Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "bumbling-detective"
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1. Death in Paradise (2011– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cultures collide when British Detective Inspector is transferred from England to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie to head the island's police department.
Stars: Elizabeth Bourgine, Don Warrington, Danny John-Jules, Joséphine Jobert
Votes: 28,195
2. Gosford Park (2001)
R | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Set in the 1930s, a group of pretentious rich and famous get together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas
Votes: 94,165 | Gross: $41.31M
3. The Pink Panther (1963)
Approved | 115 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance
The bumbling Inspector Clouseau travels to Rome to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" before he conducts his most daring heist yet: a princess' priceless diamond with one slight imperfection, known as "The Pink Panther".
Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine
Votes: 56,796 | Gross: $10.88M
4.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Murder in Malibu
(1990)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A successful writer of romance novels who is involved with a young, ambitious womanizer, is found shot to death in her Malibu home.
Director: Walter Grauman | Stars: Peter Falk, Andrew Stevens, Brenda Vaccaro, Floyd Levine
Votes: 1,841
5.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
No Time to Die
(1992)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Columbo attends the wedding of his nephew, who is also with the LAPD. Suddenly it turns out that the bride is missing, possibly kidnapped. Columbo sets up the investigation to figure out what happened.
Director: Alan J. Levi | Stars: Peter Falk, Joanna Going, Thomas Calabro, Dan Butler
Votes: 2,127
6.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Murder with Too Many Notes
(2001)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Hollywood film composer and conductor murdered a talented musician who has been ghostwriting most of his work in recent years.
Director: Patrick McGoohan | Stars: Peter Falk, Billy Connolly, Richard Riehle, Charles Cioffi
Votes: 1,942
7.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
A Trace of Murder
(1997)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A beautiful woman and her forensics expert boyfriend try to frame her very rich husband for murder.
Director: Vincent McEveety | Stars: Peter Falk, David Rasche, Shera Danese, Barry Corbin
Votes: 1,865
8. Without a Clue (1988)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
A drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective, Dr. Watson.
Director: Thom Eberhardt | Stars: Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Lysette Anthony
Votes: 11,138 | Gross: $8.54M
9.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
(1989)
Unrated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An egocentric psychic murders his old mentor, a magician charged to expose him as fraud, by beheading him while he's rehearsing his guillotine trick.
Director: Leo Penn | Stars: Peter Falk, Anthony Andrews, Karen Austin, James Greene
Votes: 2,293
10. Wild Men (2021)
Not Rated | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
In a desperate attempt to cure his midlife crisis, Martin has fled his family to live high up in the Norwegian mountains. Hunting and gathering like his ancestors did thousands of years ago.
Director: Thomas Daneskov | Stars: Rasmus Bjerg, Zaki Youssef, Bjørn Sundquist, Sofie Gråbøl
Votes: 2,611
11. The Detectives (1993–1997)
50 min | Comedy, Crime
In the never ending, high tech war against crime, Detective Constables Bob Louis and David Briggs are the Scud missiles of the police arsenal of intuition, hunches and inspired guesses... all of them hopelessly wrong.
Stars: Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, George Sewell, Frank Windsor
Votes: 1,615
12. Around the World in 80 Days (I) (1989)
PG | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A Victorian Age English gentleman takes a wager that he can circle the globe in the unprecedented time of just eighty days.
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Eric Idle, Julia Nickson, Peter Ustinov
Votes: 3,495
13. Inspector Gadget (2015–2018)
TV-Y7 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
When Dr. Claw returns, Inspector Gadget is brought out of retirement to defeat him again, now with Penny and Brain's open participation.
Stars: Ivan Sherry, Tara Strong, Martin Roach, Scott McCord
Votes: 737
14. Wacko (1982)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Thirteen years after the "Lawnmower Killer" killed her sister, high school student Mary Graves and obsessed detective Dick Harbinger are on the lookout for the killer to reappear during the annual Halloween Pumpkin Prom.
Director: Greydon Clark | Stars: Joe Don Baker, Stella Stevens, George Kennedy, Julia Duffy
Votes: 1,441
15. Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls (1992 TV Movie)
PG | 188 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
King Edward asks Sherlock Holmes to perform one more task before his retirement: to safeguard the Star of Africa on a trip to Cape Town. Soon the fabled jewel is stolen and several people end up being murdered.
Director: Bill Corcoran | Stars: Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee, Jenny Seagrove, Joss Ackland
Votes: 692
16. Sh! The Octopus (1937)
Approved | 54 min | Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
Comedy-mystery finds Detectives Kelly and Dempsey trapped in a deserted lighthouse with a group of strangers who are being terrorized by a killer octopus AND a mysterious crime figure named... See full summary »
Director: William C. McGann | Stars: Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Marcia Ralston, John Eldredge
Votes: 664
17. Down Three Dark Streets (1954)
Passed | 85 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
An FBI agent investigates the murder of his partner by taking over the 3 cases he was working on, determined to find his killer.
Director: Arnold Laven | Stars: Broderick Crawford, Ruth Roman, Martha Hyer, Marisa Pavan
Votes: 1,569
18. One Frightened Night (1935)
Passed | 66 min | Comedy, Mystery
An eccentric millionaire, unable to locate his only granddaughter, decides to divide his estate among a group of people less close to him: his niece and nephew, his attorney, his doctor, ... See full summary »
Director: Christy Cabanne | Stars: Charley Grapewin, Mary Carlisle, Arthur Hohl, Wallace Ford
Votes: 456
19. The Gorilla (1939)
Passed | 66 min | Comedy, Horror
When a wealthy man is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate. A real escaped gorilla shows up at the mansion just as the investigators arrive.
Director: Allan Dwan | Stars: The Ritz Brothers, Jimmy Ritz, Harry Ritz, Al Ritz
Votes: 1,680
20. Mad Mission (1982)
93 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A "James Bond" type burglar named King Kong (Sam Hui) tries to redeem himself and joins forces with Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl Maka), a bumbling police detective from the states, to try to ... See full summary »
Director: Eric Tsang | Stars: Samuel Hui, Karl Maka, Sylvia Chang, Dean Shek
Votes: 1,829
21. Mad Mission Part 2: Aces Go Places (1983)
100 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Black Gloves (Joe Dimmick), a European Assassin, is seeking to avenge his brother White Gloves' death against reformed criminal King Kong (Samuel Hui) and Detective Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl ... See full summary »
Director: Eric Tsang | Stars: Samuel Hui, Karl Maka, Sylvia Chang, Yasuaki Kurata
Votes: 1,325
22. The Inspector (1965–1969)
6 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
A confident but inept French inspector tracks down a series of surreal villains with the help of the reluctant Sergeant Deux-Deux.
Stars: Pat Harrington Jr., Paul Frees, Larry Storch, June Foray
Votes: 112
23. Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street (1984)
81 min | Action, Comedy
A master thief is duped by lookalikes for James Bond and the Queen of England into stealing a valuable gem from a heavily guarded location then must help the police recover it.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Samuel Hui, Karl Maka, Sylvia Chang, Jean Mersant
Votes: 1,157
24. Hot Ice (1955)
Passed | 16 min | Comedy, Short
The stooges apply for job as 'Yard Men' at Scotland Yard, thinking they'll become detectives, but instead wind up as gardeners. When they accidentally see a memo about the theft a famous ... See full summary »
Director: Jules White | Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald
Votes: 291
25. Mad Mission 4: You Never Die Twice (1986)
86 min | Action, Comedy
Baldy and King Kong shuttle between New Zealand and Hong Kong to recover a hi-tech prism that can impart superhuman powers
Director: Ringo Lam | Stars: Samuel Hui, Karl Maka, Sylvia Chang, Sally Yeh
Votes: 881
26. The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916)
Not Rated | 25 min | Comedy, Short
A bumbling detective comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress when a drug smuggler wants to force her to marry him.
Director: John Emerson | Stars: Douglas Fairbanks, Bessie Love, Allan Sears, Tom Wilson
Votes: 1,006
27. Call Holme (1972 TV Movie)
30 min | Comedy, Mystery
Unsold comedy pilot starring Arte Johnson as an inept private eye who happens to be a master of disguise.
Director: Gary Nelson | Stars: Arte Johnson, Arlene Golonka, Jim Hutton, Linda Cristal
Votes: 14
28. The Detectress (1919)
21 min | Comedy, Short
Aspiring detective Lizzie goes to Chinatown to track down some stolen papers, not realizing she's had them in her pocket all along.
Directors: Bruno C. Becker, Gale Henry | Stars: Gale Henry, Milburn Morante, Hap Ward, Eddie Baker
Votes: 99
29. Wedding Slips (1928)
9 min | Comedy, Short
A young pair of newlyweds crash into a gypsy camp, where strange encounters with love and the law await them.
Director: Jules White | Stars: Monte Collins, Lucille Hutton, Jack Lloyd, Robert Graves
Votes: 28
30.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Dead Weight
(1971)
TV-PG | 76 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A war hero shoots and kills his business partner; an easily manipulated young divorcée is the only witness.
Director: Jack Smight | Stars: Peter Falk, Eddie Albert, Kate Reid, Suzanne Pleshette
Votes: 3,376
31.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Murder by the Book
(1971)
TV-PG | 76 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When one member of a mystery writing team wants to break from his less talented partner, he becomes the victim in a real-life murder mystery.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Peter Falk, Jack Cassidy, Rosemary Forsyth, Martin Milner
Votes: 5,252
32.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Suitable for Framing
(1971)
PG | 76 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A wealthy art collector is murdered, and all signs point to a robbery gone wrong. But the nephew's alibi is a little too convenient, and Columbo pulls a fast one to ferret out the killer.
Director: Hy Averback | Stars: Peter Falk, Ross Martin, Don Ameche, Kim Hunter
Votes: 3,617
33.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Blueprint for Murder
(1972)
TV-PG | 75 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Elliot Markham, a brilliant architect and con-man, murders a Texas millionaire and hides his body in order to keep his visionary construction project financed.
Director: Peter Falk | Stars: Peter Falk, Patrick O'Neal, Janis Paige, Pamela Austin
Votes: 3,096
34.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Dagger of the Mind
(1972)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In London, a respected Shakespearean acting duo cover up the unintended killing of their producer.
Director: Richard Quine | Stars: Peter Falk, Richard Basehart, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Bernard Fox
Votes: 2,977
35.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Death Lends a Hand
(1971)
TV-PG | 76 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Columbo matches his skills against Brimmer, a former cop turned private investigator with a quick temper who tries to blackmail a client's wife. When she refuses, he accidentally kills her and it's up to Columbo to nail him.
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski | Stars: Peter Falk, Robert Culp, Pat Crowley, Ray Milland
Votes: 3,778
36.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Étude in Black
(1972)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A ruthless conductor murders the gifted pianist with whom he is having an affair. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Directors: Nicholas Colasanto, John Cassavetes, Peter Falk | Stars: Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, James Olson, Blythe Danner
Votes: 3,654
37.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Lady in Waiting
(1971)
TV-PG | 75 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.
Director: Norman Lloyd | Stars: Peter Falk, Susan Clark, Jessie Royce Landis, Richard Anderson
Votes: 3,251
38.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Short Fuse
(1972)
TV-PG | 75 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Pressured to give up his birthright, a chemical company heir enacts a clever plan to get rid of his blackmailing uncle and take over the family business. But Lt. Columbo suspects the man's death was not just a tragic accident.
Director: Edward M. Abroms | Stars: Peter Falk, Roddy McDowall, Anne Francis, James Gregory
Votes: 3,157
39.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
The Greenhouse Jungle
(1972)
Not Rated | 74 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Columbo arrives at a kidnapping case, which at some point turns to worse. Everything seems to be related to a trust fund managed by a man with a great love for orchids.
Director: Boris Sagal | Stars: Peter Falk, Ray Milland, Bob Dishy, Sandra Smith
Votes: 2,943
40.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
The Most Crucial Game
(1972)
Not Rated | 74 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The manager of a football team murders its callow owner, making it look as if the young man had had an accident in his swimming pool. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Director: Jeremy Kagan | Stars: Peter Falk, Robert Culp, Dean Jagger, James Gregory
Votes: 2,839
41.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
A Stitch in Crime
(1973)
Not Rated | 74 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A surgeon has an ingenious plan for murdering his partner in a research project, but a nurse catches onto the scheme.
Director: Hy Averback | Stars: Peter Falk, Leonard Nimoy, Anne Francis, Nita Talbot
Votes: 3,314
42.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Any Old Port in a Storm
(1973)
TV-PG | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A wine connisseur kills his half- brother to prevent him selling the family winery to a merchant company so he can pay off his gambling debts.
Director: Leo Penn | Stars: Peter Falk, Donald Pleasence, Joyce Jillson, Gary Conway
Votes: 3,755
43.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Candidate for Crime
(1973)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Senatorial candidate Nelson Hayward murders his domineering campaign manager, staging it to appear that Hayward himself was the intended victim of a mob hit gone wrong.
Director: Boris Sagal | Stars: Peter Falk, Jackie Cooper, Joanne Linville, Tisha Sterling
Votes: 2,778
44.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Double Exposure
(1973)
TV-PG | 70 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A self-styled "motivation research specialist" uses subliminal cues to commit a murder. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Director: Richard Quine | Stars: Peter Falk, Robert Culp, Robert Middleton, Chuck McCann
Votes: 2,697
45.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Double Shock
(1973)
Not Rated | 74 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A smarmy TV chef and his identical twin brother, a rigidly proper banker, are suspects in the electrocution of their rich uncle.
Director: Robert Butler | Stars: Peter Falk, Martin Landau, Jeanette Nolan, Tim O'Connor
Votes: 2,777
46.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Lovely But Lethal
(1973)
TV-PG | 73 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The formula for a miraculous wrinkle cream leads the founder of a cosmetics company to murder; Columbo is soon on the case.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Peter Falk, Vera Miles, Martin Sheen, Sian Barbara Allen
Votes: 2,772
47.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
The Most Dangerous Match
(1973)
Not Rated | 74 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A chess player murders his opponent before a big match. Lt. Columbo must out-maneuver this crafty, but craven, killer.
Director: Edward M. Abroms | Stars: Peter Falk, Laurence Harvey, Lloyd Bochner, Jack Kruschen
Votes: 2,778
48.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
A Friend in Deed
(1974)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A police commissioner provides a false alibi for a wife killer, but then expects an alibi in return.
Director: Ben Gazzara | Stars: Peter Falk, Richard Kiley, Rosemary Murphy, Michael McGuire
Votes: 2,876
49.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
By Dawn's Early Light
(1974)
TV-PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The commandant of a military academy murders the chairman of the board, who wants to oust him. Lt. Columbo takes up residence in the barracks to expose the killer.
Director: Harvey Hart | Stars: Peter Falk, Patrick McGoohan, Burr DeBenning, Madeleine Sherwood
Votes: 2,890
50.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Mind Over Mayhem
(1974)
TV-PG | 73 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The director of a government institute that employs various scientific geniuses commits a clever murder. But another kind of genius is on the case: Lt. Columbo.
Director: Alf Kjellin | Stars: Peter Falk, José Ferrer, Lew Ayres, Robert Walker Jr.
Votes: 2,372