"Undercover Season 10 episode 9
Plot[]
Irving Krutch (Ed Begley, Jr.), a crooked insurance investigator, enlists the help of Columbo to solve a series of murders that starts when two men, each of whom possesses a piece of a photograph, kill each other in a burglary gone wrong. Some years back a group of four men robbed a bank, but all of them were killed by the police in a shootout after they were caught in a car accident. But before they died, they hid their loot somewhere which can only be found through the assembled photograph. Columbo must go undercover to recover some of the pieces, solve some murders to get some others, and all the while trying to figure out what Krutch might be after.
Final clue/twist: Krutch has a albi for when the last two victiums were killed-supplied by his live in girlfriend; Columbo however tells her that at the time of 3rd murder {Young} that Krutch would have had to put money in a parking meter *else his car would have been towed away. As proof he shows her a coin with Krutchs fingerprint! She then tells the truth: Kruth was with her except for the times the murders were committed. Krutch admits the killings but claims they were either unplaned or self -defense. He supplies the last puzzle picture link; when the loot is recovered the only one not interested is Columbo--he remarks he;s going to take his dog for a walk as he had to much of this case already. Interestingly this episodes a week going by [supplied by captions}. Columbo wittisms: When Crutch remarks he was this close to solving the case, Columbo replies: "Close but no cigar"
Trivia[]
Directed by Vincent McEveety; WrittenBy=Story by Ed McBain|Teleplay=Gerry Day; Date 1994-5-2; Series episode 64/season episode 9; Murderers:Ed Begley Jr. (Jon Beshara and an uncredited actor also portray two characters who kill each other in the beginning). Victiums:=Burt Young and Shera Danese. Run time=98 minuites.
This episode is based upon the 87th Precinct novel Jigsaw by Ed McBain, although not credited as such. This installment thus departs from the usual format by not revealing the culprit until the end of the show. Unlike the previous episode based on McBain source material, No Time To Die, this features a regular character from the 87th Precinct series, Arthur Brown, played by Harrison Page. Additional facts: Harrison Page played the part of Police Captain Trunk on the comedy "Sledge Hammer" {Ironically David Rasche who played the part of the psycho Hammer also guest starred on a Columbo episode ("A Trace of Murder 10/11")-as both a Police Investigator and a murderer!} Burt Young played the Brother in law to Rocky Balboa in the "Rocky Movies" [hence the Rocky remark in this episode; Shera Danese would later marry Peter Falk. This episode (which also has Columbo wearing a gun) gives Peter Falk the opportunity to play different roles: as a skid row crook; as an insurance Investigator; as a Mafia "Don" (in a rented Limmo)
Columbo (season 10) |
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1."Columbo Goes to College" 2."Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health" 3."Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" 4."Death Hits the Jackpot" 5."No Time to Die" 6."A Bird in the Hand..." 7."It's All in the Game" 8."Butterfly in Shades of Grey" 9."Undercover" 10."Strange Bedfellows" 11."A Trace of Murder" 12."Ashes to Ashes" 13."Murder with Too Many Notes" 14."Columbo Likes the Nightlife" |