Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
- Episode aired Feb 20, 1991
- TV-PG
- 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Lt. Columbo investigates a self-proclaimed security expert turned crime show host for the murder of a rival with incriminating evidence of pornography.Lt. Columbo investigates a self-proclaimed security expert turned crime show host for the murder of a rival with incriminating evidence of pornography.Lt. Columbo investigates a self-proclaimed security expert turned crime show host for the murder of a rival with incriminating evidence of pornography.
Penny Johnson Jerald
- Maxine Jarrett
- (as Penny Johnson)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn the closing credits of "Crime Alert", Alan J. Levi is listed as supervising producer, Todd London as co-producer, and April Raynell as writer. All three people performed those functions on this episode of Columbo (1971).
- GoofsAnders could have simply removed the poisoning cigarette from Clarke's hand, and leave. Instead, he starts planting his own cigarette butts into the ashtray, and even one into the victims hand. An experienced Crime Psychologist as Anders, would never plant items that could incriminate him self, to a clean crime scene.
- Quotes
Budd Clarke: [Choking to death from a poisoned cigarette] Wade... I can't... I can't breathe. Help me.
Wade Anders: [Smiling] I told you those things were gonna kill ya.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star (1991)
Featured review
Good Columbo plot and formula covers up dreadful writing.
Like the other reviewers, I generally enjoyed this episode, which pretty much sticks to formula and has a decent murder plot with lots of real sleuthing for the good detective to figure out. However, there were two aspects that I think really kept it from being great - neither of which anyone else has mentioned. Firstly, I never was a great George Hamilton fan. Not only did his crazy tanning efforts totally disfigure his truly handsome face of the early years, he simply was not a very good actor. I think he was more truthful than humble when he said that he was a movie star, not an actor. There are none of the subtle changes in facial expressions and tone that the true stars like McGoohan and Cassidy implemented so well. He either smiles to Columbo, or loses his temper. There are none of the subtle in-between expressions, where you smile while indicating irritation or discomfort. Secondly, I thought the writing was dreadful. I have a simple test for the quality of a Columbo episode: see how many enjoyable quotes there are. The great ones had tons of funny quips about Columbo's quirks, and subtle hints by the detective that revealed his train of thought and suspicions. This movie had exactly one decent line (which I submitted to the site), when the victim chokingly states he can't breath, and Anders quips, 'I told you those things will kill ya.' There was not a single other line that I could rate as even half decent. All attempts at humor, which usually add so much to this series, were dreadful here, such as the infantile and overly extended scene where Columbo crashes into Anders' car, or the one where he picks up 'dog' from the pedicure, or when he asks about the cost of Anders' shirt and wonders why his own shirt is so much cheaper even though it 'travelled just as far.' Pullease. Can professional writers do no better than that? Finally, as in many late Columbos, instead of making the detective sound quirky and old-fashioned, it makes him speak like an old dimwit, who explains everything as if to a three year old - such as the demonstration with the typewriter pages being pulled out, or when showing Anders the cigarette butts. It just makes you wince. In this episode, it is the overall plot and the old Columbo formula that saves matters and makes it enjoyable - despite all its faults.
helpful•1210
- sos45-977-267352
- May 1, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Коломбо: Кого убила капля никотина
- Filming locations
- 2226 N New Hampshire Ave, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA(Budd Clarke's house)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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