A few months ago, my friend bought me the first season of Columbo
for my birthday. When I saw him again recently, he asked if I'd watched
it yet, and I had to admit that I hadn't; I'd been waiting for the
right moment. That moment arrived this week when I decided to assemble
one of the LOST: Mystery of the Island puzzles that's been lying
in wait for me since Christmas. What better accompaniment could there be
to such a brain-taxing activity than a few hours of genius observations
by the lovable sleuth Columbo?
I've been a Peter Falk fan for
as long as I can remember, and I've enjoyed many of his outings as
Columbo, but I'd never before seen the movie that started it all. Prescription: Murder
clocks in at around an hour and a half, and I was surprised that it
took half an hour for Columbo to show up, but that makes his eventual
appearance all the more satisfying.
There's more need for
set-up in this case because of the elaborate nature of the crime and
attendant deception. The murderer, Dr. Ray Flemming (Gene Barry), is a
prominent psychiatrist who has grown tired of his wife Carol (Nina
Foch). We know she's not long for this world when he ducks out of their
anniversary party to hook up with a glamorous young patient named Joan
Hudson (Katherine Justice), with whom he is plotting Carol's disposal.
Though the murder itself is very simple, all the surrounding details are
complicated and involve Joan impersonating Carol as they board a flight
to Acapulco, then initiating a fight with Dr. Flemming and storming off
while the doctor remains to enjoy his vacation so that he can return a
week later, shocked by the news that a burglar broke into his house and
killed his wife while he was away.
It's all very clever, and a
lesser detective might have been fooled by the simple solution. But
Columbo is a stickler for details, and Falk is both endearing and
exasperating as the schlub who tails Dr. Flemming relentlessly, always
seeking just one more insignificant detail. His apologetic manner and
apparent absent-mindedness put him off his guard at first; by the time
Dr. Flemming realizes how much Columbo suspects, the case is almost in
the can.
I don't recall ever seeing Columbo lose his temper
before, so I was surprised at how aggressively he confronted Joan toward
the end of the film. I wasn't crazy about that scene, but given the
circumstances it does seem to have been the right call. One can't help
but feel sorry for the fledgling actress who isn't aware that her dear
boyfriend is also acting, though I would be inclined to distrust the
affections of anyone willing to murder his wife to get her off his
hands. Justice strikes just the right tone of vulnerability, while Barry
comes across as coolly arrogant. We don't see Foch for long, but we get
just enough of her to see that she wasn't even an unreasonable woman.
Establishing her as a sympathetic character hardens us further against
her cold-hearted husband.
Because he is a psychiatrist, Dr.
Flemming is perfectly equipped to describe Columbo's character traits,
just in case we missed them. The lieutenant acts like he doesn't know
what he's doing, forever losing his pen, claiming that his ideas are
far-fetched, leaving questions dangling as he flits off to random
subjects, sharing homey anecdotes that make him easy to relate to. Maybe
some of this is real, but some of it is certainly an act, meant to
throw people off. It's Columbo's signature style, and we see it again
and again throughout all his cases. Whether you're a longtime fan or
have never had the pleasure of meeting the character, take a dose of Prescription: Murder and see Columbo's brilliance at work.
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