Alex Benedict Charles Macaulay. Why would someone so talented and beautiful want to take her own life? Yet Cassavetes arm movements are as stiff and stilted as they come and nowhere near being in time with the music. Andif youll hear me out, Ill state my case. So far so good, then, but does Etude in Black live up to the hype? After repeatedly saying how brilliant so many Columbo episodes are, it's time to honour an episode with maximum points. Only the jokes on Columbo this time, as Audrey IDs drunkard Paul instead of Benedict. Peter Falk stars as the well-known Det. Many thanks. I remember seeing John Cassavettes in an appearance on a talk show. Alex Benedict: John Cassavetes if so, he carried out his instructions to the letter. What about this, says Columbo, flashing up footage of Benedict speaking to the media in the aftermath of her death being revealed. I dont think Benedict would cave in on the evidence of the lapel flower. 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. In addition to Peter Falk as Columbo, the episode stars John Cassavettes, Bythe Danner and Myrna Loy. (as Dick De Benedictis) (music score) Cinematography by Harry L. Wolf . The stories had a tendency to sag and the potential to loseviewersattention. Shots of Alexs imposing mansion and fancy car establish his wealth or rather, his dependence on his mother-in-laws wealth. Poker Face: whats in it for Columbo fans? But unfortunately, this is not one of the best. If thats what passes for a celebrity conductor, a star pianist, and a virtuoso trumpeter, then I dont know what to think. So Lover Boy by Jimmy Davis is the second jazz tune Rifkin has the band run through. She weathers the storm just! All Rights Reserved. Likewise actors, who were not trained as dancers or martial artists and so on, had trouble expressing themselves through their movements (hence the use of stunt and performance doubles). It has some marvellous momentsand is arguably the most ambitious episode since Ransom for a Dead Man. Columbo really should have had this in the bag within the first half hour. In memoriam: the Columbo stars we lost in 2022. So, its with a hushed voice and guiltyheart that I must reveal I dont like it that much. As for Alexs goose chase with his car, the mechanic and a bathroom window, he once again overlooks the obvious. Leave a comment below and if you treasureEtudeabove all others, do vote for it here in the favourite episode poll! John Cassavetes in "Etude In Black". And, last but not least, we welcome Dog into the fold. A Columbo adventure that hits the right notes in most places! He knew stage work well enough to forget he was wearing a silly suit and face covered in reflective markers and he really became the character he was playing which was King Hrothgar in Beowulf. Now I can really feel ancient. But, Im not surprised because Ive have heard, more than once, that he was sort of an egomaniac as an actor and, difficult to deal with, in real life. Another thing that bothers me is, the episode does a very poor job at concealing the fact that the music was pre-recorded. At Jenifers place. His own ability to trip her phone number off the tip of his tongue alerts his wifes suspicions, though, who struggles to maintain her belief in her man for the rest of the episode. #Columbo #ltcolumbo #peterfalk #classictv #70s #1974, Colombo gets to fanboy in the company of silver screen icons Grace Wheeler and Ned Diamond in Forgotten Lady. So did Columbo get the killer? Although all signs point to a suicide, little things immediately bother Columbo. Calling the Benedicts to the Hollywood Bowls recording studio to watch some video tapes of the previous concert, Columbo makes his case. Sorry Maestro, Although Nicholas Colasanto (AKA Coach in Cheers) is officially credited with having directed Etude in Black, word on the street is that both Falk and Cassavetes took onthe lions share of directorial duties. This almost throwaway instruction later reveals Jenifer probably didnt type the note herself. This would ruin his career, so he decides to kill her. Thats your word against mine, retorts Benedict, and I dont remember that at all. The head, like Janice Benedict suspiciously eyeing her husband, cantever fully commit. Hence, why as soon as she quite rightly hung him out to dry, he gave in, So their touching last scene and his words to her, to bring a tear to the eye, But Im a sucker for Columbo when its a great emotional drama. The lovable mutt would go on to win the hearts of millions of viewers and theres plenty of fun to be had during his debut as Columbo struggles to get to grips with the responsibility of pet ownership. One senses Janice has the moral fibre to bounce back from this blow and get back on with her life at some point something that cant always be said for the many wronged wives of the wider series. Years later, a series of movies, beginning with Beethoven (1992), was made featuring a big dog named Beethoven, although it was a St. Bernard as opposed to Columbo's Basset Hound. While she plays piano, he wraps her ashtray in the handkerchief and knocks her out. And while its a relatively minor gripe, I cant help thinking Cassavetes couldve tried a little bit harder to look like he really knew how to conduct an orchestra. There is the point that a flower wouldnt necessarily provoke a confession. For my money, the centralclue just isnt compelling enough. Flying into a temper, Benedict orders an immediate change to the concert program while raging at Jennifers lack of reliability. Hes got 99 problems, but Jennifer Welles aint one of them anymore. Anjanette Comer. She refuses to lie for him, saying murder is one betrayal too far. That poignant moment, when he whispers his love for her is very moving. Should the police become suspicious, he has a ready alibi covering him for the time of the murder. Many Columbo purists, myself included, think that move was a mistake. The shots of Alex conducting the orchestra against the police search are a neat touch. 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. Suppose it was you and this is how you did it. Cassavetes, whom I feel is overrated as both an actor and director seemed to move through his role giving only half an effort. Thanks for sharing. Im no expert, but isnt a conductors baton supposed to be caressed rather than wielded(no double entendres intended)? Audrey: Dawn Frame If I were a musician in his orchestra, I would be very confused. The main problem for me is that the audience notices the missing carnation almost at once (check the freeze-frame on Benedict looking down in horror at his empty lapel). The concert programme effectively becomes the soundtrack to this movie-within-a-movie. All Rights Reserved. As someone who has played in a classical orchestra and knows the basic conducting skills, I can confirm that his conducting is completely off. Janice Benedict: Blythe Danner The Maestro's house also was featured in Ellery Queen: The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party (1975). Will it come back to haunt him? Lovely stuff. Lest we forget, he takes a heck of a lot of chances getting to Jennifers house from the Hollywood Bowl, wearing an extremely conspicuous outfit as he jogged about in broad daylight, and then parking his extremely memorable car right around the corner from the victims house! If you are not familiar with these great classics, do yourself a favor and check them out. The mechanic logged his cars mileage on arrival and departure, and theres a nine-mile discrepancy between the two. A re-run of the Benedict concert from the previous week is on air and the wily detective is finally able to lock in on some hard evidence. But you couldnt go wrong with the three leads. I cant seem to locate the first tune that was playing when Columbo first walked into the night club though. The blog for those who LOVE Lieutenant Columbo. I just love Columbo and I have seen every episode from Prescription Murder to the very last one in 2003 and I have to say that this one is my 4th favourite of all time behind "Any old Port In a Storm","Identity Crisis" and "Now you see Him" and trust me this is a photo finish that is separated by a print in horse racing terms. Where did it come from? Director : Nicholas Colasanto. While its easy to identifyscenes in Etude that appear to have been added in later, theyre actually not bad in their own right. 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). sentence to death in the gas chamber since thats kinda the way he murdered the girlfriend and her bird! Most damning of all, Alex goes back for his flower while the police are there, drawing Columbos attention to it. | I know nothing about its methods of creation but appreciate the end results. It led to widespread padding out of scenes in the longer episodes. You could say that about many a Columbo episode. The whole show is generally subtle, including Falks demeanor. During the opening credits, when Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) is having a drink in his study, he turns on a classical recording. Also Gretchen Corbett (Exercise in Fatality) guest starred in an episode of Cheers. TV footage will later prove hes not wearing the flower at the time of the concert, but journalists capture him leaving Jenifers house with the boutonnire back in place: That means you had to have been there earlier.. TV show line-ups didnt come much stronger. Lovely stuff. I found the clues to be given away too easy. The aggression displayed by Columbo here was dialled right down when he returned to screens three years later There is the point that a flower wouldnt necessarily provoke a confession. And if she loved her pet cockatoo so much, why would she allow it to die of gas poisoning too? Watch on. Cassavetes is the celebrated conductor of an acclaimed symphony orchestra in the Leonard Bernstein tradition who is having an affair with a young pianist Anjanette Comer. Blythe Danner was also a hit as the vulnerable Janice Benedict, hoping against hope that her husband wasnt really the git she suspects him to be. Producer/writer Dean Hargrove was brought in to write additional scenes to pad out the length. If nothing else, one has to admire his chutzpah but I really dont consider his actions very plausible if avoiding attention was his goal. While it would have required some substantial reworking of the script, I think this scenario could have worked well. 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