Columbo

I'm trying to figure out some way to appear humble.

Columbo's creators first offered the part of the dumpy detective to Bing Crosby, but Dare Bingle prided himself on nattiness and wanted no part of a production that would cast him as a slob.

So Falk, who'd previously played a DA on the short-lived 60s series The Trials of O'Brien, got called in on the case.

He had no problem with his character's sartorial malfeasance, In fact, he took it upon himself to hand-select Columbo's wardrobe.

While most TV detectives of the era were suave and articulate, Fox Columbo always looked and sounded like he'd just gotten out of bed.

One other thing, Mrs. Halpern.

The Caldwell house that's on the next block, is it? Yes, right across the street.

The cagey cop with a lopsided squint was a bit of a mystery.

What am I fucking,

what's his name, Columbo? Yeah, and the real one would give memberships, though, right, Lemmy? Right.

There you go,

Lemmy.

Because I think that that's been really key for our marketing apparatus.

You do know that's Detective Columbo tactic.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Maybe that's where I got it.

I may have

snatched that.

I have no idea who Detective Columbo is.

But he would put his hand on the door and he'd say, by the way.

man.

Only Columbo.

Only Columbo.

Only Columbo locked in.

Who, Columbus?

I know Columbus.

We call him Columbo.

Why you call him Columbo? He came up to

trying to hide from something.

And what evidence do we have that this is a frightened kid at this stage, in the park, in and around this? And what was really interesting, we went there, you assumed the role of Columbo, you were there knocking on doors, and you met one witness who I think was very powerful.

Yeah, and then that was Sandra Semple, and she lived in a road around the park.

Did note that in the early hours of the Monday morning, she said very clearly what she noted was she heard the rattling of her door handle, of her kitchen door handle, and she was really very, very alarmed about that.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Peter Falk.

1927, actor fondly remembered for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the popular TV series Columbo.

That is Peter Falk.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., 1950, historian, scholar, and journalist who currently hosts Finding Your Roots.

He's, he couldn't stop his momentum, and he just ran into the guy's legs.

Colombo is still asking that very question, Keith.

Yeah.

[laughs]

I don't understand.

You tell me.

[laughs] Do you know what? I've been watching clips of Colombo.

There's a great one.