365 Days of Columbo: March 18th

Happy Birthday John Fraser

Scottish actor John Fraser was born on March 18, 1931. Columbo fans will remember him from Dagger of the Mind, in which he played Detective Sergeant O'Keefe, the Scotland Yard man who helps ease our rumpled lieutenant into the peculiarities of the London setting.

Happy Birthday Frank McRae

Frank McRae was born on March 18, 1941. In Columbo he appeared as Lieutenant Robertson in A Bird in the Hand, the 1992 episode in which the lieutenant untangles a murder born from gambling debts, greed, and family dysfunction.

McRae had one of those instantly recognizable screen presences: big, authoritative, and impossible to ignore. His distinctive voice led him to be frequently cast as the angry shouting Lieutenant. He even spoofed himself in Loaded Weapon.