PLOT: A VIP CIA operative and double agent (Patrick McGoohan) finds it necessary to murder a colleague (Leslie Nielsen) and make it look like a random night mugging at a pier. Otis Young, David White and Vito Scotti appear in peripheral roles.
COMMENTARY: This was McGoohan's second of four appearances on Columbo as the antagonist. It was also the first of five episodes he directed. He and Falk were friends in real life and thus McGoohan's presence usually ensures a quality segment.
This is a longer Columbo outing at 1 hour, 37 minutes. It has the usual dialogue-driven cat-and-mouse and features the disheveled sleuth's penchant for details in his detective work, like meticulously going through random photos at an amusement park. Speaking of which, I like the location shooting at the park and pier, as well as the Middle Eastern-styled nightclub. As is typical, the murderer is arrogant and underestimates Columbo. On the downside, his motive is decidedly ambiguous.
The film scores pretty well on the female front with statuesque redhead Barbara Rhoades as a photographer at the amusement park and Angela May as the antagonist's secretary in a brief role, not to mention the winsome blonde girl at the carnival, played by Alicia Chambers.
GRADE: B