Columbo (TV Series) Dead Weight (1971) User Reviews

Feet of clay

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 5 January 2016]

Gosh, I'm disappointed.

I was privileged to interview both Peter Falk and Eddie Albert, and I loved both of them. Eddie Albert was at the end of his life and such a dear man, and Peter Falk and I had a blast, and even some correspondence afterward.

So it wounds me to read that Suzanne Pleshette had known Falk since her teen years and stopped speaking to him after this episode, and that Eddie Albert said to him, "I always wanted to meet you and work with you. You're an a***ole." What could have gone on?

"Dead Weight" is from Columbo's first season and concerns a General Hollister (Albert). He has a construction company that does business with the military, and the procurer, Colonel Dutton (John Kerr) has been giving him business and allowing him to put in ridiculously low bids. Now there's an investigation, and Dutton is fleeing the country. He promises Hollister that his name will never come into it should he be found, but that's not enough for Hollister, so he shoots him.

Just as this happens, Helen Stewart (Pleshette) and her mother (Kate Reid) are sailing by the house (which was actually one of Peter Falk's homes) and sees the murder. She reports it to the police, and they're skeptical. This is the great war hero, General Hollister, as famous as Patton, whose materials and artifacts from the war are about to be put on exhibit. (In real life, Eddie Albert was a major war hero as well.)

Helen insists that she saw what she saw; General Hollister tracks her down and starts wining and dining her. Soon her story changes.

This is a good episode, with Columbus suspecting the General right away. The only problem with the episode is that Helen should have realized what the General was up to, but we're supposed to understand it's because of her past history. If you can buy it, that part works.

Especially good here are the performances, done, it seems, under duress. Eddie Albert has the soldier's coldness and arrogance but can turn on the charm; the beautiful Pleshette, so young here, is vulnerable as someone hurt by her divorce and in need of attention. Kate Reid's sharp retorts are fun.

Falk, of course, is perfection as Columbo. At one point, Hollister takes him out on his boat, and Columbo becomes seasick. "It's amazing to me that someone named Columbo is so uncomfortable on the water," Hollister says. "Must have been another branch of the family," Columbo tells him.

A Memorable Columbo Which Becomes A Character Study

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 21 January 2008]

This is not one of the best Columbo episodes, but it was one that held one's attention because of the two principle characters (besides the Lieutenant) in the tale.

Eddie Albert is Major General Martin Hollister, a much decorated "blood and guts" style army leader from the Korean War. Hollister is greatly admired, but the public is unaware that he has been using his military connections to sway government contracts to a firm he is heavily invested in. His only close associate in this activity is Colonel Roger Dutton (John Kerr, of TEA AND SYMPATHY and SOUTH PACIFIC). Kerr is about to crack under up-coming pressure from Congressional watchdogs who can see that the company has been short changing the government on this business. Albert is at home when a panicking Kerr confronts him. Big mistake for Kerr: Albert does not hesitate to silence Kerr in the seeming privacy of the house.

What happens is a variant of the "boy that cried wolf". Looking towards the house in time to see Albert kill Kerr is a young woman named Helen Stewart (Suzanne Pleshette). She quickly notifies the police. The police arrive with Lt. Columbo (our Mr. Falk) to see about this crime. They are confronted by a totally controlled, unflappable, and impatient Albert. He has to attend a fancy dinner that night...why are they disturbing him. Falk starts explaining, and Albert tells them to check the house. They look it over and find no evidence of the killing. Falk, of course, does notice that the rooms facing the window seems to have been freshly cleaned, but that is not enough evidence in itself. Later, after everyone leaves, and after Albert returns from the dinner, we discover he put the corpse of Kerr into a plastic coat bag in his closet, and was able to rapidly cover up the signs of the killing that were unexpectedly witnessed.

Usually in a typical Columbo episode the concentration is on the careful planning of the killer and how it overlooks salient points the clever Lieutenant picks up on. That does happen here, but instead the story takes a different twist from most of the others. We become very interested in Pleshette's character. She is 30-something, and her one marriage has flopped. Her mother, Mrs. Walters (Kate Reid) is an alcoholic harpy who constantly reminds Pleshette about her failures in love and in her other life decisions. We do see Pleshette go on a date that collapses (like most of them do). So she is quite fragile. When she learns that Columbo and the police found nothing she resents this as further proof that her imagination is running away from her or she is cracking up.

Then Albert finds out that Pleshette was the woman who witnessed his crime. Albert has played villains (most of the time he played nice guys, but see his cowardly, despicable Captain in ATTACK to see him in a really vicious role). But here he is capable of showing charm, and he realizes that if he romances Pleshette he can silence her interests in any further police investigation. The calculating charm he exudes towards her is matched by the slow drift of the poor woman into falling in love with him (despite knowing what she saw).

I said, it is a really interesting character study.

Viewers know that Falk will get his man in the end - I won't say how. But the Lieutenant's best scene in the episode is when questioning the General while the latter is testing a new cabin cruiser. Tired of the Lieutenant's relentless pursuit of him with new, pesky questions, the General purposely starts and stops the boats engines (his excuse is that he is testing the boat) because he notes the Lieutenant is becoming more and more green from Mal de mer. In the end, as Falk stumbles off the craft, Albert does wonder out loud how a man with his last name ("Columbo") is not at home on a boat.

Pleshette shines

[montgomerysue · 8/10 · 6 January 2021]

This episode is aided greatly by a terrifically sincere and sympathetic performance by Suzanne Pleshette as a woman who has witnessed a murder from a distance and is doubted, even by her own mother, played well by Kate Reid. Ultimately, she comes to be manipulated by the killer, a military officer, also played well by Eddie Albert who is perfectly cast as the steadfast and hardhearted officer. But it is the attractive and talented Pleshette who really shines here. Sad to read years later that she and Albert did not get along with Falk, who was selfish and thoughtless when it came to his fellow actors as he fought to get the show's producers to allow him to direct episodes, especially since Pleshette was friends with Falk from her days in New York City when she was just starting out her career. Nevertheless, there is a chemistry here between them in their scenes together that is undeniable, a testament to Pleshette's professionalism. Good to know they re-kindled their friendship a year later, but they would never act together again.

Enjoyable if far-fetched Columbo

[bwaynef · 14 May 2003]

The third episode from Columbo's first season, this one casts former Green Acres star Eddie Albert as a Patton like General whose murder of a soldier is witnessed by Suzanne Pleshette, an ordinary citizen whose word is suspect. After all, who would you believe? A highly decorated legend of the military or an anonymous citizen? The mystery is fairly effective, but it's the performances that stand-out. Albert is really quite good as the General, and he manages to add an effective menace to the twinkle in his eye. Pleshette is always good no matter the material, and Falk is first rate.

"Dead Weight" (1971)

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

PLOT: A famous retired general (Eddie Albert) shoots a subordinate officer to safeguard his past shady business dealings in the military, but a troubled divorcee (Suzanne Pleshette) witnesses the event from a sail boat and reports it to the police. The pompous war hero then starts smoodging her.

COMMENTARY: Pleshette was only 33 during shooting and really cute while Albert makes for a worthy antagonist. There were unfortunately some problems on set with Falk storming off and missing a day due to a power play with Universal involving their reneging on the original agreement to allow Falk to direct other episodes. But this caused problems with the co-stars and the studio had to get a stand-in for Peter to shoot scenes with Albert and Pleshette. The director refused to reshoot the scenes after Falk returned. Suzanne expressed her frustrations years later on a talk show (watch it on Youtube) while Albert frankly told Peter that he was a such-and-such (a word that starts with 'a').

Thankfully, I was never able to discern any problems with the episode, which reveals the expertise of the director, actors and editors. "Dead Weight" may not be as good as the previous two installments, but it's still a solid Columbo entry. There's a sequence where the general takes Columbo for a ride on his yacht, which is reminiscent of a plane scene in the second pilot "Ransom for a Dead Man."

GRADE: B

Bounding Main.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 29 October 2005]

This is the one in which Eddie Albert as a retired Marine general takes Columbo for a short ride on his yacht and Columbo gets seasick. "I'm surprised at you, Lieutenant, with a name like Columbo." Falk mutters, "Must have been anudder branch of da family." It was shown during the first season and it's pretty good. Maybe there are a lot of things more or less shoehorned into the plot -- Suzanne Pleshette and Kate Reid -- but they're interesting in themselves and they turn the usual encounter between Columbo and the murderer into a more interesting triangular affair. Pleshette's character is drawn believably, uncertain and comically browbeaten by the mother she's forced to live with.

I don't know that Eddie Albert is the perfect egomaniacal general. He's a bit unprepossessing. And if you know anything about Albert's real personality -- he was a genuinely nice guy, a brave Naval officer, he was involved in several environmental enterprises -- that knowledge interferes with your suspension of disbelief. It's really Patrick McGoohan's part.

Good interaction between Columbo & murderer, but the plot development can be shot at.

[TheWelshRagingBull · 6/10 · 15 July 2012]

Eddie Albert is the guest murderer in this early Season 1 episode in the long-running series. He plays a renowned (retired) General who receives a visit from a Colonel Dutton, informing him that a mass arms contract investigation is imminent and this will uncover their dodgy dealings with the General's construction company. With the General fearing exposure and Dutton confirming that he is fleeing to Geneva, he decides to "bump off" his business associate. Unfortunately for him, the murder is witnessed by a woman out on her sailing boat with her mother....

John T. Dugan penned the script for this episode (he also undertook the same responsibility for the Season 2 instalment 'The Most Crucial Game'), but the overall impact is a disappointingly modest one.

The platform for the whole story has great potential because Columbo never has an eye witness to any crime, but the development of the story has distinct frailties which are compounded further along the line; this is a shame because Eddie Albert conveys the esteemed military aura and unruffled nature of his character particularly well. Furthermore, his scenes with Columbo have a quietly antagonistic feel to them.

The negative issues really lie in areas such as Columbo's uncharacteristic seeming scepticism at the eye witness's account, when in other episodes he galvanises a murder investigation with very little to go on. Then there is the murder set-up which takes place in front of a window - Albert's character is portrayed as battle-hardened and decisive, yet he is slipshod in the execution of his crime.

However, the love-interest which develops between Albert's character and the 'eye witness' played by Suzanne Pleshette - which the murderer carves in order to slowly undermine her account of the 'murder' - is a gross miscalculation by the script-writer in trying to inject the cleverness which normally saturates the concepts and associated writing in the series. Surely, an esteemed war hero, full of pride, would stand his ground against a shaky eye-witness account, but instead he seems to imply his own guilt by trying to 'win over' her affections and erode her dubious self-confidence about she saw.

Overall, the premise has big question marks hanging over it and the story's development seems to labour as a result. The performances are one of the major positives on show here - Albert and Falk excel in their scenes together but ultimately, too many holes in this episode very nearly sink it without a trace.

This IS NOT a Bad Episode... What's the Problem Folks?

[TheFearmakers · 8/10 · 8 November 2021]

This episode seems to be hated, and doesn't even reach a 7. In my opinion all of the original Columbos deserve to go over the 7 mark...

I've noticed in reading the reviews certain people don't believe a kind of female loser would fall for a man twenty-years older, but he is a famous rich man while she was in a marriage being cheated on by a guy who probably had no money, and this General put on what my parents would call "the full court press" so it seems very realistic...

Also, when he shows her his house from the distance she claimed to see the killing from the boat... that made a lot of sense. Had the General gone to court they'd have brought the jury out there and he'd get off, with an apology from the police... including our scruffy beloved hero...

So that's probably the reason it's a hated episode... It's a reach, there's no body, and Columbo has nothing really to hang onto but that... well that's a spoiler...

But anything with Timothy Carey serving stew to Peter Falk deserves SOME praise for gosh sakes... And this is an entertaining episode...

Featuring as the victim John Kerr who played the fiance of another Columbo victim Anne Francis from one of the great bad movies, The Crowded Sky...

Just saying.

early Columbo episode is a good one

[bcstoneb444 · 7/10 · 8 December 2014]

A solid early Columbo effort. Much of the success of any Columbo episode hinges on the chemistry between Columbo and the murderer. Here Peter Falk and Eddie Albert rate high marks. Albert is if anything a little too controlled and smug. Not unrealistic for a general who is accustomed to getting his way. And sometimes he dangles clues in front of the detective as if trying to get caught. The banter between Kate Reid and Suzanne Pleshette is also quite good. BTW Suzanne looks ultra fetching in those mod clothes she wears. A cameo by semi-regular Timothy Carey adds to the fun. I agree with the consensus that the ending is a little too pat and abrupt, but a minor quibble.

Rating is way too low

[hnt_dnl · 10/10 · 28 December 2021]

I find this episode Dead Weight to be incredibly underrated. I guess because it's vastly different from the typical Columbo episode is the explanation for the low rating. For one, this may be the only time in the entire series that there is an actual witness to the murder. Based on the turn of events, it feels like the killer still would have been caught, but at a much later point than he was. I had assumed that if there hadn't been a witness, he'd have gotten away with it, but given how fast the body was found in the ocean after he dumped it combined with that the man was identified as high-ranking military who had worked with the General before and his body was found near his home, Columbo and the cops would have easily put 2-and-2 together and nailed the General eventually. But I don't think the crime was the main point of the episode.

This is one of the rare episodes of Columbo that actually makes the viewers care more about the characters than the crime or reveling in the briliant skills of our favorite, quirky, lovable Lieutenant. This is one of the few episodes where I actually LIKED the killer! The late, great Eddie Albert carries this episode for me as the courageous, proud, yet egotistical retired military man. At first, obviously the General had ulterior motives for confroting his accuser, the daffy and beautiful girl played by Suzanne Pleshette. But as the episode wore on, I genuinely believed that the General developed deep feelings for the girl. I mean, he could have easily just disposed of her on that boating trip after the authorities seemed to have him dead to rights as she was the only thing standing between him and being arrested for murder. As I watching the episode, I was astonished that I was actually ROOTING for this couple! This is one reason this is one of the best episodes, because it dares to be different from most of the series and give a real relationship that's the heart of the episode. The ending, which features amazing acting from Falk, Pleshette, and especially Mr. Albert has to be one of the best, most hearbreaking endings to any Columbo episode. After most episodes, I'm happy that Columbo solved the case, but this one made me incredibly sad, but for all the right reasons.

Not great, but has its interest points

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 27 June 2010]

As a fan of Columbo, I did sort of like this episode but it was also disappointing as well. I do have to agree that the witness was much more interesting and likable than the murderer, and that is probably the first time I felt that since watching Columbo. The pacing is also rather slow and the story is a little uneven, while it is compelling in spots due to the pacing some of it is a little dull as well. The script has its moments, like with Columbo and Albert's character, but it lacks the sophistication and humour that makes other episodes enjoyable. However, it is striking to look at, the direction is good and the score is very nice. Peter Falk is exceptional as usual, while Suzanne Pleshette gives a wholly sympathetic performance and Kate Reid is good too. Only Eddie Albert disappoints, his performance I never quite warmed to, but I think the way the character was written and the fact the murderer isn't as interesting has a lot to do with it. So overall, it is good but it isn't great. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Suzanne

[darbski · 8/10 · 1 July 2017]

I'm real lucky to have the first season (got it from Amazon), and I can watch it anytime. I agree that the pace was a little slow, and Eddie Albert played a crooked, pompous blowhard. what I don't understand is the desire to have a beautiful woman like Suzanne fall for an idiot like that; it near to put me off my feed. Suzanne was a lot more talented than Hollywood seems to have realized. A good staff could easily have bolstered her part, cut out about half of Albert's, had a good story, and us guys who appreciate beauty would have been a lot happier. Of course, I was happy to see justice prevail; I would have loved to ask Peter Falk what he would have changed in this mistake.

Too predictable

[clodax2002 · 6/10 · 10 June 2007]

I've just seen this episode for the first time, and I think it's one of the worst Columbo movies I've ever seen - though Falk's performance is always a pleasure to see. IMHO it lies on the script. The ending is too predictable. I found it strange that Columbo didn't go and see what was at the exhibition much earlier, most of all when the murderer tells Columbo that he lost his gun and he provided a copy for the museum. Columbo usually checks out everything, he isn't so naive to believe in everything he's been told. Had he seen the gun at the museum, he would have found that the gun was original and had been used recently ... and, in fact the film would have ended much earlier! But we must wait for the coming out of the corpse to be sure that someone was actually killed - why not looking for disappeared military men among the general's entourage immediately? Why does nobody claim the sudden disappearance of Dutton? However I appreciated the actors' performance - especially that of "Helen", very good acted though her changes in attitude - according to the script - are too quick and far from believable. 6/10

Early Columbo TV Thriller

[ShootingShark · 5/10 · 8 May 2005]

A decorated General shoots a partner-in-crime at his seafront house but the crime is partially witnessed by a woman sailing. Columbo is called in but there is little evidence of a murder save the witness statement, and to make matters worse the General starts to romance the witness and convince her she didn't see what she thought she did.

This is a fairly early Columbo story, and not a particularly memorable one, though even an average Columbo TV movie is much better than most TV crime drama. Falk's incredible depth in the role is already apparent, as are his unconventional methods. The supporting cast are good - Albert and Pleshette are both very convincing and Carey has a great bit as a chilli chef, though Reid is too young to play Pleshette's mother. There is a funny scene when Albert takes Falk out on his launch, and there's a nice ambiguity about Albert's relationship with Pleshette - on one level he is courting her purely to cover himself but his affection for her also seems genuine. A good little murder movie.

Fine "Columbo" episode, though this time the witness is more interesting than the murderer

[J. Spurlin · 9 March 2005]

This is a good, workmanlike episode of "Columbo." But for the first time, another guest star is more interesting than the one who plays the murderer.

A young divorcée, Mrs. Stewart (Suzanne Pleshette), and her mother (Kate Reid) are out sailing when the daughter happens to look into the window of a nearby house; she sees a man in a bathrobe shoot another man in military uniform. Her mother doesn't believe her, and she even begins to doubt herself when the man she accuses proves to be the celebrated Major Gen. Martin Hollister (Eddie Albert).

"Columbo" fans know the splendid formula here. We witness a high-status personage commit a murder. The rumpled Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) investigates and knows intuitively who the killer is. He plays a cat-and-mouse game with the criminal until he is able to prove his suspicions right and send the sophisticated perpetrator up the river. But my plot description above skews toward the witness, because for once that's who really captures our interest. Not the murderer.

Eddie Albert is best known as the straight man in the wacky sitcom, "Green Acres," but also played a wide variety of supporting roles in Hollywood, two of which earned him Oscar nominations. Here he plays a war hero who has aged into a corrupt businessman capable of cold-bloodedly murdering a colonel (John Kerr). This fellow Marine, who has conspired with him in illegal shenanigans, visits the bathrobe-clad Hollister to warn him that they are about to be exposed. Hollister thinks he can prevent discovery by getting rid of his co-conspirator. Albert is far too amiable to give this potentially fascinating character any depth; which is a shame, because Columbo finally discovers the damning piece of evidence through his understanding of Hollister's psychology. The impact of this revelation is muted because Hollister is not a fully realized character.

But Mrs. Stewart and her mother are. We meet them at the moment before the shooting; the camera cuts to the two of them just as it happens. Mrs. Stewart tells her mother what she just saw, and the mother immediately belittles the idea.

We soon learn this is the essence of their relationship. Mrs. Stewart phones the police, despite her mother's mockery. Columbo investigates, but Hollister has covered up the murder so well that not even our eagle-eyed detective can find anything. And when he meets Stewart and her mother, he thinks even less of her report. Mrs. Stewart clearly lives an empty life, poisoned by a mother who never misses a chance to denigrate her. Later, Hollister appears and seduces his witness. Finally even she begins to doubt what she saw.

Suzanne Pleshette ("The Bob Newhart Show"; Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds") gives a splendidly sympathetic performance, further enhanced by her interplay with the excellent Kate Reid ("The Andromeda Strain"). They are the heart of this episode. Eddie Albert's performance never really gels and prevents this from being a top-notch "Columbo" outing.

MISCELLANY: The music is credited to Gil Mille, but the score seems to be stock music from earlier episodes, primarily from Mille's "Death Lends a Hand."

Mrs. Stewart calls Columbo "an unmade bed," probably the first time anyone had used this apt metaphor.

Getting the goods on a war hero

[Woodyanders · 7/10 · 7 September 2022]

Esteemed war hero Major General Martin J. Hollister (an excellent performance by Eddie Albert) shoots and kills his business partner. The murder is witnessed from a distance by Helen Stewart (a fine and appealing portrayal by Suzanne Pleshette), who Hollister attempts to manipulate into believing she didn't see what she saw. Fortunately, Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk in top sly form) is on the case.

Albert's considerable avuncular charm and polite demeanor makes him one of the more personable killers to appear on this show. However, Hollister's cockiness and fierce pride in all his possessions ultimately gets him caught as he tries to hide the murder weapon in plain sight at a military museum. Pleshette proves to be this episode's definite highlight thanks to the touching vulnerability she brings to her character. Kate Reid provides plenty of spark as Helen's snippy mother Mrs. Walters while Timothy Carey puts in a welcome appearance as friendly greasy spoon owner Bert. Alas, the story for this one strains credibility at times and the conclusion is kind of blah. But overall still an enjoyable episode.

Did she or didn't she

[ColumboCaseFiles · 7/10 · 12 March 2013]

Her mom thinks she's useless and she's none too fond of herself, but Helen Stewart believes she witnessed a murder. Turns out military cost overruns did not originate in the 1980s. Were we to check, we'd prolly find unscrupulous blacksmiths ripping off the Continental Army on bullets …

You might say offing the dude in front of a huge bay window lacks foresight — but he makes up for it in resourcefulness when cornered. Overall, the suspect is fastidious, formal, and pretends to fall in love with the witness … who begins to "doubt" her account still more, for more amorous reasons.

Enter Columbo.

His adversaries are beginning to take a recognizable shape — a rich, smart, and powerful one. It makes them proud … and they make mistakes. Or to put it another way, then comes the fall.

Have you noticed the cops are cowardly in Columbo? People are always telling them what they do and don't want, and whether they're doing their job properly, and when they don't have any more questions, like some kind of Jedi knight: "This is not the suspect you are looking for … "

(Note the later cop shows where offers are always interrogating some poor slob, who never wants an attorney. Revenge is sweet, or superiority and arrogance have simply switched sides.)

Nice touch with the gulls screeching over the gunshot.

And look for Gen. Hollister doing a passable Victor Kiam impression.

The ending is touching but I can't tell you how.

Culled from The Columbo Case Files: Season One.

The General

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 20 February 2016]

Eddie Albert guest stars as retired Major-General Hollister, who is preparing to donate much of his war belongings to a museum exhibit, but is surprised to be confronted in his home by a business associate that is about to be investigated by the Inspector General for shady business dealings that involve the General, who decides to shoot the man to stop him from talking, but this murder is unknowingly witnessed from afar by a beautiful young woman(played by Suzanne Pleshette) out sailing with her mother, and whose insistence that she isn't mistaken in this fact gets the attention of Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) who comes to believe her story, but how to prove it? Fine cast makes a big difference in thinly plotted entry.

When trying to spot one defect in a movie is an agony for the reviewer; then this movie must be an ecstasy for him as a viewer !

[elshikh4 · 8/10 · 31 May 2016]

The Columbo reputation, in and out of USA, has been built on episodes like this early one from the first season. (Dead Weight) represents the strong basis, the thorough elements, and the glorious peak that the show itself couldn't achieve for all the time.

As for the script, it can't get more perfect. It sets up everything rightly; the murder, the difficulty of proofing it, the invulnerability of the killer, the conflict that ignites when the sole witness falls in love with the murderer. The dialogue is another treat. It's clever; "Maybe you lost one battle, Mrs. Stewart, not the whole war" when the General talks about the unimportance of a divorce for a young woman. Wise; "In order to understand a man, you have to understand his past". Witty; "Some men, Lieutenant, do not wanna look like an unmade bed!". And slick with really entertaining double-meaning lines; "Find a different spot, or use a different bait, otherwise you're not going to catch anything" when the General advises Columbo about both fishing and investigating.

Extra merits here and there must capture your admiration too. For instance, in terms of suspense, the bewildering question of "Where did the victim's body go?!" had a unique answer, that was artfully delayed too. And in terms of characterization, scrutinize how Columbo subtly orders the young officer to search the general's boat. That was right after his arrival, before interrogating anyone, or being assured of an actual murder, and without fearing the so honored General in the same time. Moreover, see how the General was impressed by the witness's sight when they first met, so when he entraps her in his heart, it's not only for utilizing her emotional hunger to silence her afterwards; it's also because he saw her as a young attractive woman who could fit an aged lonely man. This is more human, a little bit dramatic, and leads to truthful "I'm sorry" in the end. Btw, in that very end, watch how the General's pride deters the policemen from holding his hands. These are little moments, but so eloquent. Maybe in my most rigorous moods, I'll refuse the General's lie about his gun, as not that smart from his side. But even that doesn't touch the writing's adroitness.

As for the acting, it gets A+. Peter Falk IS Columbo. The meticulous investigator who's after the truth boldly. And when he says 2 different names for his niece in the end, it's official; he makes up fake relatives to fool people, whatever the good cause is. Though, at that phase, I think the producers forced Falk to lower his right eyebrow to the utmost, so his glassy eye wouldn't appear clearly. That would end fast within the next seasons; however it was annoying, and felt fatiguing, whether for Falk, or for you as a viewer.

Although Eddie Albert's baby face nearly imprisoned him in nice characters, but certainly he had wider range. In (Dead Weight), that baby face made a well irony between his character as a beloved respected hero, and his fact as a rotten businessman and killer. His confidence and calmness made the best performance. Watch him in his first encounter with Columbo to savor that appropriately.

Suzanne Pleshette said that she did that part due to needing money back then. Nevertheless, we must be thankful for her bad circumstances whatever they were. Because what a beautiful character she did. She nailed that delicious woman, who has strong conscience, bad romantic experience, history of therapy, and good deal of frailty. It's one of the most memorable characters in the show's course, plus one of Pleshette's best. For me, I adore the moment when she meets the General face-to-face for the first time. She looked marvelous in that homey brocaded gown, putting the most charming, most upbeat, and most naive smile on her face. Even Kate Reid, as her funnily vexatious mother, was distinct despite her short appearance.

Gil Melle's music proved to be one of the show's finest scores. I remember, years ago, recording parts of the episode on a video tape, while one of its re-runs on TV, just to record the music later yet on a cassette tape. Yes, it is that good!

I read that during the first season, Falk was busy fighting with the writers and the producers. I suppose he wanted to establish a character of his own, and I mean Columbo as a special lead character, and Falk as an influential star too. So in "Emmy TV Legends" interview, Pleshette told stories about his behaving as a "bad boy" on the show, especially when his request to direct was turned down, which reached a stage where he didn't come to the set and stayed home instead. And how they had to act all of their parts without him, performing with a double who was reading his dialogue off camera. And when he showed up finally, director Jack Smight, or her hero as she said, refused to re-shoot the whole thing with him. However, when you watch the episode, you'll easily discover that they did re-shoot the whole thing. Because for all the time, Falk is in the same cadres with Pleshette and Albert. Sure all of these problems vanished when Columbo hit success, and Falk became a household name that, since 1989, would be written on the show's credits twice; one as the star, and another as an executive producer.

I believe that when trying to spot one defect in a movie is an agony for the reviewer; then this movie must be an ecstasy for him as a viewer. (Dead Weight) belongs to that case. It isn't only one of the excellent Columbo episodes; it's somehow a guidebook for the show's excellence as well.

The Embezzling Retired General

[profh-1 · 6/10 · 5 December 2023]

A war hero-turned-arms manufacturer has been ripping off the Federal Government, and his partner in crime informs him the Feds are investigating. The younger man, fearful of getting caught, decides to run, but the retired General, not wanting any chance of being connected in the embezzlement scheme, decides on the spur of the moment to kill the man, then get rid of the body. But by chance, a woman sailing by his house sees the murder and calls the police. When Columbo arrives, there's no body, no murder weapon, and no immediately-apparent motive. When the General locates the woman and begins to break down her confidence in what she saw-- coupled with the woman's horribly-abusive, narcissistic mother incessantly tearing her down, her resolve begins to give way. But then the body turns up, having been dumped in the bay... and a lot of pieces begin falling into place.

For the 2nd time in the series (in fact, in broadcast order, the 2nd story IN A ROW), we have an abrupt murder instead of a planned-out, calculated one. (I guess that's what NBC gets for running the 2 previous stories in the reverse order. In fact, based on production credits, I suspect this may have been filmed after the NEXT one!) Myself, I like that this early in the run, they're still "playing" with the format (even as they did much later in Season 11 and after), so that not every story has the exact same structure. Writer John T. Dugan's 1st of only 2 episodes, judging by the IMDB, is over-run with goofs and logic problems. Oh, well, nobody's perfect. I mainly know him from the 2nd-season STAR TREK story "Return To Tomorrow", though he also did 25 episodes of ADAM-12, 7 of KUNG FU and 18 of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.

Eddie Albert (GREEN ACRES) is "Maj. Gen. Martin J. Hollister", a man so cool and confident he figures he can get away with anything, even NOT getting rid of the murder weapon, which was a proud part of his career and winds up on display in a museum exhibit commemorating his military service. Albert was one of many stars of 60s TV shows who no doubt wound up having fun playing baddies in the 70s, including here, and on a later McCLOUD.

John Kerr (PIT AND THE PENDULUM) is "Col. Roger Dutton", who's shot dead OFF-camera, leaving the audience to wonder what happened to his corpse. An amusing moment is when Columbo arrives and sees a coffin-size wooden crate being nailed up, and the murderer says, "That would be a little too obvious, wouldn't it?" (But as soon as he then drew the Lieutenant's attention to the bedrooms in the opposite direction of where he was looking, I suspected WHERE the body was actually hidden. I was right!)

Suzanne Pleshette (THE BOB NEWHART SHOW) is "Helen Stewart", the witness who's so relentlessly beaten down by her mother's harping and insults, on top of already losing confidence in herself from going through a divorce, that she becomes far-too-easy prey when the General begins stalking, then complimenting, then dating her. (How creepy can you get?)

Kate Reid (THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN) is "Mrs. Walters", a determined, shrewish harpy so nasty, so vile, she made the murdering General seem like a nice guy by comparison. I've had so much personal experience with various people with "NPD" (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) that I get deeply offended and incensed whenever I recognize the behavior on film or TV. No, there was nothing "fun" about her or her behavior.

Also in the cast were Val Avery as the man renting sail boats, and Timothy Carey as "Bert", who tells Columbo he has "the best chili in town".

The scene where the General takes Columbo out for a "test drive" of his boat was so similar to when Lee Grant took him up in a one-man plane, that I figured writer Dugan had watched the previous episodes for ideas.

I liked the fact that the General NEVER actually admitted his crime at the end. A really smart criminal would know to say NOTHING.

I suppose one might say this story was a bit ahead of its time. The plot involving government military contracts would crop up again only 4 NBC Mystery Movies later, in the McCLOUD episode, "Somebody's Out To Get Jennie". This sort of thing is so horrifically-rampant these days, The Pentagon has actually FAILED multiple audits in a row. One of these days... that needs to STOP.

Columbo Goes to the Marina

[Matthew_Capitano · 8/10 · 6 April 2016]

Entertaining, if not totally plausible Columbo episode.

A flighty chick sailing around in circles in a boat turns her head at a precise moment to "see a shooting" in a marina apartment window from a long distance. Columbo tries to unravel her fish story. The killer finds out the name of the exact person who saw him (wouldn't happen) and then coerces her to begin a relationship with him (wouldn't happen) while Columbo realizes how to trap the guy on the advice of a local chili salesman (wouldn't-- well, you know).

Not a bad episode. Suzanne Pleshette is cute and Peter Falk is flawless, as usual.

The murder without a body.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 22 February 2008]

This Columbo movie is quite different, since it doesn't actually feature a body. Yes, there has been a murder committed but halve of the movie spends its time on actually establishing if really a man had been murdered, since there are no traces, except an eye witness who saw the murder from a great distance. Of course we as the viewer already know what has happened, since we got to see it, as always, right at the start of the movie.

The movie is not really about the murder but more about the murderer trying to cover his tracks. This is a different approach from other Columbo movies and while its interesting it doesn't work out as good as the usual Columbo movie approach. Because of the approach of this movie, the character of Columbo himself gets also pushed quite much to the back, which is of course a shame and a waste of Peter Falk, who always had been excellent as the character Columbo.

But also on top of the, the story of this movie just isn't that good. Nothing bad but everything is a bit too obvious all. The perpetrator makes himself unnecessary a suspect by giving too obvious hints by saying things with double meanings to Lt. Columbo. It's highly unlikely that a respected clever man such as Maj. Gen. Martin J. Hollister would ever do such a thing. Normally a Columbo movie also often distinct itself by featuring a clever ingenious story. None of that is the case within this movie.

The movie would perhaps had worked out better if it had some bigger names in it. Normally a Columbo movie often features a well known actor in the role of the murderer but Eddie Albert is not really a well known big established actor, despite the two Oscar nominations he has received in his career that spanned from the '30's till the late '90's, consisting out of mostly TV work though.

The movie has a typical '70's style but mostly in its visual look. The '70's look of course by todays standards is a completely silly one. Not that it matters much for this movie but I would had preferred as it always had a more distinctive typical '70's style, apart from its look.

Because of its different approach, slightly below the usual Columbo movie standards but its still a good enough movie to watch.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

gaslighting

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 10 September 2023]

Maj. Gen. Martin J. Hollister (Eddie Albert) is a former war hero who cheated the military on a crooked contract. His partner Col. Roger Dutton tells him that he has 30 days before a review is sure to uncover the scam. Hollister shots and kills Dutton. The only witness is Helen Stewart (Suzanne Pleshette) and she calls the police. Her mom doesn't believe her and neither do the beat cops. Columbo (Peter Falk) is send in to check.

I like the start with the mystery of where Hollister hid the body. A howcatchem does need some sense of mystery when so many questions are answered right from the start. Then it's a matter of Hollister doing some gaslighting on Helen. Finally, it's the mystery of flipping the witness back.

An early Columbo!

[Sylviastel · 6/10 · 18 May 2006]

Columbo must have been starting when they aired this episode. Granted, it could have been better but it could have been worse as well. Anyway, Suzanne Pleshette guest stars as a witness to a possible murder. It happens on the water in marina area of Los Angeles, California where most of Columbo episodes have been filmed. Anyway, she becomes a target for the criminal and of course, Columbo has to figure out who killed a military man. Anyway, it's a typical Columbo and I'm sorry that it's not one of my favorites but I'm Columbo fanatic and I adore him and I'll take him whenever I can get so this episode is not one of my favorites but it may be yours. Give it a chance and watch for yourself as well. If you love Columbo, you'll definitely love this episode.

A weak effort

[Rosabel · 4/10 · 29 December 1999]

One of the lesser Columbo movies. Eddie Albert is quite unbelievable as a decorated military man, and his persistent nagging of the woman who witnesses his crime would have set off alarm bells in almost any normal person's mind. Just to make the whole thing even more far-fetched, the writers try to convince us that Suzanne Pleshette is a rather desperate woman who is genuinely captivated by and attracted to Eddie Albert, and so lets herself be talked out of believing she saw what she saw. The whole romance business is rather embarrassing. It would have been a bit more believable had the witness been Kate Reid, who plays Pleshette's mother in her usual broad style, but in the end nobody involved in this story evokes much sympathy or concern.