I love how Columbo having his hands in this coat doesn't feel out of place since it fit with the narrative that he was made a mere bystander that got overruled by his superiors to search aunt Edna's house.
Loved your reaction this, as well as all of your reactions to Columbo. Fun fact, my grandfather was actually in an episode of Columbo, though not as an actor. In the sixties, he was at the very first Superbowl, and a clip of the crowd cheering (with him in focus at the center and in the forefront) became a bit of stock footage that was used somewhat frequently at the time. In the football episode with Robert Culp, they use that bit of stock footage for a crowd reaction. When I watched that episode, I was so shocked to see my grampa.
Kim Hunter played Zira in the original Planet of the Apes movies - one of which was released this same year as this episode. You also didn't recognise Don Ameche who is also in this episode - he would win an Oscar in 1985 for his role in Cocoon but is probably best known today as Mortimer from Trading Places (1983). The quintessential old man of the 80s.
The gossipy lady (Mary Wickes) is just like Tim Allen in the sense that no matter what character they portray, they always have the exact same personality.
What's really remarkable about the early seasons especially is how each episode has it own very distinct vibe and format despite Columbo being himself and some actors recurring in different roles.
Ross Martin portrayed the original Artemis Gordon on "The Wild, Wild West" television series and outshines Kevin Kline's absurdist portrayal. He was one damned fine actor as well.
I don't know if I've never read this, but I'm sure the people at that party were also meant to be pretty stereotyped early ' 70s people, so almost anything extreme about that is probably deliberate.
I... I offered you... I said that --- I only SAID that to SHAME you. I didn't think you'd actually TAKE MY FRIGGIN HOUSE KEY!!! COLUMBO GET BACK HERE!!!!!
This isn't the first time Peter Falk and Ross Martin acted together. They were both in 'The Great Race', which Martin plays a Basil rathbone style villain and Falk plays the bumbling henchman Max. "Push the button, Max!"
I told my RU-vid search engine, reactions to Columbo, and you appeared. It's so cool to find others who get him, especially on RU-vid. I enjoyed your show tremendously.😊
When it was Robert Conrad's turn, he seemed to have more fun with Columbo than Ross Martin did, as did William Shatner compared to Leonard Nimoy. I always regreeted that they never had a pair of episodes with Adam West and Burt Ward or, perhaps best of all, Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor.
Well now i'll never be able to watch this episode again without thinking "suck it dale!". lol. I really think Dale's aunt helps make this episode so good because you sympathize with her so much. your reactions are golden thanks for sharing!
This Dale Kingston guy is in the top three most devious murderers Columbo goes after. His plan from the beginning was to kill two people and frame a third-- all three people were kind to him, two were family. He still would have been a wealthy art critic without inheriting his uncle's collection. Just a couple more things... Columbo appears to get a souvenir from each case. In this one, he gets the blue horse painting that he bought, which Dale hated. It's hinted at throughout the series that Columbo is a bit of a klepto. Like in this episode he accidentally takes the lawyer's lighter. This actually serves him well in some cases.
That busy body woman played a nun in Sister Act and Sister Act 2, the lawyer was Don Ameche, he was in the movie cocoon, Also Played one of the Duke brothers in changing places with Eddie Murphy.
I wanted to thank you for reviewing these Columbo episodes. This is one of my favorite all time shows. Forgotten to time. Thank you for breathing some new life into them. 😀
Kim Hunter is so good. Every time I watched this episode, it was like she looked and sounded familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen her. Then I realized why. She is an ape in Planet of the Apes. Her acting was so good that you can recognize her through the makeup fx.
This is definitely one of my top favorite episodes. I also really enjoy A Stitch in Crime with Leonard Nimoy. Melissa, it was great watching this one with you!😊😊😊
The other older detective was played by Barney Phillips, who was on Dragnet with Jack Webb, playing Sgt. Ed Jacobs. He also had recurrent roles in The Twilight Zone, as martians, TV repairman, policeman, etc..
Hi Melissa...yeah one of my all time favs as well..btw my friend...the lady playing the dotty Aunt Edna is the wonderful KIM HUNTER...known probably playing Zira in Three Planet of the Apes films...(her voice is unmistakable!)however best known in many "classic" Hollywood movies too..bless her... Really enjoyed this Melissa thankyou...enjoy your weekend... very best wishes from Bob in Bristol uk...
Just realized that Don Ameche (who plays Frank Simpson in this episode) played Mortimer Duke in “Trading Places” with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. Have seen this episode 2-3 times and never reckognized him before now.
The woman whose name you're trying to remember is Mary Wickes. She also appeared in "Sister Act." And, I have to say, I've seen anyone enjoy this show more. Bravo!
I've just been watching this video again and I have worked out why the accomplice took so long to leave after firing the gun. She had to stay inside long enough for the security guard to hear her running down the steps in order to put the idea in his head of it being a woman that he heard, thereby helping to frame the victim's ex-wife.
Dale's aunt is played by Kim Hunter, aka Zira, from the Planet of the Apes movies. The nosey old biddy is played by Mary Wickes, who repeatedly played that archetype throughout movies & television at the time. ❤
@@meltyenjoys @meltyenjoys I can remember her even further back (1946) in the old British movie ' A matter of life and death', in which she plays an American air force radio operator and is expected to be the last voice to be heard by a Royal air force pilot, who is about to crash his plane, but then has to fight for his life in a celestial court, bigoted by American groups opposed to the new found relationship with an American girl.
Kim Hunter was the original Stella in the Broadway theatrical version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar named Desire. She later reprised her role in the film.
Unfortunately, the only CHEERS/FRASIER alumnist who played a Columbo killer was a miscast George Wendt. A battle of wits between Columbo and Norm Peterson.
I love Colombo. I think this was the episode that solidified my fandom. If you are in favor of Fraiser being a villain, you’re in for quite a treat in season 10. Not Kelsey, but someone that can be viewed as a close associate of his. Do not skip ahead. 😅
One of the best "Gotcha" moments of any Columbo, a brilliant episode. Ross Martin is amazingly unlikeable as Dale. You had a great idea, Kelsey Grammer would make. a great Columbo murderer! Thanks for your video!
Watching along and enjoying your reaction, but "Suck It Dale" made me subscribe. I have always been a HUGE Columbo fan (watched it in first run on NBC Mystery Movie), and now a fan of your channel! I love watching Columbo with friends, and, now, your reactions have given me the same feeling. Best of luck!
Kelsey and Frasier combined only, despite how pompous they are, neither only a fraction of how smart Collumbus is, I am adding a next couple of words, even though "Is" is a verb, not a preposition, wasn't sure. Frasier would have snobbed on me, 😅😊😅
Kelsey Grammer played the killer on a Columbo rip-off show called JJ Starbuck. The exact same formula, just a different detective. He was great as a smarmy pianist.
Ross Martin wore so many disguises on "The Wild, Wild West". I think he should have been given that kind of role on "Columbo". I'm not that high on the ending, having Columbo keep his hands in his pockets. It looks awkward when he's bending down to talk with Aunt Edna.
Jackson Gillis was a great TV writer with a long career, who wrote a bunch of Columbos, including this, one of the best, and Last Salute to the Commodore, which is the very worst. So - he had range!
There’s a pretty excellent comic, on tumblr and possibly other places, of Frasier and Niles killing the latter’s ex wife and then trying to get away with it when Columbo comes to visit their dad cuz he’s an old cop friend. He gets Frasier to confess in his radio show booth when he doesn’t realize he’s already gone on the air, by playing on his ego and saying Niles did it and it was a brilliant scheme of him to pull.
Hi Melissa - I happened to stumble across your video here and have a question for you. At about 9 minutes and 26 seconds in to your review of this Columbo episode, a female officer comes in to the scene. Her character name is Sally. She has a short part with a line or two, yet she is not mentioned in the credits. I've searched various forums and nobody seems to know who this actress is. Do you know who she is? In the episode "Ransome For A Dead Man" there is a waitress at the very end of the show who looks very similar. Could this be the same actress?
Maybe the quintessential (or Dale might call the "penultimate") gotcha. So brilliantly conceived, but would never stand any judicial scrutiny. Which of course, is never the point anyway. (But clearly, Columbo could have had numerous chances, in Dale's framing scenario, to plant his fingerprints prior to the final scene).
The naming of the episodes so often makes me guess wrong as to which episode it is. I always confuse this one with the one with the photographer in it. Also, I have to say that I absolutely love the text you have over the scenes. With the font, it looks so natural that it is hardly noticable. Even when it covers the scene as much as it does. =D
Funny enough, outside of having this episode in my Complete Series DVD set of Columbo my Dad got me off of Amazon, this is one of 3 episodes I actually have on VHS [the other 2 being "Lovely, but Lethal" [1973], and "Try and Catch Me" [1977].] I didn't like "Suitable for Framing" very much at first, but watching your reaction to it, and remembering the scenes in it as you went through the episode, I can now see why lots of people like it and think it's one of the best Columbos. I really like how much this show makes you laugh and giggle Melissa, that's how I was watching each episode over the past couple of months. I also didn't notice until recently how much of a piece of shit Dale is; particularly when he tries to make it look like the Aunt Edna was the one who did the murder [BTW, I know you enjoy the Aunt Edna character, but to me personally, I found her super annoying every time she was on screen, and even watching this video, when she kept on talking to Columbo so much, not giving him any time to speak himself, I buried my face in my fists and went, "AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!"; same with the other woman who completely wasted Columbo's time while looking at that darned family album.] I also thought it was hilariously tragic seeing him make terrible jokes at the art gallery he went to, and I love the decision the people making the episode made where every time Dale makes a bad joke, the camera slowly zooms in on him laughing before cutting to the next scene, it keeps making me think the Seinfeld theme is gonna start playing XD
Nowadays it's kind of "softer" crimes like mass drug dealing or plotting on terrorist acts, not brutally killing someone who is supposed to be your life mate. I mean, holy crap, I might even ad a s#i!
Just talking how different the difference is now. Nowadays it's less cultural stuff like threats of terrorism (scary), or much much less scary, maybe really is a gold digger. Pretty easy to get out of that, doesn't require a brick. But hey? Maybe that's partially claimed heroism should be claimed by Colombo and like radio and tv shows
Just remember, this was 70's fashion. I don't know if you can do this or not, but could you please remove "Melissa watches Columbo"? That really messes with my OCD.
Whaat,? How many reliable witness says "It happened at 5 minutes to eleven" Police would be spitting out their coffee nowadays. Perfect answer for a cop.
But seriously, so brutal, from old time radio shows to some time past this tv show, always "murder'. I said that very dramatically, like an episode from The Whistler.
The killer is successful charming book smart selfish self assured greedy planning prepared entitled egotistical view of people way person sarcastic dark possible fake personality as well
