Columbo

Presentation

Columbo is a particular case of the televised series in this direction where there is no generic common to all the episodes - put with share a Ritournelle, This Old Man , which returns episodically, generally whistled by the lieutenant and sometimes orchestrated - and which this series lasts since 1967. Lieutenant Columbo is incarnated by the American Acteur Peter Falk since the beginning.

Lieutenant Columbo is most famous Policier of the criminal brigade of Los Angeles ( LAPD ), with the used Imperméable and the dilapidated Peugeot 403 convertible. Sometimes accompanied by sound Dog, called the Dog, a Basset hound hound, the Cigar with the end of the Lip S and whose woman, my wife , invisible in the series, always has an opinion on the question.

The characteristic first of this series is that we always know the criminal since each episode begin with the Meurtre. And we also know that lieutenant Columbo will always end up confusing the aforementioned criminal, thanks to the negligible small detail which will put it on the track. Once the shoed customer, our dear lieutenant will not release it more than one sole. He can be made pass near his suspects for an imbecile and an unmethodical character for better deadening their vigilance… Another characteristic, Columbo forever of weapon. Last characteristic and not of least: all the murderers belong to the high society.

Several episodes were carried out and also interpreted by Patrick McGoohan.

Steven Spielberg and Jonathan Demme has both carried out certain episodes at the time of its beginnings. Steven Bochco was one of the scenario writers. Between 1989 and 2003, the series Columbo was revived by excellent the Téléfilm S which were produced, telling more adventures of lieutenant Columbo.

Distribution

Peter Falk: Lieutenant Columbo

Many actors and not of least incarnated in turn the murderer, among whom:

ED Begley Jr.
Theodore Bikel
Ian Buchanan
Johnny Cash
John Cassavetes
Jack Cassidy (three times)
Billy Connolly
Robert Conrad
Robert Culp (three times, raising various moustache)
the Tyne Daly
Faye Dunaway
Jose To shoe
Ruth Gordon
Laurence Harvey
Louis Jourdan
Richard Kiley
Martin Pram
Janet Leigh
Ross Martin
Vera Miles
Roddy McDowall
Patrick McGoohan (four times)
Ray Milland
Leonard Nimoy
Donald Pleasance
William Shatner (twice)
Fisher Stevens
RIP Torn
Dick Van Dyke
Robert Vaughn (twice)
George Wendt
Oskar Werner

The proper woman of Peter Falk, Shera Danese, appeared in six episodes of Columbo , since 1976 in the episode " Two in un".

Biography of lieutenant Columbo

Columbo was born and grew with New York. Located not far from Chinatown, the family of Columbo is made up of the grandfather of the future police officer, her parents and five brothers and sisters. His/her father carried glasses and made the kitchen while his/her mother was at the hospital, giving birth to again. His/her grandfather let it press the grape when it manufactured his wine in the cellar. He is of Italian origin by his two parents.

The father of Columbo, which forever gained more than 5.000 dollars per annum, taught to him to play billiards, an obsession which will remain stuck to the future detective. Not really a model child, Columbo broke the standard lamps in the streets, played flipper and belonged to a band of kids to the mounting of the good joke to be always made… The hero of its childhood was Joe DiMaggio, it also liked films of gangsters.

At the time of its studies to the college, it dropped chemistry and took the cabinet work. One knows to him at the time a boyfriend called Theresa. After having made its military service during the War of Korea, Columbo entered the police force of New York and was assigned with the twelfth district. It was formed by the sergeant Gilhooley, a brilliant Irishman who tried to teach art to him to play darts. He moved in Los Angeles in 1958.

He is always obsessed by the menus details. Of all small things hold it waked up all the night and he likes to outline ideas with his wife. Columbo have an unknown number children and a basset hound hound named “the Dog”. Columbo never carries weapon and leads Peugeot 403 convertible of 1959. It is prone to the Vertige and with the sea sickness, it cannot swim. It is easily nauseated and does not support the autopsies nor to even look at photographs of murder “swines”.

It is not very fixed in calculation. He likes to cook, the limericks (poems in five worms, always comic and absurd), the Western S, the Italian opera, the Valse S of Strauss, the Golf, the Classical music, the Bowling and the Football on television. He autoproclamé expert in adjustment of television sets, whereas he did it only once and that the button remained to him in the hands… In 1972, it gained 11.000 dollars per annum. He is extremely skinflint so much so that, for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, he plans to take along his wife to make camp-site rather than to offer a silver object to him. His/her parents and grandfathers died. Its mets favorite is the Chili con carne (with cookies) which it devours of a named fatty spoon Burt. Columbo adores also the coffee which he drinks black, hard-boiled eggs being used to him as cut hunger. He speaks English, Italian and a little Spanish.

Episodes

First series

Pilots (1968 - 1971)

First season (1971 - 1972)

Second season (1972 - 1973)

Third season (1973 - 1974)

Fourth season (1974 - 1975)

Fifth season (1975 - 1976)

Sixth season (1976 - 1977)

Seventh season (1977 - 1978)

Second series

Eighth season (1989)

Ninth season (1989 - 1990)

Tenth season (1990 - 1991)

Eleventh season (1991 - 1992)

Twelfth season (1993 - 1994)

Except series (1995 - 2003)

Comments

Mysteries of the series

One does not know the first name of Columbo. Itself acknowledges that it is called Lieutenant Columbo . In the episode Dead Weight , it is nevertheless possible by making a freeze frame of distinctly reading its signature Frank on its chart. The intention of the authors of the series being never not to reveal its first name, it seems that this “Frank” is a creation of the accessories supplier of the series.
One forever considering his wife (except in a derived series which was tried in 1979, which was quickly famous) nor known the first name of this one… (thus, in the episode Vote for me , Columbo asks a senator an autograph in the name of… Mrs Columbo ). The authors of the series exploit this invisible omnipresence constantly. Very many indices make it possible to recall “in hollow” the biography and the personality of his wife.

Anecdotes

Peugeot refused to provide a vehicle to the producers of the series to replace mythical the 403 because the French company was afraid to tarnish its brand image. It should be known that the production had in the idea to return the new vehicle in the same state as antique 403…
the French voice of our lieutenant is lent by the actor Serge Sauvion.
It is Peter Falk itself which threw its reserved on mythical Peugeot 403, discovered by chance, any the models suggested by the production having allured it.
the counting rhyme This Old Man was fredonnée by Peter Falk by chance at the time of an episode. He repeated several times, adding an additional wink to the series, giving him even a certain identity since the topic was orchestrated thereafter in several episodes.
Peugeot sold well of the 403 on the American ground but apparently never of 403 convertible sold with the the United States and is not explained how it arrived on the turning of this series.
It is not one but at least three or four 403 convertible which were used during the life of Columbo. It appeared for the first time in 1971 in the Pilot Book . It is registered 044 APD but becomes 448 DBZ thereafter. First 403 was a true convertible, whereas a part at least of both or three others were trucks recarrossées for the needs for the series.
the Puppets of information have a puppet with the effigy of the lieutenant (seldom used).
Certains episodes which passes in France is spelled Colombo with a “O”.

Derivative products

DVD

the integral of the first season of the adventures of Columbo is available out of box 6 DVD since February 1st 2004.
At October 3rd, 2007, the integrals of seasons 2 to 11 are also available (at Universal). Season 12 is planned for on December 4th, 2007 as well as a box gathering the integral of the seasons and including the small-scale model of famous Peugeot of the lieutenant.

the episode number 10 (season 2), Symphony in black, is proposed in two versions: a DVD no-claims bonus with the version diffused on TF1 or TV Breizh and the new long version on the decorated normal DVD of the scenes cut in VOST.

One also finds since the mid- February 2005 the DVD sold with the unit in kiosk.

In Belgium, the integral of seasons 10 and 11 should leave the 11/22/2007.

Derived series

A derived series, Mrs Columbo ( Mrs. Columbo ), was launched in 1979, but it received a very bad reception and was very quickly stopped. She disappointed unconditional original series by the fact that Mrs Columbo was divorced the Columbo detective. And as many episodes of the series showed the lieutenant speaking about his wife, it was quite simply unthinkable that they were divorced!

Play

The part which gave life to lieutenant Columbo, Inculpé of murder , was played last quarters 2006 with Paris, the imitator Pascal Brunner taking again the character of Peter Falk. The part, famous a woman of too , was played theater of the Temple, in the {{XIe}} district. She was also played later Colisée of Lens (Pas-de-Calais).

Others

It is in very sixty-nine episodes which were carried out to date, although the first episode, Inculpé of murder , regarded wrongly as the pilot, was a Téléfilm carried out in 1967 and drawn from a play. To date, one seventieth Columbo is being prepared.

A Québécois humorist, François Pérusse, takes again regularly this character in the two minutes of the people , with for subject “Columbo of the people”. He imitates there the voice of the interpreter of the French version of these televised series.

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