Lady in Waiting
- Episode aired Dec 15, 1971
- TV-PG
- 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.2K
YOUR RATING
A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.
Buzz Barbee
- Inquest Spectator
- (uncredited)
Katherine Darc
- Boutique Assistant
- (uncredited)
Fred Draper
- Cab Driver
- (uncredited)
Len Felber
- Bartender at Boutique
- (uncredited)
John Francis
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
Mickey Golden
- Executive
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was Jessie Royce Landis' final acting role before her death on February 2, 1972 at the age of 75.
- GoofsMarcia Wallace is not credited, even though she had a speaking part during the inquest. There may have been a mix-up during production, as she is credited in Murder by the Book (1971), the first Columbo episode, even though she doesn't appear in it.
- SoundtracksLove Theme from 'Red Sky At Morning'
(uncredited)
Composed by Billy Goldenberg
Heard during the bar scene
Featured review
"Lady in Waiting" (1971)
PLOT: The repressed and overprotected sister (Susan Clark) of an ad agency executive murders her brother (Richard Anderson) and stages it as a mistaken burglary. This takes place right after he threatens to fire her fiancé who works for the company (Leslie Nielsen). She then morphs into a startlingly confident and ruthless power broker.
COMMENTARY: Clark is excellent as the stifled wallflower turned murderess with a semi-mad gleam in her eye while Nielsen is just as good in a convincing serious role. The intriguing plot is original (for Columbo, at least) and the way the rumpled gumshoe pesters the woman with details, even after an inquest declares the killing accidental, is gripping drama. So "Lady in Waiting" is on par with the stronger Columbo outings. But there are glaring plot holes that lower my grade...
Why is there no trace of blood on the floor where her brother falls on the floor? After all, she shot him three times. And why is there no line of blood leading to where the body is dragged, keeping in mind that she had zero time to clean anything up?
Furthermore, since when are American detectives allowed to freely march into a citizen's abode in the middle of the night and confront a suspect in her bedroom? Officers must knock before entering a home, declare their presence, and wait for the inhabitant to come to the door. This is called the "knock-and-announce" rule. The reason for this rule is to allow people a chance to respond so that violence can be avoided and privacy ensured, otherwise police can waltz right into any abode and watch individuals having sex, bathing or going to the bathroom.
Also, do detectives continue pursuing cases after the suspect has been declared innocent by a court of inquiry? Are they paid to keep harassing the individual or do they do this on their free time?
And doesn't Columbo take a great risk at the climax? After all, this woman has proven that she's a little sociopathic (to put it nicely) and more than willing to murder someone in cold blood. Yes, he takes a similar risk in "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" (1989), but he was much older then and confident of his conclusions on the suspect's character based on decades of experience.
"Lady in Waiting" is an entertaining episode, but there are too many blatant plot issues.
GRADE: B-/C+
COMMENTARY: Clark is excellent as the stifled wallflower turned murderess with a semi-mad gleam in her eye while Nielsen is just as good in a convincing serious role. The intriguing plot is original (for Columbo, at least) and the way the rumpled gumshoe pesters the woman with details, even after an inquest declares the killing accidental, is gripping drama. So "Lady in Waiting" is on par with the stronger Columbo outings. But there are glaring plot holes that lower my grade...
Why is there no trace of blood on the floor where her brother falls on the floor? After all, she shot him three times. And why is there no line of blood leading to where the body is dragged, keeping in mind that she had zero time to clean anything up?
Furthermore, since when are American detectives allowed to freely march into a citizen's abode in the middle of the night and confront a suspect in her bedroom? Officers must knock before entering a home, declare their presence, and wait for the inhabitant to come to the door. This is called the "knock-and-announce" rule. The reason for this rule is to allow people a chance to respond so that violence can be avoided and privacy ensured, otherwise police can waltz right into any abode and watch individuals having sex, bathing or going to the bathroom.
Also, do detectives continue pursuing cases after the suspect has been declared innocent by a court of inquiry? Are they paid to keep harassing the individual or do they do this on their free time?
And doesn't Columbo take a great risk at the climax? After all, this woman has proven that she's a little sociopathic (to put it nicely) and more than willing to murder someone in cold blood. Yes, he takes a similar risk in "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" (1989), but he was much older then and confident of his conclusions on the suspect's character based on decades of experience.
"Lady in Waiting" is an entertaining episode, but there are too many blatant plot issues.
GRADE: B-/C+
helpful•91
- Wuchakk
- Jan 22, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Schritte aus dem Schatten
- Filming locations
- 1155 Oak Grove Av San Marino, CA 91108, USA(Chadwick's mansion)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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