365 Days of Columbo: May 5th

Happy Anniversary to A Friend in Deed

On May 5, 1974, NBC aired A Friend in Deed, the final episode of Columbo’s third season. It's my top-ranked episode of the entire series, with Richard Kiley as Deputy Commissioner Mark Halperin — a murderer who isn’t just rich, arrogant, and smug, but also happens to be Columbo’s superior. The episode was directed by Ben Gazzara and written by Peter S. Fischer.

This is the one where Hugh Caldwell kills his wife, asks Halperin for help, and quickly learns the hard way that a friend in deed may be a blackmailer indeed. The episode is also memorable for one of Columbo’s best GOTCHAs, as the Lieutenant turns Halperin’s own frame-up against him. 

Happy Birthday Katherine Darc

Actress Katherine Darc was born May 5, 1948. Columbo fans almost didn't know her best as Kris, the model in Suitable for Framing, She was uncredited and her identity was a mystery for quite a while, until finally Columbophile figured it out.

Darc also had a second, brief Columbo appearance as a boutique assistant in Lady in Waiting.

Happy Birthday Marshall Grant

Also born on May 5th was Marshall Grant, who appears uncredited as one of the band members in Swan Song. Grant was no ordinary extra: he was a founding member of Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Two, the bass player who helped give Cash’s early records that unmistakable “boom-chicka-boom” sound.

That makes Swan Song even cooler for music fans. Not only do we get Johnny Cash as murderous gospel singer Tommy Brown, but we also get a bit of the real Cash tucked into the background.

Columbo Makes the Cover

May 5th also has a nice bit of Columbo memorabilia attached to it. The May 5, 1973 issue of TV Guide featured Peter Falk on the cover.

Just One More Thing...

There’s even a fictional May 5th hiding in the later series. In Murder, Smoke and Shadows, we learn that murder victim Leonard Fisher was born May 5, 1957.