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"Columbo" Double Exposure (1973)


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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Sublime entry in the TV series!!, 24 June 2003
8/10
Author: The Welsh Raging Bull (leighton.phillips@sihe.ac.uk) from Port Talbot, South Wales, UK

A Season 3 Columbo episode that is particularly underestimated for its engrossing qualities, which are facilitated by a very tightly-structured plot and script with very few secondary characters, brisk pacing and an enormous amount of screen time between Columbo and villain.

Robert Culp makes his third and final appearance as a Columbo villain, playing a motivational research specialist whose blackmailing scheme, involving his potential (married) business clients and a model he is using for the advertising campaigns, is threatened to be exposed by one of his clients...

Quite possibly this is Culp's best performance of the three; remarkably calm, assured and purposeful throughout despite the increasingly intrusive nature of Columbo's questioning. There are some great scenes between the two in a supermarket and (even better) on a golf course.

The quality of the episode is all the more remarkable given the moderate quantity of circumstantial clues, yet the basic murder set-up is really quite ingenious, particularly as the murderer is able to hide the murder weapon in a very clever and almost foolproof manner. This accentuates the lack of predictability in this story as Columbo has to be really smart to uncover the truth: the finale is superbly ironical and the elements of smartness possessed so markedly by the villain in the preceding sequences are wonderfully transferred to the dogged and ultra-persistent hero.

Addicts may also note that Columbo mentions the "Hayward case" early on in this story, which interestingly refers to the previous episode entitled "Candidate for Crime."

An undoubtedly solid episode, which is precise in its intentions and very competent in its delivery.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Best Ever, 14 August 2005
10/10
Author: sunshineplays from United Kingdom

Most of the 1970s Columbos are excellent and "Double Exposure" is one of the very best. The motivational psychology angle works well and offers Columbo some intriguing research to do. The villain is played by Robert Culp and this is his third and last appearance in 1970s Columbo. (He would return as the father of a villain in a 1990s episode - "Columbo Goes To College".) Culp is a class act and he brings the right balance of arrogance and likable roguishness to the part. Falk clearly loves playing against Culp and as a result he raises his game giving one of his most grounded performances as the detective. The interaction between the two is a joy and look out for Columbo's "you can't win them all" line which is the climax to some verbal jousting between him and Culp. Overall, this would be in my top 5 Columbos of all time.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the very best Columbo-episodes, 21 December 2000
10/10
Author: jéwé from Alkmaar, Netherlands

"Double Exposure" is one of the best in this long running series that peaked in the 70's to my opinion. As these films are no whodunnit's, the detective's opponent needs to be a strong character. You bet Robert Culp is one.And he is in top-form as Bart Keppel with his 'subliminal cuts' in advertisement. I think I've seen this one about ten times now and it's still very good entertainment. Note : Culp is also in one or two other episodes, notably in 'The Most Crucial Game'. Brilliant cat-and-mouse-play.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Great storytelling, 11 September 2003
Author: emjbf from Los Angeles

Classic episode. Cannell's script is spot on with great Columbo traits and dialogue. Holds up thirty yeas later as good as any writing currently on TV. Culp is well cast and has the right amount of smugness--"Dr. Keppel" is the type of character you love to see foiled by his own invention.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Can subliminal advertising help you commit a murder? Find out on today's episode of "Columbo"!, 11 January 2007
7/10
Author: J. Spurlin from United States

Dr. Bart Keppel (Robert Culp) styles himself as a "motivation research specialist," and it's true he has written several books on marketing and made a name for himself on the subject of "subliminal advertising"—which involves inserting frames of an advertised product into the reels of a film. The frames go by too fast for the conscious mind to note them; but subconsciously the mind picks them up and makes the viewer crave what is pictured. But this advertising expert's more lucrative sideline is blackmail. He takes secret pictures of his married clients with a girl hired to tempt them. His latest victim, Vic Norris (Robert Middleton), balks and wants to turn in Dr. Keppel (don't call him Mr. Keppel) to the D.A. The blackmailer prevents this by murdering Norris during a screening of a promotional film. He finds a clever alibi and an even cleverer way of tempting his victim into the wrong place at the wrong time. But his projectionist (Chuck McCann) finds out and blackmails the blackmailer. It's up to our rumpled Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) to use subliminal tricks of his own to unmask the killer.

This enjoyable "Columbo" episode, directed by Richard Quine from a script by Stephen J. Cannell, bears resemblance to "Columbo: Death Lends a Hand," which also featured Robert Culp as a killer who blackmails one victim too many. The subject of subliminal advertising is amusing, though I think the idea was discredited at some point. The last I heard of it was when some Japanese animators innocently inserted frames of American flags into episodes of the TV cartoon, "Alf." There was an uproar, but the idea of hypnotizing people with frames of film came to look silly. Still, give this episode your willing suspension of disbelief, and you'll enjoy it.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
A Subliminal Cut! You used a Subliminal Cut!, 31 July 2006
7/10
Author: sol1218 from brooklyn NY

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

(There are Spoilers) Lt. Columbo, Peter Falk, is far more in charge and less bumbling and fumbling in this movie then he usually is. The L.A detective comes straight out and confronts the murderer of an ad agency president Victor Norris,Robert Middleton, without his usual bumbling and fumbling act. Columbo has no trouble at all confronting Well known motivation expert Dr. Bart Keppel, Robert Culp,and telling him that he knows that he's the killer but at the same time doesn't have the evidence to arrest or have Dr.Keppel convicted in a court of law.

Dr. Keppel uses underhanded tactics to blackmail people, who he feels are a threat to him, plants the false story that Victor Norris is having an affair with an employee of his the very attractive Tanya Baker, Arlene Martel. Dr Keppel is caught red-handed by Norris in an effort to blackmail him by trying to get is wife Mrs. Norris, Louise Lathan, to think that Tanya and Victor are fooling around with each other. Norris confronts Dr. Keppel at a movie house playing Dr. Keppel's motivation film to a number of potential clients. Told by Norris he'll report him to the police the doctor, unknown to Norris, had already set him up for the kill.

Having the very rotund Norris stuff himself with globs and globs of very tasty but highly salted caviar and then sublimity splicing into the movie a cold drink against a dry and hot desert scene was all that Dr.Keppel needed to get Norris to walk out into the lobby. I's there that Dr. Kepple blew him away as he was taking a cold cold drink from the water fountain. while all this was happening Dr. Keppel was, or made like he was, back in the theater narrating the movie that gave him a perfect alibi in Norris' murder.

Let. Columbo put on the case is baffled to why anyone would murder Norris under the conditions that he was done in. Leaving the theater for just a moment to take a drink. Let. Columbo feels that Norris' killer had to be someone at the theater who did it since he must have known that Norris would be alone at the very moment that he murdered him but who?

Talking with the projectionist Roger White, Chuck McCann, Columbo finds out that there's a TV/Video monitor in the lobby that could have well recorded the killing but was mysterious turned off at the time. White is smart enough to realize that Dr.Keppel may well have murdered Norris because he caught him fiddling around with the TV monitor just moments before he was murdered.

White is a bit on the dim-witted side in trying to blackmail, which is Dr.Keppel's specialty, Keppel into giving him $50,000.00 to have him keep his mouth shut. All this leads to White being shot and killed by Dr. Keppel who tries, for some strange reason, tries to make it look like he was killed by Mrs. Norris at his moon-lighting job at the Magnolia Theater.

The scheming Dr.Kepple tricked White into believing that he'll come up with the 50 grand only to have him put his guard down and end up with a bullet up his chest. What Dr. Keppel didn't know is that White told Det. Columbo a little trick of his that he uses on the reels of film to alert White when to change them, with a nickel, that in the end helped cooked the not so clever Dr. Keppel's goose.

Columbo on to that Keppel is a double murder, of Middleton & White, is still out in the cold in getting evidence to arrest him. During the rest of the movie Let. Columbo harasses the doctor to the point of even interrupting him in a very important game of golf, that so unnerves him, causing Dr. Keppel to miss a number of critical shots. Columbo in the end uses the very tactics that Dr. Keppel used to set up and murder Norris, a subliminal cut in a movie, to trap him. This flash on the screen, subliminal cut, gets Dr. Keppel himself to lead Columbo to the evidence that would finally convict him and Lt. Columbo does it with his usual pizazz.

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
A solid entry in the series; unspectacular but pleasing for fans, 19 April 2005
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Dr Bart Keppel is a great salesman and has a high opinion of himself; however this isn't helping his career and he knows he will soon be fired by boss Vic Norris. During a screening of his newest film for Norris's company, Keppel narrates behind a curtain before stepping out a back door and leaving a tape recorder covering for him. Using this as his alibi he goes around to the front and, when Norris comes out to get a drink, shoots him dead. He returns and finishes the film and then joins the "shocked" crowds outside. The alibi is foolproof and the obvious suspect is Mrs Norris who had just found out about her husband's affair; however, with Columbo on thee case it only takes one thing to strike him as funny to distract him, and this case has plenty to cause him pause for thought.

As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula – we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler – it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. Here the narrative is the standard stuff but uses the world of film-making as its hook; funnily enough Columbo would play ignorant in the world of projectionists later in "Make me a perfect murder" even though he has it partly explained to him here. The plot sees the usual case building and dogged pursuit of his suspect by Columbo and in this film it works pretty well even if there are no real fireworks until the very end. The addition of a secondary murder makes it a bit less interesting (by being a bit more obvious) but the investigation is still interesting and the ending is pretty good fun.

As with many of the films, this one's "make or break" aspect is the chemistry of the two leads. Falk is as good as he always is although Culp is a bit snotty and boring for the vast majority of the film. He does do the ending very well but up till then he doesn't stick in the mind. The chemistry between the two men is fine but not anything to write home about – Culp's character sees Columbo with too much distain and disinterest to really work although, as I said, it is better at the end. Support is limited and really the lead two are the whole film but luckily they do enough to keep it interesting.

Overall this is a solid Columbo films that does everything that you expect it to. Admittedly it could have done more and it doesn't stand out as being that strong in the grand scheme of things but it is still enjoyable enough and those coming to the Columbo series again and again will get just what they expect.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
The Columbo Story With The Subliminal Images, 20 April 2007
6/10
Author: ShootingShark from Dundee, Scotland

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Dr Bart Keppel is a media consultant who uses subliminal images in a marketing film to engineer the murder a blackmailed client threatening to go public. When Columbo is assigned to the case, he decides to use Dr Keppel's own methods to ensnare him ...

This is one of the most interesting Columbo stories - the one where the victim is plied with salty caviar and then shown a film with subliminal images of cool drinks, causing him to go out to the water-font in the lobby and get shot. This main conceit - and Stephen J. Cannell's entire script - is a bit silly (there's even a moment where Columbo leaps out from behind a bush to catch the crook in the act), but it's chock-full of nifty ideas and amusing developments. The moment where Culp asks Falk which way to the murder scene, the projectionist's-penny-on-the-floor idea, and the entire golf-course sequence are all priceless, and Falk and Culp are both sensational. I guess I'm a sucker for any movie that uses subliminal images (The Exorcist, They Live, From Dusk Till Dawn), which were a big advertising concern at the time. This isn't one of the most plausible Columbo stories but it's undeniably fun.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Above average entry., 19 August 2007
6/10
Author: Robert J. Maxwell (rmax304823@yahoo.com) from Deming, New Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is the one in which Robert Culp is a murderous motivational research scientist who uses subliminal cuts in an advertising film to lure his victim, Robert Middleton, out into the lobby of the screening room. It's pretty good too. Culp is a cool, thoroughly organized killer. He's more amused by Columbo's antics than irritated by them -- except when they screw up his golf game.

And it has two truly likable supporting players: Chuck McCann and Louise Latham. McCann is intrinsically funny. There's something about his clown-like smile and the blubber that surrounds it that evokes smiles in his audience. He had a children's TV show in New York that was so outrageous that, even as an adult, I caught it whenever I could.

Louise Latham will be immediately recognizable. She's not at all unattractive although her eyes almost meet each other, separated only by the thin bridge of her nose. As an actress, she's hard to beat. Her range is from mean and Southern to vulnerable and appealing, as she is here.

I hope no one takes this subliminal motivation business too seriously. The impact is debatable but no one has claimed it can be used in a conspiracy to corrupt the population or get everyone to rush out and buy Nokia. I used a tachistoscope in some studies at Cornell and the results were minimal -- probably real for some people, but not very important. If you want to change someone's attitudes towards things or thoughts, there are more efficient ways of doing it.

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Double Exposed!, 19 May 2006
7/10
Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States

Columbo has to match wits with Robert Culp again in this episode. I don't know offhand how many episodes that featured Robert Culp but I remember this one. He is a scientist who specializes in mental manipulation. I couldn't think of another way to explain it. Anyway, Columbo has met his match in this episode. Robert Culp's character kills somebody who wants to destroy his professional reputation as a top scientist who helps improves sales in grocery stores and other ways. Anyway, you have to watch how Columbo catches him. Like a typical episode, he becomes interested in his line of work but does not forget the victim or the crime. It's worth noting that it's pretty sophisticated in 1973 and I would watch it again if I have too but it's not my favorite episode of his or with Robert Culp.

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