Columbo: The Conspirators (1978) (TV)

Note des utilisateurs:

6.9/10   

Réalisateur:

Leo Penn

Scénariste:

José Luis Navarro (writer)

Release Date:

13 mai 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drame | Mystery

Plot:

An IRA terrorist executes an arms dealer he considers traitorous; Lt. Columbo is on the case.

Plot Keywords:

Terrorist | Arms Dealer | Weapon | Irish | Murderer

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Avis des utilisateurs:

Revill, the ultimate adversary, and an excellent script.

Ensemble

Peter Falk	...	Lt. Columbo
Clive Revill	...	Joe Devlin
Jeanette Nolan	...	Kate O'Connell
Bernard Behrens	...	George O'Connell
Michael Horton	...	Kerry Malone
Albert Paulsen	...	Vincent Pauley
L.Q. Jones	...	Gun Dealer
Deborah White	...	Angela
Sean McClory	...	Captain
Michael Prince	...	Michael Moore
Donn Whyte	...	Leach
Johnny Silver	...	Tow Truck Driver
Carole Hemingway	...	Herself (as Carole Hemmingway)
Tony Giorgio	...	Harry
John McCann	...	Brandon

Autre(s) titre(s):

Columbo - Des sourires et des armes (France) [fr]

Durée:

USA:100 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Son:

Mono

Classification:

Norway:11 (2007) (DVD) | Denmark:15 (2007) (DVD) | Sweden:15 (2007) (DVD) | Finland:K-18 (2007) (DVD) (self applied)

Company:

Universal TV

Anecdotes:

Final episode of the original "Columbo" series. Peter Falk would return to his most famous role in 1989.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Columbo goes to the pier to harass Joe Devlin, Columbo gets a flat tire. The flat is on the front right side. Columbo's spare tire is at home, so Columbo borrows a dime to get the car towed. But when we see the Peugeot being towed, the tire is good as new. Why would he need a tow when the tire is fixed?

Guillemet:

Lt. Columbo: A grand noble bird is the pelican. His beak holds more than his belly can. He swoops through the sky with an abundant supply. I'll be darned if I know how the hell he can!

Movie Connections:

References San Francisco (1936)

Revill, the ultimate adversary, and an excellent script.

Clive Revill, the actor portraying the villain of this piece, was described by Steven Berkoff as one of the great under-praised actors of the UK. He might just be right. For proof look at this episode of Columbo. Revill is very light of foot in the part of the IRA gun-runner who manages to charm us even as he murders his way toward supplying weapons to terrorists. Quite a feat, and a testament to the actor's beguiling skills - inaccurate accent not withstanding. Forgivable.

In a curious way, something similar might be said of Peter Falk who might just be one the best actors of his generation in the US, yet who remains synonymous with that gull-darned macintosh. Falk paying Lear? Bring it on and for god's sake someone film it!

If these actors have a flaw it's that their ranges exceeds the tastes and comprehension of the casting directors whom ulitimately determine the course of their careers in film and TV. Ah well, that's showbiz.

Meantime, while wrongs might still be corrected, we have this fine piece of TV which combines two excellent actors at the peak of their ingenuity into a memorable, yet diametric team for our pleasure. Wit for wit, move for move, this classic Columbo chess-match entertains and delights with a minimum of gun-play and a maximum of intelligence (for TV anyway) - and what contemporary cop-show can boast that?

Good script, good direction, good score, good acting. What else do you what?

Also, for anyone who cares, there is perhaps one of the first "gay" subtext ever featured in a US TV show. Watch it and go figure for yourselves. Columbo as a template for a secular society? Why not? It had to start somewhere.