COLUMBO: PLAYBACK (TV)
Summary
One in this series of police dramas in which Los Angeles homicide detective Lt. Columbo's unassuming manner masks his keen intelligence and sharp investigative abilities.
Harold Van Wick is the president of Meadis Electronics, a company created by his mother-in-law Margaret. He meets with her, along with his brother-in-law Arthur and his wheelchair-bound wife Elizabeth. Alone, Margaret berates Harold for his obsession with "gadgetry" and his poor management skills. She wants to remove him from his position as president of the company, ensuring his cooperation by revealing that she's found out about his philandering. Harold murders Margaret, then manipulates the house's intricate security system to make it seem that the murder occurred after he left for a function at an art gallery, thus providing him with an alibi.
Columbo investigates and interviews Elizabeth and Harold. Harold explains where he was and at what time (his precise time-keeping is due to his digital watch). He also elaborates on his security system: he has cameras all over the house, triggered by light, sound, and body heat. Columbo realizes that the murderer didn't move far enough into the room to be picked up on camera, and is suspicious. He asks to take the tape of the murder to police headquarters. On the way out, Columbo questions the security officer on duty, who was watching the video feed. He notices a discrepancy on the time sheet that Harold signed when he left the house. Columbo returns, questioning Harold about the fact that nothing was stolen and about the lack of a second camera in the room to get more coverage, but Harold seems to provide suitable excuses.
The next day, Columbo returns to inspect the window that the murderer used to enter and exit the house. Harold encounters him and he notes some odd details about the scene: the killer left no signs that he left in a hurry, and didn't track mulch through the house when he entered. Harold has explanations for everything and seems to outwit Columbo. Columbo speaks with Elizabeth again, who recounts the previous night. She remembers waking up to what she thought was a noise, but she wrote off as a dream when she called Harold afterwards. Columbo goes to the art gallery to confirm Harold's story, which appears to check out.
Elizabeth wants to chair her mother's company, but Harold will not let her. Columbo arrives again to test a theory of his; he has Elizabeth go up to her room and fires a gun in the study. She reports hearing the noise and her door opens; the doors in the house are configured to open at the sound of a handclap. Columbo wants to see whether Elizabeth actually woke up for the murder and to further his point goes to her bedroom, where he proves that the door opened in response to the gunshot based on visual details given to him by Elizabeth. Harold continues to concoct excuses to deflect Columbo's line of questioning, seemingly stumping him.
However, Columbo is hit with inspiration and speaks with Arthur at the electronics company, where he separates the video feed of the murder into two reels: one before and one after the entrance of the security guard. Columbo inspects them closely, believing he has found something. He returns to Harold and asks him to run the tapes on his own equipment. He points out the last piece of evidence: the tape before the security guards' arrival shows Harold's invitation to the art gallery is visible on the desk, contradicting his alibi. Columbo figures out that Harold pre-recorded the murder and has him arrested. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 2, 1975 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:13:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:74417
- GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/private detective
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1968-1978; ABC - 1989-2003
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Roland Kibbe … Executive Producer
- Dean Hargrove … Executive Producer
- Everett Chambers … Producer
- Edward K. Dobbs … Associate Producer
- Bernard L. Kowalski … Director
- Richard Levinson … Created by
- William Link … Created by
- David P. Lewis … Writer
- Booker T. Bradshaw … Writer
- Bernardo Segáll … Music by
- Henry Mancini … Theme Music by
- Peter Falk … Cast, Columbo
- Oskar Werner … Cast, Harold Van Wick
- Gena Rowlands … Cast, Elizabeth Van Wick
- Robert Brown … Cast, Arthur Meadis
- Patricia Barry … Cast, Francine
- Martha Scott … Cast, Margaret Meadis
- Herb Jefferson Jr. … Cast, Baxter
- Trisha Noble … Cast, Marcy
- Bart Burns … Cast, Thompson
- Steven Marlo … Cast, Policeman
- Joe O'Har … Cast, Attendant