Show: Columbo
Episode
Particulars: S2EP5, “Requiem for a Falling Star”, original airdate January
21st, 1973.
Standalone
Thoughts: I can’t be wholly objective about this episode, because I’m a
sucker for anything involving Hollywood, especially old Hollywood, and movie
making. The episode is littered with glimpses of how things work behind the
scenes, pictures of film icons (I know I saw Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields in
there, and maybe even Humphrey Bogart), and even a cameo by Edith Head, the
great costume designer. Serious film buffs like myself will also get a kick out
of Nora Chandler for several reasons. Her full name calls to mind two fairly
famous mystery names, Raymond Chandler and the Nick and Nora film series, and
the fact that she’s played by Anne Baxter (and is called an aging actress
several times) is all but guaranteed to make you think of All About Eve at least once. So if you want a bit of old Hollywood
glamour, you’re in for a real treat.
Looking at the rest of the episode…it’s got its ups and
downs. I find it very charming that Columbo is starstruck by Chandler, to the
point of trying to straighten up and look a little less rumpled when he goes to
meet her for the first time. I also like that Chandler seems to like him, which
leads to some nice interplay between the two. And the fact that the case
gradually reveals itself to be less clear cut than it seems is always a nice
way of keeping the formula fresh. However, that last item can also fall into
the “down” category, because it requires keeping some things hidden from us
until the last minute. Because I’m familiar with the tropes, I knew there was
something else going on, and to the episode’s credit, it didn’t quite go where
I was initially thinking; my mind went straight for the soap opera option and
concluded that Jean was Chandler’s illegitimate daughter, maybe even by Parks. Even
so, it’s hiding things from the audience, which can be frustrating for us.
Though I will give the episode some points for at least laying out some of the
information so it all makes sense after the fact. Some mysteries don’t even
give you that much.
In conclusion, this episode has its weaknesses as a
mystery (including the fact that Columbo puts everything together thanks to a
massive coincidence), but the trappings surrounding it make up for it,
especially if you’re a movie buff. And as I established, that was good enough
for me.
Number of
“Columbo-isms”: 3/6. There’s actually two bits of business surrounding
Columbo’s car, a tiny running bit involving his wife, and at least one version
of “Just one more thing”. I personally didn’t see much in the way of fumbling,
but other people can feel free to disagree on that.
Other: *This
episode contained another outfit that I felt was worth discussing;
Here’s the thing; almost all of this outfit is fine. It
looks comfortable, it’s pretty, and I could see people wearing something like
that today. But it’s the string of A’s across the chest that baffles me. If
Chandler’s first name started with an A, that would be one thing, but since her
name is “Nora”, that theory’s out. And those A’s are too clear for me to say
they’re just a decorative whorl that looks a lot like an A. I also doubt this
is a brand thing, like the Chanel C’s. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever
be able to find a reason for this, so I just have to scratch my head at why
Chandler is wearing an outfit bearing a letter she has no direct connection to
and, furthermore, may remind some people of The
Scarlet Letter. And that’s one association I don’t think most people want
their clothes to make.
*Columbo says at one point that this is the first time
he’s ever been in a movie studio. This is both true and untrue, depending on
how you look at it. He was on a movie
studio/set in “Prescription; Murder”, but that may not be considered official Columbo canon at this point, since it
was originally a standalone story. Or Columbo’s lying a bit to keep his persona
up. Either way, continuity hounds can at least come up with a reason for this
discrepancy.
*We get a glimpse of Columbo’s note taking process today,
when he reads some of his notes to Chandler to explain how he put all the
pieces together. We don’t see that side of him very often, so I liked that
detail. Even if it is in service to the “hiding things” aspect I discussed
above.
Would This Hold Up
in Court?: On the one hand, Columbo probably could have gotten the evidence
he needed if he’d just managed to find a good reason to get a warrant to search
Chandler’s property (and I think he could have found one). On the other, the
way he actually got her involved him
falsifying evidence, though the episode’s a little different in that we
actually see him setting it up for once. Still, the defense is probably going
to take advantage of this, so let’s say that while Chandler will probably be
convicted for one crime, they might have a harder time with the one Columbo was
actually investigating.
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