User Reviews

This the third Columbo that Jack Cassidy has played the villain and sadly the last. This is my favorite of the three where Cassidy plays the Great Santini who is on a us tour for his magic act. Santini's boss is aware that the Great Santini used to be an ex-Nazi named stefan Mueller during the end of world war II and the exposure of this leads Santini to preform the " perfect murder." In my opinion this was one of the most clever murders of the entire series due to beguiling tricks up Santini's sleeve. Once Peter Falk joins the festivities the pure magic begins as these two icons of film trifle around about magic tricks and secrets that must be revealed to sort out alibi's. Lt Columbo states "Your really not in that cube"? This terrific episode continues with other side acts including a Sergeant from a previous Columbo titled "The Greenhouse Jungle" returns to rekindle some comic relief with Lt Columbo. Lt Columbo constantly forgetting his new coat and Seargent Wilson always finding it for him is some of the funniest moments in the series. As good as Falk is here the show really belongs to Cassidy with his cocksure panache and smug posture really is convinced that he has preformed the perfect murder until Columbo tests his abilities to pick a pair of handcuffs for hardened criminals. This particular scene is one of tense moments in the entire series. Cassidy knows if he picks it he is guilty but still the master of illusions is more concerned about his image than to confess a murder. It's at this point Columbo moves in for the kill and starts to glean and glean some more until The Great Santini succumbs to his confession. This is in my top Five Columbo's of all time.

Columbo has always been one of my favourites, and Now You See Him... while not quite among my absolute favourites is still a very good episode. It has lovely locations and the editing and photography are as slick as ever. The music also adds much to the atmosphere. The story is diverting in concept right from the well-constructed murder and never lets go. The ending is clever and satisfying if not going off like fireworks like Suitable For Framing or A Stitch in Crime did. The script is tense and clever with bits of humour that doesn't feel jarring. Now You See Him... is beautifully directed too. Of the support cast, it was interesting to see Nehemiah Persoff and Robert Loggia, but neither don't have that much to do really. I have to say though Bob Dishy has a role that is much better written than his role in The Greenhouse Jungle(which I liked but remember it for Ray Milland than anything else) and it shows, he really makes the most of it. I was most impressed by Cynthia Sikes, very beautiful and she can act. But it is the two leads that dominate. Peter Falk is brilliant as Columbo, while Jack Cassidy(one of the series' most justifiably most frequent and memorable guest stars) is wonderfully and smug. While Publish and Perish is my personal favourite of his three episodes(Murder By the Book is great too), my personal favourite performance of his in the Columbo series is here. In conclusion, a very good, no scratch that, great Columbo. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The Great Santini (Jack Cassidy) is a brilliant stage magician with a hidden past. His real name is Stefan Mueller and he was an SS officer assigned to the concentration camps. Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff), his current employer, has learned of the illusionist's Nazi career and is using the information to blackmail him. One night, while ostensibly performing his celebrated trick of being locked in a steel cabinet and dowsed in a tank of water, Santini is really disguising himself as a waiter and walking unseen to Jerome's office. When Jerome turns up dead, it looks like a contract killing. But our rumpled, redoubtable Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), assisted by the overeager Sgt. Wilson (Bob Dishy), has a few tricks of his own.

If Columbo can outmaneuver a chess champion ("The Most Dangerous Match"), out-think a scientific genius ("Mind Over Mayhem") and outwit a master spy ("Identity Crisis"), what made a master illusionist think he could do any better?

This is a splendid "Columbo" episode, with all the tricky plotting, delightful comedy and tense cat-and-mouse play that fans love. Did I mention the comedy? In the weak "Greenhouse Jungle," Bob Dishy is clearly a good actor playing a tedious character. Here he returns as Sgt. Wilson but the script by Michael Sloan is much better. Wilson's comic business, this time involving Columbo's new raincoat, is much better integrated into the plot than in "Greenhouse"—and it's much funnier.

Harvey Hart does a very nice directing job. Somebody in his crew had an excellent eye for detail. I especially like how a little water trickles out of the trap door after Santini's daughter (Cynthia Sikes) opens it.

The ending is ordinary, without one of those great thunderclap surprises, as in "A Stitch in Crime" and "Suitable for Framing." I love the final scene anyway, with Columbo's funny yet unnerving imitation of a magician's stage technique. This "Columbo" will work like magic on any fan.

The story in "Now You See Him" is one of the best of all the "Columbo" episodes. It is quite enjoyable to watch...and extremely well thought out and intelligently written.

When the story begins, you learn that the great illusionist, The Great Santini* (Jack Cassidy), has something to hide...and he's being blackmailed because of it. His boss (Nehemiah Persoff) knows that Santini was actually an SS soldier who worked in a death camp during WWII. To rid himself of this threat, Santini uses his knowledge of magic and deception to make it appear as if he could never have done the murder as he was in a different part of the nightclub at the time of the killing. It's up to Columbo to match wits with Santini and best him at his own game.

The writing was just exquisite in this one and the story very exciting. It's a shame that Cassidy died later the same year he made this guest appearance, as he was always wonderful on the show. Also interesting is seeing Sgt. Wilson on the show, as he played Wilson in an earlier episode ("Greenhouse Jungle")...though his first name, oddly, changed.

*Not to be confused with the character played by Robert Duvall so expertly in 1979.

Of all of the repeat offenders who appeared on Columbo, I admit to liking Jack Cassidy the best. Handsome, charming, exuding great self-confidence, always immaculately dressed, he's one you just love to see Columbo drag off to prison, no matter what character he's playing.

Here's he's a well-known magician with a secret. Calling himself The Great Santini, he's known by the blackmailing club owner Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff) of the Magic nightclub where he performs as Stefan Mueller, former SS officer.

Jerome collects 50% of The Great Santini's earnings - he's a regular Tom Parker. Elvis may not have known any better, but Santini does, and he's sick of paying up. When he tries to pay just 10%, Jerome informs him that if he doesn't have the rest of the money by performance time, he'll be writing to the Israeli government and turning him in.

Santini doesn't appear with the rest of the money - he has other plans, which include shooting Jerome during the time when he has an excellent alibi, stuck on stage in a locked case submerged in a tank of water.

I always try to find the moment where Columbo knows the identity of the killer - this one didn't take him long. Bob Dishy is a riot as the officer assisting Columbo, constantly returning the new raincoat Mrs. Columbo gave her husband, which he is desperate to lose.

Fantastic episode, with the lovely Cynthia Sikes as The Great Santini's daughter. Sadly, it was Cassidy's last appearance - he died in a fire in December 1976, the year of this episode.

All I knew about Jack Cassidy was his sons who were in the Hardy boys. He died before I got to know him. I think this is my favorite Columbo episode with him as a magician with a secret, he was a Nazi in Germany during World War II. Cynthia Sikes plays his lovely daughter who is clueless about her father's identity and history but she is memorable and she is better known for her role in St. Elsewhere. Sadly, I hated reading about Jack Cassidy's tragic death. Wherever you are Jack, we miss you still after 30 years. Columbo always catches his man or woman even in this episode. As Columbo always says, there is no such thing as a perfect murder. Just when you think he's got away with his crimes, nothing could be further from the truth. If you love Columbo, you will love this episode and how he catches his man is just as much fun to watch and learn.

Jack Cassidy returns for the third and final time as a Columbo villain in this thoroughly entertaining episode of the show. Cassidy had previously essayed villainous turns in PUBLISH OR PERISH and MURDER BY THE BOOK so by now he was an old hand at the show and his turn as a murderous magician is delightful. Columbo would later turn back to the magic world in COLUMBO GOES TO THE GUILLOTINE, but this earlier episode is definitely the stronger one.

Aside from Cassidy, this TV film has plenty of reasons to watch. The magical backdrop means there's a whole smoke-and-mirrors feel to the story, with mystery lurking in every corner. The supporting cast members include a reliable Robert Loggia and a fine and sympathetic turn from Bob Dishy as one of the detective's helpers. Humour comes from Columbo's new coat, which is a poor fit in comparison to his beloved overcoat. There's nothing really to dislike about this story, which is one of the strongest of the series.

This episode was my late fathers all time favourite. He got me into Columbo ergo it is now affectionately one of my favourites. The story is classic Columbo and the two protagonists are superb, but for me its all about the new coat which he keeps trying to lose, brilliantly funny.

Jack Cassidy pops up again as another scheming and conniving scoundrel, and general all round nere-dowell.

Here he is reincarnated as The Great Santini the grand master of illusions, himself replete with concealed skeleton.

This is a 2nd Columbo Episode featuring magicians though they both involve Murders, this is no way near as gruesome.

Columbo is looking rather neater than usual this time replete with, new haircut and coat supplied by his misses as a present.

But, can Columbo ever really be happy in anything in the way of new clothes?

Inspector Columbo is teamed up again with Sargeant John Wilson, and we are reminded of his characters personality.

Sgt. Wilson is an officer who loves to stick by the book of police procedures, and particularly keen to be efficient and punctilious.

What a complete difference in personalities and approach, between Columbo vs Sgt. John Wilson.

Neither of them can seemingly quite appreciate or want to contend with the other, that's certainly what comes across to me.

Columbo is really a solo performer which may appear as a daft observation, as he is invariably seen in situations surrounded by other officers.

But if you watch him at work he is thoroughly emersed, in what he is about. And Columbo really doesn't want to have to be bothered with having to put up with Sgt. John Wilson.

As always with me, the sight of the arrogant, condescending, egotistical, vain Jack Cassidy is enough to induce nausea and vomiting. This episode is listed as one of Peter Falks favorites and I can't figure out why. The slight of hand tricks performed are caught on camera or just lame, the lounge singer is talking about a gig in Vegas but it would have to be as a bus boy because he can't sing and his stage presence is that of a deer in headlights. The club is a dump, the extras playing patrons are ridiculous with the over the top facial expressions (Oh gee, am I going to get discovered?.....NO! ) and their applause to the most mediocre tricks performed. Columbo, Dog and the old raincoat turn in a very good performance. A couple of cast changes and this would have been an excellent episode. How about James Franciscus as Santini and anybody else for the lounge singer. And enough with the ex-Nazi war criminal theme, the Great Santini could have been guilty of a multitude of other blaclmailable crimes. I'm sure there are viewers that disagree with my opinions (just look at all the other reviews) and I have to state that this episode deserves a 10 rating compared to the next in the series titled "Last Salute to the Commodore ".

Sadly, this was Jack Cassidy's third and final outing as a Columbo villain, in a episode made not long before his tragic death in a housefire. Here he is just as effective as before as he perfectly conveys the wholesesome villainy and cold-bloodedness of his characterisation - a stiff jaw, humourless and stern-faced expressions, hard-hitting and economical use of dialogue, a piercing focus of the eyes and simmering arrogance that is often forced out of him.

All in all, Cassidy's contribution aside, this is a entertaining, well-produced and watchable addition to the series., with some interesting insights into the world of magic, accompanied by some typically robust forms of deduction (the creases/sweat on the back of the victim's shirt being an obvious example).

There are, as you might expect, some strong scenes between Falk and Cassidy; particularly memorable ones are when Columbo challenges Cassidy's character to escape from the former's handcuffs, and at the finale -

Santini (Cassidy) says: "..And I thought I had performed the perfect murder..." Columbo (Falk) says: "....there is no such thing...that is just an illusion!"

A very good standard Columbo, made at a time when original scripts were becoming increasingly difficult to conceive.

Jack Cassidy dazzles as The Great Santini, a magician with a hatful of tricks but not enough to pull the wool over Columbo's eyes.

The Great Santini has had enough with sharing half his earnings with club owner Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff.) Jerome found out that Santini was a Nazi and a member of the SS and has been blackmailing him.

Santini conjures up an elaborate plan to have Jerome killed while he is supposedly performing a death defying escape act.

Columbo hooks up again with Sergeant Wilson who is always finding the new raincoat that Columbo wants to lose. Thayer David who was memorable in Rocky turns up as a magic shop clerk who gives Columbo an important clue.

This is Cassidy's episode, he died a few months after this was broadcast. He leaves a performance that shows just what a talent he was. There is some really nifty tricks on show here and Cassidy pulls it off with great aplomb.

PLOT: A sly magician (Jack Cassidy) murders his employer and makes it look like a crime syndicate execution, but the rumpled detective discerns the truth. Bob Dishy returns for his second-and-last Columbo outing after "The Greenhouse Jungle (1972) as simi-bumbling assistant Sgt. Frederic Wilson.

COMMENTARY: This was Cassidy's third and final appearance as the murderer on Columbo; his previous segments were "Murder by the Book" (1971) and "Publish or Perish" (1974). Nine & a half months after the airing Cassidy died in a curious apartment blaze, just a few months shy of 50.

Along with the 1968 pilot "Prescription: Murder," this ranks as one of the best Columbo flicks. Cassidy is perfect for the role of the sly, cunning illusionist. It's perhaps the best episode to display feminine beauty, spotlighted by Cynthia Sikes as the magician's daughter, Della. There's also a notable dark-haired cocktail waitress, plus 2-3 peripherals. "Columbo Cries Wolf" (1990) is its best challenger in this department.

Besides a great story & cast, there's side amusement concerning the sleuth's new coat and a brief guest appearance by "Dog."

The movie runs 1 hour, 28 minutes.

GRADE: A

Columbo had a vague suspicion, a kind of intuition that made him thirst for the truth: the lock on the door of the office where the crime was committed. To be sure of his intuition, he puts the magician to a test: in the middle of the show, he asks the magician to unlock his handcuffs. And when the Magician manages to unlock his handcuffs, then Columbo knew for sure that he was the criminal, because someone who knows how to unlock handcuffs certainly knows how to open a door lock.

All Columbo had to do next was to find the motive for the crime, the connection between the victim and the magician, but especially the way the Magician acted in order to not be seen while committing the crime. Throughout the episode, we learn various ways in which magical bodies are realized.

So, if you want to solve a case of magic, you must transform yourself into a magician. Throughout the film, Columbo becomes an expert in magic tricks and proves to be more inspired than the real magician. To catch a magician, you have to follow the thread of his tricks, but in such a way as not to fall prey to his illusions. Moreover, you have to become an illusion yourself, an unexpected effect of the way you build reality, so that no one else suspects.

Then, there is the novice detective, Sergeant Wilson. Being a novice means being a beginner or lacking experience in a certain field or activity. In the given example, Sergeant John J. Wilson proves to be a novice because he does not focus on the important details of the crime, but on less relevant aspects, such as where Detective Columbo leaves his coat. Wherever he meets Columbo, he brings with him Columbo's forgotten coat from various places. This suggests that John J. Wilson lacks the experience or skills necessary to solve cases effectively. So, in general, being a novice means being at the beginning of a path or career and having a lot to learn and develop.

Secondly,

To uncover clues about a potential criminal, you must pay close attention to what happens around you in places other than where the crime occurred. For instance, Columbo accidentally notices that one of his colleagues at the police station has a wet shirt back due to sweating. This suggests that he was sitting at a desk, with his back against the chair's backrest (which is how condensation forms). Consequently, the murdered person also must have been sitting, as he was found dead with a wet shirt back. Columbo tells the sergeant to note: "Now we know for sure that the victim was sitting. The next question: where was he sitting?

Furthermore, when looking for clues, you should frequently return to the crime scene, trying to put yourself in the victim's place. There were several chairs in the room. However, Columbo intuits that the victim was sitting at a desk, due to the glasses and the glass of wine on the desk. And when you type, you wear glasses. Yes, you wear reading glasses if you're typing, but there was no paper in the typewriter. There were no written documents on the desk or in the drawers. Nothing in this room indicates that the man was writing at the machine.

Then Columbo looks more closely at the typewriter. He notices something curious. What is this? It looks like a golf ball. This ball prints the letters, but it doesn't move. This is the carriage, but this typewriter doesn't have one like that. You see, the ball moves from left to right. See this? This is a single-use carbon ribbon for a very clear image.

Colombo reveals to Santini the most important clue and evidence: "You didn't look closely enough at that typewriter. If you had, you would have seen that it used a plastic carbon ribbon. A single-use carbon ribbon, sir, the kind you don't reuse. And when the key hits the ribbon, it produces a letter that is clearly visible on the used ribbon. And if we roll back the entire used section of the ribbon, we see what Mr. Jerome typed."

In conclusion, to find out who the criminal is, you need to look for clues about the motive of the crime. And the clue to the crime is not in plain sight; it is hidden around the place where the crime was committed. Often, you need an assistant who knows how certain things work that you are not familiar with. For example, Columbo knew next to nothing about the typewriter, nor about its writing mechanism. But Sergeant Wilson had worked with such a typewriter model while he was a student at the police academy. He knew everything about the machine.

A fitting saying for finding clues is an old one from Marcus Aurelius: "Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does that thing hide?"

It's a clever, and appropriate, idea for a Columbo episode to be about magic and a magician. The many would-be successful murderers in the series have a bag of conjurer's tricks – ironclad, albeit fake, alibis; false clues; a gift for making incriminating evidence (and inconvenient witnesses) disappear; a seeming ability to be in two places at once. But as all the bad guys discover the Lieutenant always is able to pick the lock of the (illusory) perfect crime. Another clever aspect of this story is that Columbo, in the handcuffs scene, forces the villain to show his hand, as it were, in a very public way, by appealing to his sense of professional ethics and pride, much like Robert Donat and Mr. Memory in The 39 Steps.

This is a terrific episode.

It is interesting to observe the cameos in this episode. Many who never made it to stardom but could have.

Odd aggregate count of women in high heels in this episode.

A must see for Columbo fans.

then again, aren't ALL the episodes? except that one involving the boat, it seems they all just dropped LSD for that episode. I'm actually NOT kidding there. Look it up.

Be prepared to hit pause a few times in this episode. The expressions are precious.

Have fun

Jack Cassidy makes his third appearance as a murderer, here playing "The Great Santini", a successful magician in a nightclub who is being blackmailed by his greedy boss Jesse Jerome(played by Nehemiah Persoff) who threatens to expose his true identity as a former Nazi prison guard wanted by both U.S and Israeli officials. Santini then kills Jerome in his office, making it look like a contract hit while giving himself a near-perfect alibi while doing his underwater escape act which doesn't fool Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk), who must learn the magic behind the murder... Good episode which does effectively mask the familiar casting of Cassidy. Bob Dishy returns as Sergeant Wilson.

Jack Cassidy is a delight in this episode. One of the best ever Columbo episodes. My all time favourite and I have seen them all. Jack really blew it early on with the handcuff escape. His ego wouldn't allow him to fail but by escaping them he gave Columbo the green light. What a shame Cassidy was taken at 49 years of age with decades of his acting genius to come. But it went up in smoke. Like one of the Great Santini's tricks in this marvellous epitaph to his talent.

"Now You See Him" aka "The Great Santini" is one of the more overrated Columbo episodes, probably due to the presence and charisma of Jack Cassidy. But the plot and script are strictly average.

This is one of Columbo's easier cases and we know almost from the outset when and how he will catch the murderer. Cassidy's illusionist is so vapid you can literally reach right through him. He is a walking ghost. On the positive side the pacing and direction is tight and straight forward, mercifully ending the film after less than 80 minutes.

Usual nonsense.... Columbo visits the crime scene and already knows how the murder unfolded, and guess what, as per usual, he gets to speak to the murderer first before speaking to anyone else, there were 166 people in that theatre the night the murder happened lol

And obviously, he suspects santini within 10 minutes, I find his usual gimmicks really stupid and this is all fantasy, investigations never happen like that. This man is pure speculation.

Usually nonsense.... Columbo visits the crime scene and already knows how the murder unfolded, and guess what, as per usual, he gets to speak to the murderer before speaking to anyone else, there were 166 people in that theatre the night the murder happened lol

And obviously, he suspects santini within 10 minutes, I find his usual gimmicks really stupid and this is all fantasy, investigations never happen like that. This man is pure speculation.