Trama

A ruthless conductor murders the gifted pianist with whom he is having an affair. Lt. Columbo is on the case.

Music conductor Alex Benedict has an affair with a pianist. When the pianist threatens to reveal their affair to Benedict's wife, whose wealthy mother owns the company on which Benedict's career is dependent, Benedict decides to permanently silence his mistress. He arranges for her death to look like a suicide by kitchen stove gas asphyxiation. Lieutenant Columbo, a cunning detective in a rumpled raincoat, doesn't believe the pianist took her own life and suspects that Benedict was responsible for her death. He pesters Benedict with constant questions as he searches for clues to place Benedict at the murder scene.—Kevin McCorry <mmccorry@nb.sympatico.ca>

A married music conductor kills his extra-marital lover when she tells him of her intentions to publicise their affair which, if exposed, would have meant him losing the financial support of his symphony which is being provided by his wealthy mother-in-law.

Talented music conductor Alex Benedict is married but having a secret affair with gifted pianist Jennifer Welles. She wants their relationship to be out in the open, he doesn't. When Jennifer tries to blackmail him by threatening to tell his wife, Alex coldly murders her and stages it as a suicide. Colombo is not convinced it was a suicide and sets out to prove it was murder.—charmardee-smith

Symphony conductor Alex Benedict is a musical genius, but he has a problem, which comes in the form of a beautiful, young, gifted classical pianist named Jenifer Welles. The two have been having an affair, and Jenifer, having grown tired of secrecy, gives her lover an ultimatum: divorce his wife or suffer public exposure. Since Alex's mother-in-law controls the symphony, he can't afford either option, so he murders Jenifer, staging it as a suicide, but Lieutenant Columbo isn't convinced. Finding more and more evidence that the musician's death was murder, can he prove that Alex Benedict was involved, especially after an unexpected second suspect is thrown his way?—Leaper

Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) is a successful orchestra conductor who has got a wealthy wife and a lover. His lover is Jenifer Welles (Anjanette Comer), renowned soloist pianist. He wants to get rid of her, as she starts to be demanding and he stands to lose a lot if his wife gets wind of his affair. He leaves his car at the garage with the excuse of some small problem on the hands of Frank (Mike Lally) the mechanic, who usually cares about his European high-end car. Alex goes to the disgusting toilet room with the excuse of washing his hands and he lets the window a bit open. He comes back later on dressed in a beige overall coat and sunglasses to take the car, go to Jenifer's home and kill her in the presence of her parrot. The parrot gets all excited. Alex has written a letter in the typing machine because he intends to make Jenifer's murder as a suicide. He hits her with an ashtray wrapped with a huge handkerchief, and then moves her to the kitchen. There, he lets the gas open, and makes believe as though Jenifer has fallen from a high stool and hit her head with the oven door. He leaves, hides behind the bushes from a girl playing with her dog. He also takes the car back to the garage and arrives just in time to salute his unsuspecting wife, Janice (Blythe Danner) and mother-in-law, wealthy Lizzy Fielding (Myrna Loy). He's charming, and says he has had no nerves at all. He has even taking a nap for a while.

One of the organizers, the TV director (Wallace Chadwell), tells him that Jenifer Welles has not arrived yet. He throws out a tantrum, and gives her telephone number to the operator to connect him to her. His wife realises immediately that he knows her number by memory perfectly well; she stays silent, though. Alex goes out to conduct the orchestra - whose performance is broadcast live, and during the concert he realises that the flower he used in the collar of his tuxedo has fallen at Jenifer's home.

After the concert his wife tells him that Jenifer has commited suicide. With an excuse, he goes to the home of Jenifer Welles, although he denies to know her personally two or three times. Lt Frank Columbo (Peter Falk) is there to talk to him. Alex gives the excuse of his car being in the garage, and denies once again to know Jenifer apart from his job. Alex picks the missing flower up and puts it on his tuxedo. Columbo realises that Alex has picked up something and approaches him. Their conversation is interrupted by Paul Rifkin (James Olson), who is shouting. There are cameras and cameramen waiting outside Jenifer Welles' home, and Alex gives them the usual blah-blah-blah words in order to present his sympathies.

Columbo leaves. The girl, Audrey (Dawn Frame), tells Columbo off because he has left his dog inside of the car with closed windows. She says that Jenifer used to play the piano a lot, and that she had the constant visits of a lover.

Janice confronts Alex with his knowing about knowing Jenifer's phone humber by heart, but he says that he knows the telephone humbers of many of the people who work for him. Janice ends up saying she's sorry of her jealousy. Alex talks to her, and dismisses her fear. Janice feels untalented and vulgar. Alex says he still loves her, although we come to realise that Lizzy's money may have a lot to do with everything.

The house boy (Pat Morita) opens the door for Columbo. He rambles about the cost of keeping such a mansion, and wondering how much Alex earns and his inability to pay for everything without his wife's inheritance money. Columbo says that he's fascinated by money, and he asks Alex how much he earns in a year. Then, Columbo asks him to sign an autograph for his wife, as she would like to boast about it with her friends, the fellow wives of other police officers and lieutenants.

Next, Columbo tries Alex's car in the garage. He rambles about such a talented girl taking her own life. Alex says that artists are unbalanced. Questioned by Columbo, Alex says that he's thought about it, and that he has reached the conclusion that people commit suicide all the time, but the lieutenant says that the huge bump on her head could have been caused by somebody hitting her. Columbo talks about the girl who said that Jenifer loved her parrot - who died with her of stove gas asphyxiation. Columbo says that people who commit suicide usually leave handwritten notes, they never type them. Alex Benedict says he has to go and leaves, leaving Columbo on his own at the garage. Columbo says to the mechanic that there must be some problem with the engine of his car. The garage man says to the lieutenant that he should buy a new car. Columbo also enquires about cars being left on the garage for the night, but they are locked up. Mike says that the Benedict car had no serious problem.

Lizzy and Janice are dining out when they are inquired by a reporter. They also say that they want to organize a grant with the name of Jenifer Welles, on the understanding that she doesn't want Alex to be bothered by silly questions.

Columbo questions one of the trumpet players, Paul Rifkin (James Olson) who is playing jazz on a bar. He was an ex-boyfriend of Jennifer, dumped because she met somebody special, but Paul didn't know who that lover was. With this information, Columbo visits Janice, who was playing tennis. He asks her about Jenifer's possible lover and tells her that the police considers Jennifer's death as a murder. Later, Alex has to talk about this visit to Janice, who is jealous once again. Alex gets out of it by saying that he's getting sick and tired of her insecurities.

Columbo talks to Audrey during her ballet lesson. He increases her pride. She says that Jenifer's boyfriend visited her the very evening of her death, and she says she could recognise the boyfriend if she saw him again, so Columbo takes her to see Mr. Benedict at the recording of a soundtrack. The girl says that she recognises that boyfriend. She points straight to Paul.

Lizzy wants to fire Paul because of the scandal. She offers to suspend him with his salary.

While taking his unnamed dog to the vet, the TV set is on. Columbo sees the concert in which Jenifer was supposed to play the night she was murdered. Dr. Benson (Michael Fox) says that the educational channel re-releases the concert on Saturday afternoons. That gives Columbo the final clue. He goes to the rehearsals and promises to Janice that this will be the last time she and her husband are disturbed. Columbo takes them to the editing room. He presents them with the tape of the grand opening night. They review the concert, and there it is: the close-up of Alex without the flower. Columbo also plays the roll of film recorded outside Jenifer Welles', with the flower. Alex says that he had forgotten to put on the flower, but that he put it afterwards. Columbo asks Janice if that's how she remembers things, but Janice says that he didn't put the flower as he said. She looks at him, distraught, and says that she would have put up with anything, but not a murder. Alex leaves saying that he loved Janice. Alex even says goodbye to Frank (Henry Beckman), the editor who played both clippings.

Columbo asks a police officer to escort Janice home, and he stays while Frank replays the concert.

--written by KrystelClaire