Columbo and his wife are on a luxury cruise when there is a murder aboard and the captain asks Columbo to investigate. Slowly he uncovers that the Hayden Danziger, a wealthy car salesman, had the method and the opportunity, but can our hero trick him into an admission of guilt ?
This is one of the best-known Columbo TV-movies; the one on the cruise-ship where the nightclub-singer gets shot (justice in my opinion for anyone who features the song Volare in their act). It's a great yarn by William Driskill, which fits snugly into the series formula despite the unusual setting. Columbo pokes holes in the case against the killer's fall guy, ingratiates himself with his adversary, agonises over the usual details (a feather, missing surgical gloves, a non-tax-deductible receipt), times himself replicating the murder and of course goads the killer into planting self-incriminating evidence. Falk is sensational (in a loud brown short-sleeved shirt !), Vaughn is cagily implacable, Stockwell groovy and the British crew provide a lot of good-natured I-say-old-chap humour, mostly relating to seasickness, the ever-absent Mrs Columbo and gags about the difference between a boat and a ship. A terrific little thriller, well-helmed by Falk's buddy Gazzara, exemplifying the best qualities of my favourite TV detective.
This is one of the best-known Columbo TV-movies; the one on the cruise-ship where the nightclub-singer gets shot (justice in my opinion for anyone who features the song Volare in their act). It's a great yarn by William Driskill, which fits snugly into the series formula despite the unusual setting. Columbo pokes holes in the case against the killer's fall guy, ingratiates himself with his adversary, agonises over the usual details (a feather, missing surgical gloves, a non-tax-deductible receipt), times himself replicating the murder and of course goads the killer into planting self-incriminating evidence. Falk is sensational (in a loud brown short-sleeved shirt !), Vaughn is cagily implacable, Stockwell groovy and the British crew provide a lot of good-natured I-say-old-chap humour, mostly relating to seasickness, the ever-absent Mrs Columbo and gags about the difference between a boat and a ship. A terrific little thriller, well-helmed by Falk's buddy Gazzara, exemplifying the best qualities of my favourite TV detective.