"Columbo" Double Shock (1973)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Robert Butler

Writers:

Steven Bochco (teleplay)
Jackson Gillis (story) ...

TV Series:

"Columbo" (1971)

Original Air Date:

25 March 1973 (Season 2, Episode 8)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A smarmy TV chef and his identical twin brother, a rigidly proper banker, are suspects in the electrocution of their rich uncle.

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | Twins | Banker | Identical Twins | Electrocution

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Martin Landau	...	Dexter and Norman Paris
Jeanette Nolan	...	Mrs. Peck
Tim O'Connor	...	Michael Hatheway
Julie Newmar	...	Lisa Chambers
Paul Stewart	...	Clifford Paris
Dabney Coleman	...	Detective Murray
Kate Hawley	...	Mrs. Johnson
Michael Richardson	...	Young lawyer
Robert Rothwell	...	2nd Detective
Gregory Morton	...	Older lawyer
Tony Cristino	...	Stickman

Also Known As:

Columbo: Doppelter Schlag (#2.8) (West Germany) [de]
Columbo: Doppio shock (#2.8) (Italy) [it]
Columbo: Double choc (#2.8) (France) [fr]
Columbo: Kaksoset (#2.8) (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

Italy:70 min | USA:73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2005)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): On the TV soap opera, the young doctor is first called Rocky, then called Roger.

Twice as nice

As you know by now, Martin Landau shines in these dual roles as Norman and Dexter Paris, both wealthy moochers out to inherit their uncle's good fortune. They carry out the evil murder by electrocuting the poor old guy with an electric mixer in the tub; since when were there outlets that close to a tub anyway? Add in Julie Newmar and Dabney Coleman, and we have a professional cast that showcase acting skills. The real star of this particular episode is Landau, a solid actor who is both serious and funny, portraying both brothers, who are seemingly at odds with one another, but come together to hatch the murderous scheme, and Columbo must put the pieces together, and he also has to deal with the constant complaints of Ms. Peck, the cantankerous live-in maid of the house.

The conclusion is underwhelming, which is often the case with these episodes, but Landau makes this solid episode somewhat memorable and there are enough strong performances(and even Columbo on a television show)which carry all the way through to the end.