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"Columbo" Étude in Black (1972)
16 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful interaction between Cassavetes and Falk., 10 September 2004
Author: dotijean-1 from Knoxville, TN
Interesting to see this movie 30 years later; it's still good theater, even better TV. I think the unique qualities of this particular Columbo episode may have been largely due to the relationship between Falk and Cassavetes off screen, but it certainly worked in this show. This one reiterated Columbo's quirky, irritating methods; and again, one of the reasons the entire series was so watchable was the low-key progression of the drama. This is one of the few 'cop shows' I ever watch because it's based in human interaction and pyschological issues, not in violent shocks. I think Bochco did a very good job on this film.
11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
love it, 10 September 2005
Author: blanche-2 from United States
This is another of my favorite Columbos. It sports a top-notch cast, including John Cassavetes, who was never handsomer or sexier, Anjanette Comer, Myrna Loy, and Blythe Danner. Now here's something I've always wondered - had Gwenyth Paltrow been born when this episode was shot, or was Danner pregnant at the time? Thanks to IMDb, I have my answer - she was five months' pregnant. Now I can really feel ancient.
Cassavetes plays a brilliant conductor whose marriage to Danner was apparently to use the social connections of her mother (Loy). He has a mistress on the side, Anjanette Comer, a prominent pianist, but she announces she wants more. She's sick of being back street. On the night of their concert, he gets rid of her and makes it look like suicide. Columbo picks up a few problems immediately. One thing he notices: "You have a beautiful woman here - bedroom eyes - she has money, a body, and a career. Where's the man?" It's wonderful to see Falk and good friend Cassavetes together. There's a very funny episode at the vet with Columbo's Bassett. Everyone in the cast is great.
This is one of the episodes that made Columbo the classic series it became.
11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Splendid "Columbo" episode, with a razor-sharp script and lively performances, 14 March 2005
Author: J. Spurlin from United States
Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) is an orchestra conductor having an secret affair with his pianist. When she threatens to expose him and create a scandal if he doesn't leave his wife, he sees he has no choice but to murder her and make it look as if she had committed suicide. Too bad for him our rumpled detective, Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), is on the case.
Stephen Bochco has written another razor-sharp episode for the series, following marvelous detail with marvelous detail. We watch the villain commit his murder and set up his alibi for about twenty-five minutes, and we're completely engrossed. Then when Columbo appears on the scene, it gets even better.
We first see Columbo after the murder (as per usual). This time he's at the vet with his new dog. Scenes of purely comic relief are usually the weakest ones in the show (think Columbo's discomfort over the nude model in "Suitable for Framing"). Columbo is hilarious when he's dithering or bumbling deliberately in order to trip up his quarry; but too many writers make the mistake of showing him in a ridiculous light when he's with non-suspects. Bochco, by contrast, shows Columbo a bit awkward with his new pet in a handful of low-key scenes that are funny and artfully integrated into the story. (And I'm grateful he didn't strain for a punchline to Columbo's quest to give the dog a name. As far as we learn, the dog remains nameless.) Bochco gives Columbo some of his best moments in this episode, and Peter Falk makes the most of them. He's particularly good in a monologue where he expresses disbelief that anyone could kill herself, much less this brilliant and beautiful young pianist. And he's even better in his scenes playing cat-and-mouse with Cassavetes. That these two long-time friends and collaborators would play off each other brilliantly is to be expected; and that's what we get. Notice how Alex Benedict can't help but admire the deceptively dimwitted Columbo, even as the brilliant detective is tightening the noose around his neck.
Bochco makes the most of every situation in his script. When Columbo goes to question Benedict's snooty mechanic, of course – of course! – he asks the man to look at his own beat-up heap. And when Benedict finds Columbo at the Hollywood Bowl before rehearsal, of course – of course! – he's on the piano playing "Chopsticks." And what should our audacious lieutenant bring with him but the victim's typewriter with the phony suicide note still in the roller.
Columbo also has good scenes with a precocious little girl (Dawn Frame) and the lovely Blythe Danner, who plays Cassavetes's wife. It's nice to see Myrna Loy show up as Danner's mother, though she does little with her minor role.
The director Nicholas Colasanto (who also acted, most notably as Coach in "Cheers") does a perfectly creditable job, though he follows the lead of nearly every other "Columbo" director by adding one or two silly flourishes. Scenes end by going out of focus and begin by coming into focus. Then there's that bit where Cassavetes sees the carnation he dropped at the scene of the crime – and we see a zoom-in shot of it reflected in his sunglasses. There's also one scene with Myrna Loy and group of old fogies that is atrociously performed by everyone except Cassavetes.
These are quibbles, though. This is a splendidly entertaining episode, the kind that made me a "Columbo" fan.
12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Just a few nerdy comments..., 15 August 2005
Author: Patricia Hammond from London
My first 'Columbo'. Rather enjoyed it. Great format, and Peter Falk's character extremely good...wonderfully quirky, he can take his place next to Poirot, Miss Marple, and also the likes of Marlowe and Rick Diamond. I can see why this series has such a following.
As a professional musician, I HAVE to say a few things. First of all, a conductor who merely produces these pedestrian performances of the most basic examples of the repertoire (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Strauss Waltzes, Beethoven...) is never going to have a house like that or fame like that or cars like that, much less be called a genius. And the conducting that the actor does is so bad as to be laughable. No orchestra would take him seriously.
There are several little things too, such as his rehearsal of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (why rehearse it when they've just performed it for TV? Any orchestral musician would be able to play it in his or her sleep anyway...). His instructions to the ensemble are downright nonsensical, and when Columbo asks Blythe Danner what 'quasi fantasia' means, she says it's 'Latin'. It's Italian, as are the vast majority of musical instructions.
And finally, no two great musicians would EVER have the following interchange: "Play something." "What should I play?" "Chopin". Music is their job and passion, they know it well. Something far more specific would be asked for, and offered!
I know. I should get out more...
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Columbo at his most irritating (SPOILERS), 21 May 2004
Author: Vaughan Birbeck from Scarborough, England
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
The Columbo formula - as everyone knows - requires the great one to wear down his opponent almost to the verge of a nervous breakdown until they make the fatal error that reveals their guilt.
For me the great moment in any Columbo story is the point when he knows who the murderer is, then has to set about proving it. In this film 'the moment' comes when he sees Alex Benedict replacing a flower in his tail coat, revealing he had been at the victim's home earlier that night. From there the pursuit is on.
In 'Etude in Black' Columbo seems almost sadistic in his pursuit of Benedict. He 'turns up' at his home (twice, the first time supposedly just for an autograph), at his garage (actually sitting in Benedict's E-Type and revving the engine to pieces, having told the mechanic he was 'a friend') and at the Hollywood Bowl. He is constantly 'sidetracked' in his questioning and 'forgets' to mention the investigation has been changed from suicide to murder and that he is now in charge of the case.
One blot in the film is Cassavetes 'conducting' of the orchestra. There's more to it than waving your arms about. He could at least have tried to keep time with the music. We're being asked to believe this man is a world-famous musician and on this evidence Alex Benedict couldn't direct traffic. Perhaps the pieces for the soundtrack were only chosen after filming.
This is a classic Columbo episode that pairs Peter Falk with his long-time friend and collaborator John Cassavetes. I actually think the scene where Columbo asks Benedict about the cost of his house, furniture and how much he earns was improvised between them. I can see the set-up: "Columbo has turned up unexpectedly at your house, you know he wants to ask you something but you don't know what it is. You have to avoid giving him any real information."
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
The keys to the mystery are too obvious, 9 March 2005
Author: bensonmum2 from Tennessee
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
- Renowned symphony conductor Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) has a problem - the pianist with whom he's having an affair threatens to go public if he doesn't leave his wife. This would ruin his career, so he decides to kill her. He arranges the murder to look like suicide. Should the police become suspicious, he has a ready alibi covering him for the time of the murder. What Benedict doesn't count on though is a lieutenant named Columbo.
- As a general rule, I am a fan of the Columbo movies. But unfortunately, this is not one of the best. The key and fun to watching Columbo is trying to figure out what clues he will use to trap the killer. In Etude in Black, the key to the murder (a flower) is made painfully obvious to the viewer. Add the obvious flower with the even more obvious change in mileage on Benedict's car and I'm surprised it took Columbo more than 15 minutes to solve this murder.
- Much of the movie is obviously padded to fill a longer fun time on television. But, it's one of these scenes that is my favorite. I get a real kick out of seeing this poor slob Columbo who makes $11,000 a year discussing property taxes with a man who makes millions. Very entertaining.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
One of my personal favorites!, 18 May 2006
Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States
This Columbo episode is one of the better and perhaps one of my personal favorites. The cast includes Rosemary's Baby John Cassavetes as the maestro, his wife played by Blythe Danner (Gwyneth Paltrow's mom) and his mother-in-law played by Myrna Loy (one of America's greatest leading actresses in film of our time). Anyway I disagree with anybody who criticizes against this film. This episode is one of my favorites because you have an excellent cast who do a superb job in performing. I love watching Columbo with his beloved dog who he never names in the series. This time, the episode focuses in on classical music at the Hollywood Bowl, one of L.A.'s attractions. Of course, Columbo becomes as interested in classical music as he does anything else involving a crime.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
The plot is not as good as normal and the lead pair misfire – still OK for fans but not up to the standards of the series (spoilers), 9 May 2005
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Alex Benedict is a famous conductor and musical genius who also has a weakness for the fairer sex. However an affair with young pianist Jenifer Welles turns badly when she demands that he tell his wife of she will tell her. Sadly, Alex's mother-in-law also happens to be the Patron-of-the-Arts and is pretty much the purse string that Alex's career hangs by, so leaving his wife by any means is not an opinion so, despite the ultimatum only having two choices, Alex plumps for a third – murder. Killing his lover, he rigs her stove, leaves a typed note and makes it look like suicide.
As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula – we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler – it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. From the very start of this film the clues scream out at you –Alex recalls Jenifer's number too easily, the missing flower, the mileage on the car – and this is a problem because it takes the mystery out of it and leaves us just waiting for Columbo is work out something that we already know. Although the film manages to pull it back, you can't help feel that it is deliberately avoiding the easy clues in order to drag things out a bit longer than it should have taken. The script fills the film with other stuff but none of these really engaged me in the way that the usual formula does.
It is a shame because the cast are good on paper. Falk is as good as ever, here he brings out the more calculating side of his character, playing his cards early in this case. The potential for Cassavetes was there but it doesn't work. He doesn't click with Columbo and the lack of mind games reduces the tension. Smaller roles for Olson, Danner and Loy are OK but nothing special. The cast also includes some reoccurring faces in small roles; Police Academy's Gaynes has his first of two Columbo appearances; Macaulay has his second of three appearances; Perry Mason regular (and constant on screen cop) McEachin has a small role in his first of two appearances in the series, before settling into a much more steady job in the 1980's. And of course, Fred makes his first appearance. These are minor distractions though and the film is very much on the shoulders of the lead two, as is always the case, but here I just didn't think the combination worked that well.
Overall this is an OK entry in the series that does enough to please fans but it is hard to ignore the abundance of clues here and it takes away from the mystery by giving the audience that Columbo isn't being as sharp as he was in other films.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A Columbo adventure that hits the right notes in most places!, 23 August 2004
Author: leightonphillips (leightonphillips@fsmail.net) from Port Talbot, South Wales, UK
A slightly unoriginal plot aside, this is a well-unravelled, holding Columbo story, highlighted by some thoughtfully conceived and executed sequences involving real-life friends Peter Falk and John Cassavetes; a fact which unquestionably amplifies the script's effectiveness.
Ordinarily, the quality of the sequences of banter between detective and villain is a significant yardstick in the overall success of the episode; in this case, despite this characteristic, other scenes could have been expanded to better effect - no motive is really ever discussed and Columbo seems to latch onto the villain with less evident evidence than in some other experiences (the important factors about the pink carnation are not significantly developed until later).
One other slight fault is that there are less pieces of evidence to grab hold of here, but in one respect, the script-writer is very clever in intimating that the carnation is going to play an important part in this story, but the nailing of the villain is perhaps not as straightforward as one might have expected.
Generally, a very pleasing episode, which is not as predictable as one may think.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
One Of The Very Best And Most Unusual Columbo Stories - Don't Miss It, 25 September 2007
Author: ShootingShark from Dundee, Scotland
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Alex Benedict is a noted symphony conductor married to a wealthy socialite and having an affair with a pianist. When his mistress gives him an ultimatum, he kills her and makes it look like suicide. Lieutenant Columbo however, is unconvinced ...
This is one of my favourite Columbo TV-movies (probably only beaten by Murder Under Glass), but I'm not exactly sure why. The story is a good one but mostly revolves around an incriminating buttonhole dropped at the scene of the killing, and the characters are pretty routine types - the conniving two-timer, the jealous wife and the jilted boyfriend. I think it's entirely down to Cassavetes, an extraordinary actor, who is so naturalistic he's almost impossible to read; is he a stone cold killer, a prima donna artiste or just nervous and guilt-ridden ? He doesn't behave like the villains normally do in Columbo (matey or dismissive) and seems much more real and complex as a consequence. Ironically, in real life, Falk and Cassavetes were very close friends and made three movies together. There is a lot more to enjoy however; Colasanto's direction is terrific, there is some fabulous music by Beethoven and Chopin, the Hollywood Bowl locations are wonderful, and Cassavetes' two classic motors - a Jag E-Type Series 1 and a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow - are simply gorgeous. Also, for Columbo regulars, this flick is about twenty minutes longer than normal and features the first appearance of Dog the basset hound. As with all of these stories though, it is Falk's complete immersion in the character which it makes it so compelling - check out the scene where he examines the murdered woman's effects and compares it to the police department dossier. Genius.
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