A wealthy art collector appears to have been killed in a robbery gone wrong. The man's smug and pompous art critic nephew Dale Kingston (a deliciously smarmy portrayal by Ross Martin) has a too tidy alibi for where he was when his uncle got murdered that naturally arouses Lt. Columbo's (the always marvelous Peter Falk) suspicion.
Martin brings a delightfully obnoxious haughtiness to his role as one of the show's more eminently annoying culprits; it's a treat to watch the shabby, but savvy Columbo finally nail this unpleasant tool of a guy with an especially crafty plan. Director Hy Averback brings some real flair to the show; the constant cutaways to the various paintings of people staring like silent witnesses to Dale killing his uncle and making it look like a robbery rates as a particularly inspired touch. This episode further benefits from an excellent guest cast: Don Ameche as suave lawyer Frank Simpson, Kim Hunter as the dotty Edna Matthews, Joan Shawlee as jolly art gallery owner Mitilda, Rosanna Hoffman as nervous accomplice Tracy O'Connor, Mary Wickes as a snoopy landlady, and Vic Tayback as gruff hack artist Sam Franklin. And the final image of Columbo wearing the gloves is simply perfect.
Martin brings a delightfully obnoxious haughtiness to his role as one of the show's more eminently annoying culprits; it's a treat to watch the shabby, but savvy Columbo finally nail this unpleasant tool of a guy with an especially crafty plan. Director Hy Averback brings some real flair to the show; the constant cutaways to the various paintings of people staring like silent witnesses to Dale killing his uncle and making it look like a robbery rates as a particularly inspired touch. This episode further benefits from an excellent guest cast: Don Ameche as suave lawyer Frank Simpson, Kim Hunter as the dotty Edna Matthews, Joan Shawlee as jolly art gallery owner Mitilda, Rosanna Hoffman as nervous accomplice Tracy O'Connor, Mary Wickes as a snoopy landlady, and Vic Tayback as gruff hack artist Sam Franklin. And the final image of Columbo wearing the gloves is simply perfect.