Columbo - Season 2 (Blu-ray) (1972)

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General		Extras
Category	Mystery	Alternative Version-Etude in Black: Alternative Shorter Version
Rating
Year Of Production	1972
Running Time	661:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Nicholas Colasanto Boris Sagal Jeremy Kagan Richard Quine
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Peter Falk John Cassavetes Ray Milland Robert Culp Honor Blackman Leonard Nimoy Martin Landau
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	$46.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Linear PCM 48/24 2.0 English Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	None
16x9 Enhancement	No
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes, Columbo smokes cigars frequently
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     If you are unfamiliar with Columbo - and if that is the case, why the hell not? - then there’s no time like the present to become acquainted with this popular, long-running television staple. Starring Peter Falk as the titular police lieutenant, the show started as two TV movies which aired a few years apart before ultimately becoming a television show. Columbo is an unconventional twist on the usual murder mystery programs, as we see the murder taking place and know who the perpetrator is, but the fun is seeing just how Columbo will get his man. (The final episode in this season, "Double Shock," is the first episode to have a whodunit element to it.)

     Speaking of unconventional, Falk’s enormously enjoyable character is unconventional to the extreme. Columbo is a policeman who favours unusual methods of solving each mystery, and he’s not the typical television cop. Indeed, rather than a dashing man of action, Columbo is a scruffy detective, always looking rather tatty and smoking a cigar. Columbo also likes to lull suspects into thinking he’s dumb, when in fact he’s always one step ahead of them. He’s very intelligent, picking up little things that others miss, and its great fun to watch him drive suspects up the wall by hanging around so much. Falk plays the role to perfection, and makes Columbo seem like a real person.

     Season 2 of Columbo is, in my mind, superior to Season 1, with a stronger run of episodes that kept me wholly entertained and enthralled. There are eight telemovies in this season, all of which hold up as great fun all these years on. A host of guest stars also appear throughout the season, featuring the likes of John Cassavetes, Honor Blackman, Martin Landau and Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.

     In an age of high-tech detective programs, it’s nice to kick back and observe a much simpler time, when the smallest piece of seemingly inconsequential physical evidence can nail a suspect.

Etude in Black (96:22)

     In this Season 2 opener, respected orchestra conductor Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) murders his mistress (Anjanette Comer) after she wishes to go public with their affair, and tries to make the scene look like a suicide. Our beloved Lt. Columbo is soon on the case, however, and he does not easily believe the alleged story.

     Now this is a great episode, a thoroughly involving Columbo telemovie infused with all of the show’s trademark idiosyncrasies. Cassavetes brings a lot of gravitas to his performance, nailing the tricky role. Blythe Danner also guest stars here; she was pregnant with Gwyneth Paltrow during filming, and gave birth ten days after the episode aired. All in all, "Etude in Black" is well worth watching.

The Greenhouse Jungle (73:48)

     In order to break a trust fund and receive several thousand dollars, Jarvis (Ray Milland) and his nephew Tony (Bradford Dillman) stage Tony’s kidnapping. However, Tony is murdered by Jarvis after the ransom is paid. Lt. Columbo is assigned to investigate the homicide, and begins to suspect that a kidnapping never took place after all.

     "The Greenhouse Jungle" is another home run for this season, a well-written and perfectly-paced telemovie with enough of a twist to elevate it above the ordinary. It is interesting to see how many different scenarios can be dreamed up by the writing staff, with each antagonist convinced that they have committed the perfect murder. Also, this episode does an especially good job of keeping us on our toes; I had no idea how Columbo was going to nail Jarvis, and the climactic “gotcha” moment made me smirk.

The Most Crucial Game (73:50)

     Paul Hanlon (Robert Culp) is the general manager of a Los Angeles football team, but the man who inherited the team, Eric Wagner (Dean Stockwell), is stifling Hanlon’s plans for a sporting empire. Hanlon murders Eric at his home, staging it to look like an accident and setting up an ostensibly perfect alibi for himself. Lt. Columbo is on the case and suspects a homicide, with a number of loose ends bothering the policeman, as usual.

     Season 2 continues its streak of winners with "The Most Crucial Game," an involving addition to the Columbo oeuvre. It’s a tight, enjoyable telemovie, with Falk yet again doing a superb job of essaying the infamous lieutenant. I also quite liked the climactic scene, with a wordless reveal of the crucial piece of evidence to nail Hanlon that brought a smirk to my face.

     Fun fact: Culp, who plays Hanlon, also appeared in the Season 1 telemovie "Death Lends a Hand," also portraying the killer in that episode.

Dagger of the Mind (97:31)

     In London, veteran actor Nicholas Framer (Richard Basehart) and his wife, Lillian Stanhope (Honor Blackman), are preparing for a major theatre production of Macbeth. But when the wealthy Sir Roger Haversham (John Williams - no, not that John Williams) - realises that the pair manipulated him into bankrolling the play, he confronts them, threatening to get their names on the blacklist for the rest of their lives. In the ensuing scuffle, Roger is accidentally killed. Nicholas and Lillian scramble to cover up the crime, taking Roger’s body to his sizable home to make it seem like Roger tripped down the stairs. But Lt. Columbo is on vacation in London when news of the death reaches Scotland Yard, and some things about the death just don’t add up in his mind.

     "Dagger of the Mind" doesn’t quite crackle as much as the other telemovies in this season, but it is a worthwhile episode, made all the more interesting by the London setting and the notion of Columbo being on vacation. There is humour to be mined from the various situations that Columbo finds himself in thanks to the culture shock, and the episode is well-written, leading to that iconic climactic “gotcha” moment that works incredibly well. Honor Blackman guest stars here; perceptive viewers will recognise the actress for her famous role of Pussy Galore in the 007 film Goldfinger.

Requiem For a Falling Star (73:47)

     Nora Chandler (Anne Baxter) is an aging movie star, and her personal assistant Jean (Pippa Scott) is marrying a gossip reporter named Jerry (Mel Ferrer) who’s renowned for blackmailing people. Jean has secret information about Nora that she may pass onto Jerry, and Nora is not willing to let that happen. Thus, Nora murders Jean, but makes the murder look like an attempt on Jerry’s life. But Lt. Columbo is on the case, and although he’s a big fan of Nora, some things stick out as peculiar.

     Goodness me, another genuinely terrific episode guaranteed to satisfy Columbo fans and casual viewers alike. I love the movie star angle of this particular telemovie, and it’s well-acted and tautly-written to boot. It does stray from the regular formula in a few aspects, particularly in regards to how Nora is captured, which makes this another enjoyable, re-watchable gem for the Columbo archives. Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head also makes a fun cameo as herself.

A Stitch in Crime (73:48)

     Dr. Edmund Hidemann (Will Geer) and cardiac surgeon Dr. Barry Mayfield (Leonard Nimoy) have pioneered a medical breakthrough, but while Mayfield is enthusiastic to publish the findings immediately, Hidemann insists they take more time for extra testing. When Hidemann has a heart attack which requires an emergency bypass, Mayfield is called upon to operate on his partner, but plans to kill him during surgery. Nurse Sharon Martin (Anne Francis) discovers evidence of Mayfield’s plot, prompting Mayfield to kill her and pin the crime on her drug addicted ex-boyfriend. As per usual, though, Lt. Columbo doesn’t quite believe that things are as they seem.

     Mr. Spock himself, Leonora Nimoy, guest stars in this episode, and he’s expectedly wonderful as Dr. Mayfield, well-matched against Falk’s extremely perceptive Columbo. This isn’t one of the better telemovies in Season 2, but it is a worthwhile episode. Of particular praise is the final act of the episode; it’s unclear just how the lieutenant will get his man, and it’s even unclear if he will. "A Stitch in Crime" isn’t a standout, but it’s an enjoyable episode.

The Most Dangerous Match (73:51)

     A master chess player named Emmett Clayton (Laurence Harvey) is scheduled to verse Eastern European champ Tomlin Dudek (Jack Kruschen). On the night before the big game, the pair indulge in a few secretive impromptu matches, with Dudek emerging victorious. Hoping to spare himself some humiliation, Clayton attempts to kill Dudek, sending him to the hospital in critical condition. Although it looks as if an accident occurred, a few things bother Lt. Columbo about the story, prompting him to hang around Clayton in typical Columbo fashion.

     One of the better telemovies in an already strong season, "The Most Dangerous Match" benefits from competent pacing and taut writing, not to mention there’s added tension since it’s unclear whether or not Dudek will pull through. Harvey is an exceptional antagonist, while Falk has the Columbo routine down pat. Fans will no doubt enjoy this terrific episode.

Double Shock (73:49)

     The wealthy Clifford Paris (Paul Stewart) has just gotten engaged to Lisa Chambers (Julie Newmar), a girl young enough to be his granddaughter. The family disapprove of this, with Clifford ultimately being killed via an electric shock in the bathtub that’s made to look like a heart attack. Clifford’s nephews, flamboyant television chef Dexter Paris (Martin Landau) and his identical twin brother Norman (also Landau), become the prime suspects in the mind of Lt. Columbo, who is unable to figure out which of the pair was responsible for the murder.

     The twist to "Double Shock" is that, although we see the killing take place, it’s unclear which of the brothers actually committed the act, as Landau plays two characters here. It’s a nice twist on the usual Columbo telemovie set-up, and it helps that the episode is well-written. Also terrific is the added humour; Clifford’s fastidious housekeeper Mrs. Peck (Jeanette Nolan) absolutely cannot stand Columbo, constantly berating him and making his life a living hell. The ensuing interactions throughout the episode are utterly priceless. Add in the wonderful Landau doing double duty, and Falk who’s reliably immaculate in his iconic role, and this is a great, if not entirely perfect, closing for a strong season.

Video

     There is a minor but noticeable improvement in video quality here compared to Season 1, which itself was no slouch on Blu-ray. Madman have provided another exceptional release here, with rarely-seen HD transfers of the eight telemovies in this series. As stated in my review of Season 1, the good folks at Madman received high-definition transfers directly from Universal, who gave the episodes a fresh scan and remaster.

     The video is presented in 4x3 full-frame, faithful to the source, framed at 1.33:1. As with Season 1, Columbo looks terrific on Blu-ray, and it will be hard to go back to standard-definition broadcasts or DVDs. All episodes of Columbo have hit Blu-ray over in Japan with interlaced 1080i HD transfers, but Madman bring the show to BD with beautiful AVC-encoded 1080p presentations, making them look more cinematic and resulting in less problematic artefacts. There’s also no PAL speed-up. It’s a joy.

     As to be expected from the source material, there is the usual assortment of dirt, flecks, faded colours, tears, and I even noticed a hair in one shot during "Requiem For a Falling Star." Added to this, some shots do look a bit waxy and soft. Universal are renowned for smearing their releases in unsightly amounts of DNR, and there is evidence of DNR here, but it’s not too much of an issue. For the most part, Columbo exhibits fine sharpness and detail, looking as good as many theatrical motion pictures of a similar vintage. Colour also stands out, with nice, accurate skin tones and atmospheric locations.

     I cannot complain too much about the video quality throughout. For what this is, it’s a treat, and fans of the program should love revisiting each episode in pristine high definition.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     There are two tracks available on all episodes: a Linear PCM 2.0 track, and a Dolby Digital 2.0 track. As with Season 1, the latter Dolby Digital track is entirely sans dialogue, with only music and sound effects. Nifty Easter Egg.

     Audio on all episodes is fairly good, though there are caveats. Various lines of dialogue carry a bit of a hiss, and some of the dialogue sounds muffled. This could trace back to the source as a result of aging, or perhaps the episodes have always sounded like this. The discs could have benefitted from subtitles. No matter, though, as it’s not a deal-breaker. Music is fine, coming through clearly and never overpowering the dialogue.

     Being a television show from the 1970s, there is not much subwoofer or surround activity, but again this is to be expected. For the most part, audio is clear and precise, exhibiting no major issues (aside from dropouts I assume are attributable to the source). Columbo sounds fine on Blu-ray.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     No extras, aside from an alternate version of the first episode.

Menu

     Static menu, well laid out, with pleasant music and the ability to play all episodes or watch them individually.

Etude in Black Shorter Version (74:47)

     A shorter alternative version of the episode is, expectedly, not as brilliant as the extended cut of the telemovie. It’s perfectly serviceable, but the broadcast version feels fuller. Some may disagree, however, and it’s very admirable that Madman have chosen to give fans the option of which cut they’d like to watch.

    Only a few episodes of the show were released on BD in Germany, while the complete series is available in Japan. There does not appear to be any extras on any release of Season 2 in the world, DVD or Blu-ray. And the 1080p video transfers makes this superior to the Japanese release. Buy local.

     As with Season 1 of Columbo, it's wonderful that Madman have taken the gamble of putting out this show in high definition. We are the first English-speaking region to receive any episodes of the show on Blu-ray, and it's definitely worthwhile. I would very much like to see more seasons being released on BD, but that's up to sales of the first two seasons. As with Season 1, this set comes highly recommended.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall