The fourth episode of Season 2 takes Columbo out of the country for the first time. Dagger of the Mind was set in London, England (though a lot of it was filmed in Los Angeles) and pits the good Lieutenant up against a couple of Shakespearian actors.
What to watch for
Here's a few things I found interesting about this episode.
A ham and a tart
The implication in the critical scene is that Lillian has seduced Sir Roger in order to con him into producing their play - but that they never consumated the fling.
In England? Not so much.
Only about 25% of the episode was actually filmed in England, mostly exteriors of notable buildings and a long montage that Falk apparently ad-libbed of him dashing around taking pictures. The rest of the episde was filmed in Los Angeles especially the interior scenes, including Sir Roger's mansion.
Aside from the cost savings of not filming the whole thing in England there was the practical matter of Wilfrid Hyde White, who plays the butler Tanner. He was English, but had left the country as a tax exile and so he couldn't film back in the UK anyhow.
We'll meet again
If you enjoy Bernard Fox, who plays Detective Chief Superintendent Durk, you'll see him again in another very good performance. He plays the purser, Watkins, in season 4's Troubled Waters.
Lillian listening
I don't know how I didn't even notice it the first few times I watched this episode, but Lillian Stanhope is evesdropping in the back of the scene when Durk and Columbo are chatting backstage about requesting an autopsy.
Just a few more things
- This is just the second 2-hour long Columbo. The first was Etude in Black.
- I love the line where Nicholas doesn't know the details of how an autopsy works and Lillian says "Why don't you know? If you'd taken that part in the Agatha Christie play you would know these things!"
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