On September 23rd, 1973 season 3 kicked off with Lovely but Lethal. This one features Vera Miles as the head of Beauty Mark Cosmetics, desperate for a big breakthrough to save her company. Her chemists come up with a new beauty cream she calls "Miracle" but when greedy Karl Lessing (played by a young Martin Sheen) steals it she lashes out and kills him.
It's not a bad episode, but it doesn't crack my Top 10...and probably not my Top 20.
Meet Viveca
Vera Miles plays Viveca Scott, head of Beauty Mark, with a calm, executive poise that makes her sudden violence all the more jarring. She’s not the usual Columbo murderer who lounges in a mansion and treats homicide like a business expense. Viveca is under pressure—sales are down, the market is shifting, and she’s betting everything on a new “wrinkle remover” that actually works.And Viveca really is one of the least likeable Columbo killers. Aside from the fact that she kills two people (Karl and Shirley) she's kind of cold and nasty, even when she's pretending not to be.
Even her parting line to Columbo "Give your brother-in-law a message for me. Something appropriate." is pretty cold and disengaged.
All for naught
Viveca is so desperate for a miracle that she goes down this murderous path for a product that we learn early in the episode doesn't even work. Not only does it not cure wrinkles, but it causes a serious skin condition that is basically the same as poison ivy.
Unusual weapons
Have to give Viveca credit for her unusual choice of murder weapons. The first, a microscope, happened to be at hand when she lashed out.
The second, poisoned cigarettes took some planning.
And, by the way, it's not the last time you'll see that approach. Wade Anders uses poisoned cigarettes to kill chain-smoking Budd Clarke in 1991's Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health.
A lot of Draper
This is one of Fred Draper's meatiest Columbo roles, as boozy, stressed out, Dr. Murcheson.
He appeared in six episodes of Columbo, starting with Lady in Waiting. He was the murderer, as it turned out, in Last Salute to the Commdore.
The Price is right
Vincent Price, as competitor David Lang in this episode, has such a good presence on-screen. Would have been nice to see him make a few more Columbo appearances.
The Debut of Kirby
This is the first time we see Bruce Kirby in a Columbo episode, he plays the lab janitor who gives Columbo the key clue as to what might have been stolen from Lessing's apartment.
Kirby goes on to appear in several Columbo episodes, almost always as Sergeant Kramer.
Return of Richard Stahl
Richard Stahl appeared in three Columbos and, remarkably, played a travel agent twice. The other time was in The Most Crucial Game with Robert Culp.
His third Columbo appearance was as a ballistics expert in another Culp episode, Double Exposure.
The clue that makes it all click
The solution hinges on something beautifully low-tech: poison ivy. Columbo notices Viveca itching—and realizes he’s itching, too. The shared irritation leads him to a shared source: something in Karl’s living room. Columbo has an innocent reason to have handled it during the investigation. Viveca doesn’t… unless she was there at the critical time.Hello Finnegan
Among the Columbo regulars making an appearance, we get a substantial role for John Finnegan. Finnegan appeared in thirteen Columbos, and this was his third one (and first as a Detective).
Just a couple more things...
- Shirley's chain smoking is so prominently featured that you just knew it was eventually going to matter in the episode.
- In dismissing her relationship with Lessing, Viveca tells Columbo there have been "hundreds" of young men since him. Wow. The math says that's at least two or three dates a week with different guys. Possible? Yes, but well...impressive.
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