The made-up movie "Song and Dance", which laid the groundwork to possibly revive Grace Wheeler's career, is based on That's Entertainment! (1974), a movie highlighting musicals of the Golden Era of Hollywood.
At 63, this was John Payne's penultimate acting role before his death on December 6, 1989 at the age of 77.
After four complete seasons, Columbo dons a tuxedo and looks "unusually elegant," as the butler remarks.
The guests on T?he Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson, Episode dated 27 June 1975 (1975) that Raymond the butler and his wife are watching were Della Reese, Nanette Fabray, Earl Holliman, and Euell Gibbons.
Janet Leigh's character Grace Wheeler refers to her role in Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) as Rosie. In reality, Leigh's character was named Chris Hall in that film, but she did play a character named Rosie DeLeon in Bye Bye Birdie (1963). Rosie was also the nickname her character preferred to be called in The Manchurian Candidate (her full name was Eugenie Rose Chaney).