Columbo

Joe

“Depending on how you reckon it, the first episode of “Columbo” was “Murder by the Book”, directed by a young Steven Spielberg and starring Jack Cassidy. Cassidy is a master of convincing us that he is unconvincing. He can be seen to lie on screen in a way that is both obvious and plausible. It is a magic trick. The star of a good Columbo episode is the murderer. Columbo himself is a natural force,”