Columbo - Season 9 (Remastered) (1990)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1990
Running Time	540:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (6)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	James Frawley Patrick McGoohan Daryl Duke Alan J. Levi
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Peter Falk Ian McShane James Read Arthur Hill Roscoe Lee Brown Patrick Bauchau Patrick McGoohan Shera Danese Deidre Hall
Case	?
RPI	$39.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 Isolated Score & Effects Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes, Columbo smokes cigars
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    A long-running television staple, Columbo stars Peter Falk as the titular homicide detective, who is always seen wearing his iconic rumpled raincoat, smoking a cigar. Lt. Columbo is a highly intelligent policeman who likes to let suspects believe that he’s dumb, when he is in fact one step ahead of them at all times. Each episode of Columbo is essentially a feature-length movie, running between 70 and 95 minutes, and it’s a far different type of show to the likes of Law & Order or NCIS since we see the murder taking place and the fun is derived from watching to find out how Columbo will get his man. It’s a refreshing change from the typical “whodunit” formula - it’s a “howcatchem,” instead.

    After running for seven straight seasons on NBC during the 1970s, Columbo lay dormant for over a decade before being resurrected by ABC, airing from 1989 up until its final episode in 2003. Season 9 aired in 1990, and was the last consistent season of the show to air. Afterwards, only infrequent Columbo specials were broadcast. Season 9 cannot quite recapture the magic of the show’s bygone heyday, but there are still some terrific telemovies here. Six episodes are available on this set, spread out across six discs to facilitate two editions of each telemovie (full-screen and widescreen). This is the configuration:

Disc 1

Murder, a Self Portrait (88:26)

    Successful artist Max Barsini (Patrick Bauchau) maintains an unusual living arrangement at his lavish beach house: he resides with ex-wife Louise (Fionnula Flanagan), beautiful young model Julie (Isabel García Lorca), and current wife Vanessa (Shera Danese). But when Louise begins to see a psychologist, Barsini fears that she may move out, and, perhaps even more pertinently, there’s the risk that she may reveal the artist’s biggest secret. Barsini therefore schemes to kill Louise, setting it up to look as if she accidentally drowned, but Lt. Columbo is assigned to investigate the death.

    A perfectly sufficient opener for this particular season, “Murder, a Self Portrait” adheres to the standard Columbo formula, and displays more panache from a technical standpoint than earlier seasons. Bauchau is another effective murderer, and Falk is right at home with his role as per usual. Also pleasant is the decision to include the lieutenant in the opening titles of the episode, at a dog show with his beloved pup. Nevertheless, this episode is not always successful from a storytelling or pacing perspective, and it’s not one of the better Columbo telemovies. It’s still fun and easy viewing, however, and fans should find it entertaining.

Disc 2

Columbo Cries Wolf (91:34)

    Wealthy playboy Sean Brantley (Ian Buchanan) owns 49% of a successful men’s magazine, while the other 51% belongs to the controlling Diane Hunter (Deidre Hall). Diane is scheduled to fly to England to sell off her shares in the magazine, but this does not please Brantley, which makes him the prime suspect when Diane suddenly disappears after making her way to the airport. Lt. Columbo is immediately suspicious of Brantley, hanging around his large, luxurious estate hoping to find a body to prove the playboy guilty of murder.

    “Columbo Cries Wolf” is arguably the best episode of this particular season, due in large part to its willingness to deviate from the standard formula, serving up plot twists and surprises, which makes it more interesting and engaging. Buchanan is highly charismatic, and he’s well-matched against Falk, leading to some entertaining interactions between the pair. Also, seeing the lieutenant interact with Brantley’s models is priceless. Moreover, the climactic “gotcha” moment is one of the best finales in the show’s rich thirty-five year history. In a number of Columbo episodes, the big piece of evidence would be too slight to secure a conviction in the real world, but here, the ending manages to be both amusing and clever, and would definitely result in an airtight court case. Out of the newer Columbo telemovies, this is one of the better endeavours - it’s enormously compelling and enjoyable.

Disc 3

Agenda for Murder (91:30)

    In the 1960s, powerful lawyer Oscar Finch (Patrick McGoohan) and Paul Mackey (Denis Arndt) conspired to destroy evidence against Frank Staplin (Louis Zorich) who was involved in racketeering. Over twenty years on, Mackey is now a presidential candidate and Finch harbours political aspirations of his own. Staplin is facing another indictment, however, and demands that Finch and Mackey help him out once again, or else he will expose their past deeds and destroy their careers. In response, Finch murders Staplin and sets it up to look like suicide. But the resourceful and stubborn Lt. Columbo is on the case...

    Another high quality Columbo telemovie, “Agenda for Murder” was directed by McGoohan himself, who also makes for a formidable adversary. McGoohan’s Finch is a fast-talking, smart, charismatic presence, which is vastly different to the other murderers that the actor had played on the show previously. Naturally, the interplay between Falk and McGoohan is frequently engaging, and this is a sophisticated Columbo which also manages to be fun. This leads to an excellent finale which closes the door on a strong note. This is one of the better telemovies of the revival, and fans will almost certainly warm up to it.

Disc 4

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (92:30)

    Wealthy real estate executive Vivian Dimitri (Helen Shaver) blames Lt. Columbo for the death of her husband, who was sent to prison by the longstanding detective, and seeks revenge. But Columbo is not Vivian’s only target. First of all, she kills Charlie Chambers (Edward Winter), who avoided a prison sentence by informing on Vivian’s husband. To establish an alibi, Vivian exploits her secretive affair with married man Leland St. John (Ian McShane). As per usual, Columbo begins to hang around Vivian, and she endeavours to weasel her way into his private life to kill both the lieutenant and his wife.

    Despite being entitled Columbo, this show is not usually about Falk’s iconic character, but this is a more personal episode that still retains many of the show’s recognisable idiosyncrasies. It does shake up various aspects of the formula, though - there are flash-forwards, and Vivian has voiceovers, making this very much an experiment. But whereas other experimental episodes were less successful (Season 5’s “Last Salute to the Commodore”), “Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo” actually works, making for fascinating viewing. The story builds wonderfully, and it leads to a memorable finale which underscores once again that it’s impossible to pull the wool over Columbo’s eyes. Plus, Falk gives some of his finest acting in the show’s long history. This is an excellent telemovie, one of the best episodes in an already strong season of Columbo.

Disc 5

Uneasy Lies the Crown (91:27)

    Dentist Dr. Wesley Corman (James Read) is the junior partner at the dental practise owned by Horace Sherwin (Paul Burke), the father of Corman’s wife Lydia (Jo Anderson). Corman is a compulsive gambler buried in debt, and has received financial assistance for years. But Sherwin has had enough, telling Corman that he will clear his gambling debts if he agrees to leave the practise. Added to this, Sherwin begins trying to convince Lydia to divorce her husband. Lydia is having an affair with Hollywood heartthrob Adam Evans (Marshall R. Teague), which further threatens Corman’s fragile situation. While doing dental work on Evans, Corman fills his crown with a time-release poison that kills him many hours later, when Corman has an airtight alibi and Evans is spending time with Lydia. It looks like Lydia poisoned Evans, but Lt. Columbo begins to unravel evidence that things are not as they might seem.

    “Uneasy Lies the Crown” may not be as excellent as the three episodes preceding it, but it is an endearing Columbo telemovie, even if it exceedingly by-the-numbers. Corman’s murder plot is one of the cleverer schemes in this particular season, though the finale hinges on another one of Columbo’s risky bluffs that probably would not fly in the real world. Still, acting across the board is strong, led by the reliable Falk who remains eminently charismatic in his rumpled raincoat. “Uneasy Lies the Crown” is a bit middle-of-the-road on the whole, but it’s watchable nevertheless.

Disc 6

Murder in Malibu (89:33)

    Best-selling romance novelist Theresa Goren (Janet Margolin) is engaged to marry tennis player Wayne Jennings (Andrew Stevens), who’s half her age and only wants her money. Theresa’s sister Jess (Brenda Vaccaro) tries to convince Theresa to cancel the wedding, but she won’t be swayed. Taking matters into her own hands, Jess impersonates her sister over the phone, telling Jennings that the engagement is off. Frustrated and disappointed, Jennings travels to her estate to shoot her, hoping to deflect suspicion by making it seem as if he was many miles away when the murder took place. But Jennings’ act does not easily convince Lt. Columbo...

    “Murder in Malibu” is a limp closer for Season 9, and the weakest of this particular season. The plot is relatively fascinating, but execution is uninspired across the board; everybody appears to be on autopilot. Stevens makes for a weak villain, unable to liven the material in any way, and his interactions with Falk never sparkle. There’s not much magic here, and the whole thing is easily forgettable on the whole.

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    The Region 1 release contains no supplements, and with Madman utilising the new remasters, our local release has the edge.

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