier episode season 1. The killer Robert Culp offered Colombo a job to get him off the case.

@@mickirving6779 his name gave him away!!! Robber culprit

I mean, a vast majority of murder cases in real life don't get solved. If there's such a thing as an unsolvable murder, it's safe to say it's one of the ones that haven't been solved. Of course, real murder cases are much less exciting. If a body is never found, and nobody saw the person disappear, it's always a tough nut to crack.

And several other great roles!

also as a mobster in Murder INC

Nobody can’t be redone

Columbo is about class struggle. The resourceful working class man outwits the pompous high class murderer. That alone is very satisfying. The victim is often an idiot who blackmails the murderer, not knowing who they are dealing with. That fact makes it a little easier to sympathize with the murderer. The best endings are the ones where they seem to make an agreement with Columbo: you got me, there is no more use denying I did it. I go quietly and await trial.

I liked his dog

Why make a remake when you can just watch the original? Also, they tend to destroy everything they try and make remakes of.

@@staceygram5555 so true!!!

Yes! That is one of my favorites of the later episodes.

Metaphorically, Columbo gets the last laugh. But you'll note he never actually laughs when his gotcha is complete. Columbo is always serious at that point. And sometimes, there's even a "Sorry, but I'm just doing my job" message implicit in these closings.

@@jamesfeldman4234 Exactly right! He has respect for criminals, even as he apprehends them.

That episode was overdone. So much what ifs or miracle chances. Very tacky episode

He was quite the arrogant genius.

One of my fave cases when I was younger - the two students who killed the tutor. :)

Columbo Goes to College I actually expected to see the climax scene here in this video

@@rubix4195 cocky kids trying to outwit Columbo; amateurs...

@@theblitz9 I was hoping to see it, as well.

@@rubix4195 same here.

Nice one.

I'd be speechless.

No doubt,my friend

A Friend In Deed featured Richard Kiley. Spared no expense!

I love the look that the thief gives Columbo.

"I've heard nothing but good things about Peter Falk" Same with Ernest Borgnine. I've got this movie Aces and Eights. I think he played the part just to help an actor at the beginning of his career. In the special features they're interviewing him and he comes across as a regular guy. Doesn't play the big movie star. The real deal as I like to say. I enjoyed the interview probably more than I enjoyed the movie. Just finished a book written by Douglas Fairbanks Jr about his war years. Another regular guy who was a war hero just like a lot of other actors during World War II. Not like these woke self-absorbed Hollywood actors today. Let me know if you can see this comment. Actively shadow banned and censored by both the RU-vid and Fakebook fascists and New Nazis.

@@larrysingleton2864 I saw it.

Yes, Stephen Ginter. Remembered fondly and greatly missed.

@@larrysingleton2864 yes i seen your comment,,it could be maybe as almost all them actors from back then were all from like no job no money..ultra hard life....they get mega rich,,,famous..it dont change them much...telly savalis ,kojak and so on,,,,was only intrested in the bar at the hotel,,,they name it after him...after lol,,,i use to see him once a year...the greek easter time...he would come most easters to the church here in north london....england....no idea the reason why that same church?my mum chat with him lots!!just another greek person in the church.....no security people with him,,,,,,this all jazz,,,,like we see maddona jogging with 8 big men around her jazz lol,,,times have changed,,

@@rita8684 What a great story. The only claim to fame I have is seeing Muhammad Ali come out of a magic shop on Hollywood Blvd and get into a big black convertable and Al Capone giving my gra'mom, a waitress, pregnant with my mom twenty dollars and saying "Buy your baby some shoes" .. Pretty neat story about Telly Savalis. Yeah; A lot of those old timers were the real deal. Worked their way up the hard way.

I like that one too.

I love how enthusiastic Columbo is while he plays out his solution to the murder, and Brant's as he shoots it down, before realizing that he has inadvertently condemned himself.

Mm thart particular Colombo ep is based on a high iq society. In fact the late bikel was then a mensa member - in reality!!

Remember the 1 with Eddie Albert & Susanne Pleshette?? OUTSTANDING!!!

I hope they will never try.....

what about reality show with kardashians

Impossible.

There will never be another Columbo.

You are correct. It isn't possible

Thanks..

Cheers, Greetings from Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮

@@edward1676 All Good Edward! Cheers

@@filipohman7277 Cheers From Ohio in the States!

@@TheStuport Cheers Brother 👍😎

I think that was Donald Pleasance (?) who Columbo almost didn't want to arrest.