Fade in to Murder
- Episode aired Oct 10, 1976
- TV-PG
- 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
An egotistical but successful star of a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer and makes it look like a robbery.An egotistical but successful star of a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer and makes it look like a robbery.An egotistical but successful star of a TV detective show murders his blackmailing producer and makes it look like a robbery.
Timothy Carey
- Tony
- (as Timothy Agoglia Carey)
John Finnegan
- Assistant Director
- (as J.P. Finnegan)
Frank Baxter
- Walter Gray
- (as Frank Emmett Baxter)
David Armstrong
- Stage Hand
- (uncredited)
Al Beaudine
- Stage Hand
- (uncredited)
Jack Berle
- Stage Hand
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Dells
- Julia
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe picture of Ward Fowler behind the couch in his living room is a head shot of William Shatner as Captain Kirk.
- GoofsWard Fowler draws a chalk circle on the back of Columbo's raincoat. Quite a bit earlier, when beside the "Jaws" pool, Columbo could be seen with that chalk circle already on his back.
- Quotes
Lieutenant Columbo: I sometimes have a silly effect on people. You know what I mean, just being a police lieutenant. You know, uh... At least I hope that's why.
- ConnectionsFeatured in VHS Revolution (2017)
- SoundtracksThis Old Man
(uncredited)
Traditional English children's counting folk song.
[Sung without words by Columbo (Peter Falk) while walking towards Fowler's dressing room.]
Featured review
Columbo vs Kirk
I would probably have to say this is my favorite episode of this great series, as both Peter Falk and William Shatner have great chemistry together, and it's very obvious from start to finish that they enjoy each other's company and bring out the best in each other. I know that Shatner has basically become a ham of late, and although I'm not sure he planned for this back in 1976, one can easily see how he set the stage for his future career being one, and how many more fans he's acquired over the years. In this instance, he smugly portrays Ward Fowler, a television detective of all things, who murders a woman named Clare Daley, who he used to have an affair with; it turns out that she's blackmailing him by taking half of what he makes for a reason I don't quite recall, but it has to do with silver certificates. There's a few Columbo familiar faces like Timothy Carey, the unimpressive Shera Danese, and John Finnegan; also watch for Alan Manson and Danny Dayton, who I know from All in the Family(Hank Pivnik). For a good laugh, look for a poor imitation of the shark from Jaws, as this episode takes place on a film set. The best moments are the scenes between Columbo and Fowler, who seem enamored with each other, and constantly compliment each other too; watch for a few very funny scenes, especially when Columbo tries on Fowler's hat and platform shoes, and another good scene is when Fowler records Columbo acting silly on a new fangled and very expensive gizmo called a vcr. The ending is a bit of a letdown, compared to the rest of the show, as Columbo finally gets proof to Fowler's guilt, because he forgot to wipe clean a bullet in the gun he used to murder with. It's also slightly odd the way that Fowler acts guilty through most of the episode, as he must've thought Columbo was too fond of being with a celebrity to think of him as a murderer. Although I mentioned a few aspects which I had a problem with, I wouldn't hesitate to call this my favorite Columbo episode, mainly because the chemistry between Falk and Shatner was very real and entertainingly funny.
helpful•153
- stones78
- Mar 29, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mord im Bistro
- Filming locations
- The Enchanted Hill - 1441 North Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA(Ward Fowler's house, demolished)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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