At the end, when Columbo is playing pool and revealing the evidence to Dr. Mason, the tennis ball that was the first piece of evidence is casually tossed, by Dr. Mason, into the corner pocket where the second piece of evidence is produced moments later without having to remove the tennis ball first.
At the end, when Columbo is playing pool and revealing the evidence to Dr. Mason, the tennis ball that was the first piece of evidence is casually tossed, by Dr. Mason, into the corner pocket where the second piece of evidence is produced moments later without having to remove the tennis ball first or the billiard ball just sunk into it.
At the beginning, when Mason his giving his class, there is a chalkboard with an "X" on it with a chalk square around it. Mason then draws two more chalk squares around the "X" to emphasize a point he is making. A few minutes later, another shot of the chalkboard is seen, but now the "X" has only one chalk square around it.
The pool balls that Mason sets up to for Columbo to hit change between shots. First they are all solids and what appear to be two cue balls set up in a triangle shape. The scene cuts to Columbo for a few seconds, then back the Mason and the pool balls. Now there is a mix of solid and striped pool balls, and the two cue balls are gone.
At the end, when Columbo is shooting pool while Mason looks on, the number and position of the pool balls change between shots several times.
In the opening scene, when the camera is panning around the home, the (presumably) "Rosebud" sled from Citizen Kane (1941) is seen. However, the sled shown is not the same shape as the sled in the film.
Dr. Mason addresses Columbo as "Lieutenant" when they first see each other at the crime scene, even though they hadn't met yet. Then the detective introduces himself as Lieutenant Columbo.
However, the psychologist is seen exiting his own house where he can have asked a police officer who was in charge and where to find them.
However, the psychologist is seen exiting his own house where he can have asked a police officer who was in charge and where to find them.
Right after the murder, the caged van that will take away the dogs to the lockup until their fate is decided by the judge is seen. Before being locked up, the two Dobermans, that less than an hour earlier attached and killed a man for seemingly no reason, are allowed to jump all over Columbo with no leash or guard in sight.
However, Columbo had time to study the dogs and realize that they were not an imminent threat so he actually "staged" this ball game to unsettle the owner.
However, Columbo had time to study the dogs and realize that they were not an imminent threat so he actually "staged" this ball game to unsettle the owner.
Maybe it wasn't well known in 1978, but chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Dr. Mason offering his dogs chocolate treats may be his way of deliberately trying to poison and kill them. This fact either is not understood or not pointed out. As he afterward eats one of the treats himself, it appears he didn't lace them with anything stronger than chocolate.
Columbo probably knew about this but it was not enough to convince the owner of the dogs as chocolate is poisonous in rather big quantities only and the psychologist could have argued he only wanted to give one chocolate to each dog.
Columbo probably knew about this but it was not enough to convince the owner of the dogs as chocolate is poisonous in rather big quantities only and the psychologist could have argued he only wanted to give one chocolate to each dog.
In the dog pound, Dr. Mason is about to feed the two dogs a chocolate treat. When he calls the dogs, both are seen to be in one cage. A few moments later, the two dogs look like they might be in separate cages, but, on close inspection, they clearly aren't.
When Columbo plays pool with Dr. Mason at the end, and the dogs jump up to lick/kiss Columbo's face, food (likely peanut butter) can be seen spread on Peter Falk's face to encourage the dogs to lick (when Columbo is lying back upon the pool table).
Trees in the background remain still while tumbleweeds are blown around by high winds.
(at around 5 mins) In the bottom left of the screen, a crew member kneeling down is visible.
(at around 12 mins) While Columbo talks to the doctor on the outside stairs, a shoe with a red sock can be seen moving in the bottom right.
When Dr. Charles Hunter is on the phone at the house saying "Rosebud", the boom mic shadow can be seen moving up and down on the wall above the telephone.