Publish or Perish
- Episode aired Jan 18, 1974
- TV-PG
- 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
A publisher hires a bomb enthusiast to murder a bestselling author of detective novels. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A publisher hires a bomb enthusiast to murder a bestselling author of detective novels. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A publisher hires a bomb enthusiast to murder a bestselling author of detective novels. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
John Davis Chandler
- Eddie Kane
- (as John Chandler)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaColumbo questions Eileen and Neal in Chasen's Restaurant and provides horrified amusement to everyone by ordering chili. Chasen's, which closed in 1995, was renowned for its chili.
- GoofsWhen Columbo opens up Eddie Kane's address book to look at Greenleaf's number, the closeup is the same one as the earlier shot when Greenleaf did the same thing, including Greenleaf's latex gloved finger.
- Quotes
Restaurant Manager: Your check, Lt.
Lieutenant Columbo: Six dollars! Excuse me, err... no I think there's a mistake, I had the chilli and the iced tea.
Restaurant Manager: Oh.
[makes alterations on check]
Lieutenant Columbo: Six seventy-five?
Restaurant Manager: I forgot to add the iced tea.
- ConnectionsReferences Columbo: Candidate for Crime (1973)
Featured review
Regular mystery, but not without charm
PUBLISH OR PERISH is a short and straightforward mystery for the ever-dedicated Lieutenant Columbo. The villain of the piece in this one is series regular Jack Cassidy, playing a snotty publisher who finds himself peeved when a bestselling author cuts him off, planning to go with a rival house. He's not about to let this stand, however...
The scant running time means that PUBLISH OR PERISH is a fast-paced movie. The murder is already over and Columbo already investigating in the first twenty minutes. The twists and turns and uncovering of plot points is cleverly done, including a few things that I missed myself, and the cast is very good. Cassidy makes for a delightfully unpleasant bad guy, and real-life bestselling author Mickey Spillane has a pivotal cameo. And John David Chandler is up there with Reggie Nalder in terms of evil-looking actors.
As usual, this production belongs to the ever-great Peter Falk, who's on top form as the apparently befuddled detective. His interlude in a posh restaurant is a comic highlight , but overall the detective's force of personality has never been, well, so insistent. PUBLISH OR PERISH marks Columbo at his most dedicated.
The scant running time means that PUBLISH OR PERISH is a fast-paced movie. The murder is already over and Columbo already investigating in the first twenty minutes. The twists and turns and uncovering of plot points is cleverly done, including a few things that I missed myself, and the cast is very good. Cassidy makes for a delightfully unpleasant bad guy, and real-life bestselling author Mickey Spillane has a pivotal cameo. And John David Chandler is up there with Reggie Nalder in terms of evil-looking actors.
As usual, this production belongs to the ever-great Peter Falk, who's on top form as the apparently befuddled detective. His interlude in a posh restaurant is a comic highlight , but overall the detective's force of personality has never been, well, so insistent. PUBLISH OR PERISH marks Columbo at his most dedicated.
helpful•72
- Leofwine_draca
- Jul 6, 2015
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content