Columbo

Even though Janet Leigh plays perhaps the most sympathetic killer of any Columbo mystery (due to her health in story) the guest performance of John Payne is outstanding as her former song and dance movie partner. Peter Falk as always is excellent as Lt. Columbo and veterans Maurice Evans and Sam Jaffe turn in thier trademark performances as men of fine culture.

Scripted with great ingenuity and fluency, this Columbo adventure is far from a straightforward, "open and shut" case; one can almost sense a sombreness developing as Columbo gets near to identifying the killer when he is invited to the murderess's house, with her former dance partner, to watch an old movie of hers.



The finale contains some of the most intelligently and touchingly conceived sequences in the entire series - the twist is effective, surprising and poignant.