365 Days of Columbo: March 16th

Remembering Stanley Ralph Ross

March 16th is the date we remember writer Stanley Ralph Ross, who died in 2000. That matters to Columbo fans because Ross has his fingerprints on two especially fondly remembered episodes: he wrote the teleplay for Any Old Port in a Storm and received story credit on Swan Song.

A Thought for Norma MacMillan

Another March 16 date of note is the passing of Norma MacMillan in 2001. She has only a tiny on-screen connection to Columbo, appearing in Grand Deceptions as Mrs. Martinson, the wife of the fellow who gives General Padgett a big check at his birthday dinner.

MacMillan was a prolific voice actress best known for characters like Casper the Friendly Ghost and Gumby, so there is something wonderfully odd and charming about finding her name tucked away in the credits of a late-era Columbo. Those are exactly the kinds of connections that make digging through the show's cast lists so rewarding.

And Happy Birthday to Lou Nova

Finally, March 16th marks the birthday of Lou Nova, born in 1913. Nova is not one of the grand marquee Columbo guest stars, but he had an odd scene in Étude in Black, where he appears as the detective who delivers nearly the entire scene with is cigar in his mouth.

Nova's main fame came from outside acting: he was a heavyweight boxer known as 'The Cosmic Puncher.'