Peter Falk's actress-wife, Shera Danese, performs the role Cathleen Calvert, the conniving wife who wants to frame her husband. This was the last of her six appearances in the Columbo movies.
The filming location for the exterior and interiors of the lead characters was filmed in the former estate of Clark Gable in the San Fernando Valley. The interior's hardwood flooring had to be covered with cardboard for protection; removed in areas being filmed, being promptly reset while the next set-up was rehearsed or lighted for camera filming. A few additional pieces of furniture replaced the owner's antiques, which were either unstable or too delicate for actual use. Otherwise, the property was filmed as decorated.
At one point, David Rasche, as Patrick, tells Shera Danese (Cathleen), "I know what I'm doing" in referring to the murder scheme. This was Rasche's tag line when he played the title character in the ABC series Sledge Hammer! (1986).
At 57 minutes Columbo states that the victim "was shot at 6:24". It should be noted that this time was based on the time that the Panic Button was activated in the victim's house using the Alarm Panel by the front door, not on any information supplied by the Medical Examiner.
Peter Falk always went on preliminary location scouts with his director, production manager, production designer, art director, set decorator, driver captain, and location manager. The director Vincent McEveety, production designer Hub Braden, the production manager Christopher N. Seiter, on the initial scout with Falk, had to convince him that the location would make a great building to film exteriors and interiors. Budget restricted renting a Universal Studio's stage and building all the sets required for the scenario's set demands. Downtown Los Angeles, adjacent, north, of the Harbor Freeway, is the former Union 76 headquarters building. The front exterior and interior lobby was the location for the police headquarters. The rear delivery entrance of the building was also filmed as the police station. The lower garage area and driveway ramps were dressed with police graphics and police cars for the headquarters garage area. The lower floor (Union 76) computer room was converted into a police lab. The upper Union 76 executive suite open office area was converted into a penthouse setting. With stage flats, additional door entrances, closing down the expansive office area, the penthouse suite was created with the downtown city horizon as a master view. Several other offices in the building were converted into scripted offices and apartment interiors, requiring additional door flats, stage wall flats, painting, drapery, and furniture dressing. The building's rooftop also was filmed. Since this movie was filmed, this building has been converted to a film production facility, which has built additional stages on adjacent property formerly owned by Union 76.