Season Three 8 episodes September 23 1973 to May 5 1974
Information from: The Columbo Phile by Mark Dawidziak
Summary of Season 3

"Lovely but Lethal" (1973)
Season: 3, Episode - 1
Director:Jeannot Szwarc
Written by:Jackson Gillis (from a story by Myrna Bercovici)
Produced by:Douglas Benton
Originally aired:September 23, 1973
Run Time:74 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo

Vera Miles		as Viveca Scott
Martin Sheen		as Karl Lessing
Vincent Price		as David Lang
Sian Barbara Allen	as Shirley Blaine
Fred Draper		as Dr. Murcheson
Gino Conforti		as Ferdy
Colby Chester		as Jerry
Bruce Kirby		as Lab Attendant
John Finnegan		as Sergeant
Dick Stahl		as Burton
Marc Hannibal 		as Fingerprint Man
   
 
Plot:

Legendary cosmetic queen Viveca Scott finds that her Beauty Mark empire is being threatened by arch rival David lang. Her hopes for survival rest on the development of a revolutionary cream formula that actually helps remove wrinkles. The early test by Beauty marks chief chemist, Dr Murcheson are encouraging. Viveca is horrified to learn that Karl Lessing, Mucheson’s young assistant and former lover, has pirated the formula. He intends to sell it to David lang. What Karl doesn’t know is that Viveca has a spy in the enemy camp- David Lang’s private secretary, Shirley Blaine.

 



"Any Old Port in a Storm" (1973)
Season: 3, Episode - 2
Director:Leo Penn
Written by:Stanley Ralph Ross (from a story by Larry Cohen)
Produced by:Robert F. O'Neill
Originally aired:October 7, 1973
Run Time:120 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo

Guest Starring 

Donald Pleasence	as Adrian Carsini 
Joyce Jillson		as Joan Stacey 
Gary Conway		as Ric Carsini 
Dana Elcar		as Falcon 
Julie Harris		as Karen Fielding 
Vito Scotti 		as Maitre D' 
Robert Donner 		as The Drunk 
Robert Ellenstein 	as Stein 
Robert Walden 		as Billy Fine 
Regis J Cordic 		as Lewis 
Reid Smith 		as Andy Stevens 
John McCann 		as Officer
George Gaynes 		as Frenchman
Monty Landis 		as Steward 
Walker Edmiston 	as Auctioneer 
Pamela Campbell 	as Cassie Marlowe


 
Plot:

Half-English and half-Italian Adrian Carsini is about to be names the wine industry’s man of the year. Although a dedicated winemaker and ardent collector, Adrian is a poor businessman. Such lack of regard for profit infuriates his young half-brother, Ric, a high-living playboy who enjoys auto racing, scuba diving and parachute jumping. The family wine business and the money was left to Adrian. The land that Carsini Wineries sits on. However, legally belongs to Ric. On the Sunday that Adrian and his devoted secretary, Soft-spoken Karen Fielding, are about to leave for a New York business trip, Ric stops at the winery to announce that he’s getting married for the fourth time. He’s short of cash, but that’s only going to be a temporary situation. Ric has decided to sell the Carsini land to a competitors who specialize in notoriously cheap mass-market wines. Adrian, who has known true happiness at the winery, is appalled and infuriated. In a blind rage, he picks up a heavy object from his desk and knocks Ric unconscious.

 

	 For Sounds from this Episode

 
			Click here if you wish to hear sound samples.



"Candidate for Crime" (1973)
Season: 3, Episode - 3
Director:Boris Sagal
Written by:Roland Kibbee, Dean Hargrove (from a story by Larry Cohen)
Produced by:Dean Hargrove and Roland Kibbee
Originally aired:November 4, 1973
Run Time:120 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo

Jackie Cooper		as Nelson Hayward
Ken Swofford		as Harry Stone
Joanne Linville		as Victoria Hayward
Tisha Sterling		as Linda Johnson
Vito Scotti		as Mr. Chadwick
Robert Karnes		as SGT. Verson
Jay Varela		as SGT. Rojas
Regis Cordic		as Deputy Commissioner
Sandy Kenyon		as Harris
Jack Riley		as Director
Mario Gallo		as Dr. Perenchio
Jude Farese		as Highway Patrolman
Clete Roberts		as TV Anchorman
Angelo Grisanti		as First Detective
Lew Brown		as Second Detective
Don Diamond		as Larry
James G. Richardson	as Shelly
Bill Andes		as Campaign Manager
Lucille Meredith	as Lucy
Katie Sagal		as Secretary
Larry Burrell		as Newsman

 
Plot:

With election day close at hand, nelson Hayward finds himself in an extremely tight race for a Senate seat from California. Since the candidate is known for his tough stand against organized crime, campaign manager harry Stone has manufactured stories about death threats against nelson. Although only a ploy to drum up badly needed votes, the strategy is effective enough to earn Nelson a constant curtain of Police protection. One of the Los Angeles officers assigned to his detail is a homicide lieutenant named Columbo. Knowing that the death threats are completely phony, Nelson cavalierly dismisses them when answering questions from reporters. He won’t be intimidated.

 



"Double Exposure" (1973)
Season: 3, Episode - 4
Director:Richard Quine
Written by:Stephen J. Cannell
Produced by:Dean Hargrove and Roland Kibbee
Originally aired:December 16, 1973
Run Time: (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo
 
Robert Culp		as Dr. Bart Kepple
Robert Middleton	as Victor Norris
Louise Latham		as Mrs. Norris
Arlene Martell		as Tanya Baker
Chuck Mccann		as Roger White
Denny Goldman		as Press Photographer
John Milford		as First Detective
George Wyner		as Film Editor
Richard Stahl		as Ballistics Man
Francis Desales		as Patterson
Alam Beltran		as Housekeeper
Dennis Roberson		as Detective Marley
Harry Hickox		as Second Detective
Ann Driscoll		as Mrs. Halstead
E.A. Sirianni		as Norbert
Manuel Depina		as First detective
Thomas Bellin		as Technician
Peter Walker		as Narrator
Mary Beth Sikorski	as Receptionist

 

Plot:

Dr. Bart Kepple is a brilliant motivational research scientist, but he is also something of a blackmailer. A certain Tanya baker is quite proficient at getting Kepple’s male clients into compromising positions. One of these clients, powerful Victor Norris, has decided that he will no longer be a victim of extortion.



"Publish or Perish" (1974)
Season: 3, Episode - 5
Director:Robert Butler
Written by:Peter S. Fischer
Produced by:Dean Hargrove and Roland Kibbee
Originally aired:January 18, 1974
Run Time: (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo
  
Jack Cassidy		as Riley Greenleaf
Mickey Spillane		as Allen Mallory
Mariette Hartley	as Eileen Mcrae
John Chandler		as Eddie Kane
Jacques Aubuchon	as Jeffrey Neal
Gregory Sierra		as Lou D'Allesandro
Alan Fudge		as David Crase
Paul Shenar		as SGT. Young
Jack Bender		as Wolpert
Ted Gehring		as Security Guard
Vern Rowe		as Restaurant Owner
Lew Palter		as Lab Technician
George Bernlin		as Locksmith
J.S. johnson		as Palmer
Maurice Marsac		as Walter

 
Plot:

Allen Mallory, the author of five bestselling detective novels, has decided to leave Riley Greenleaf’s publishing house. His agent, Eileen McRae, has convinced him that he can write serious fiction for rival publisher Jeffrey Neal. Enraged by the defection, Riley hires demolitions expert Eddie Kane to kill Allen. In addition to collectiong on a huge life insurance policy, Riley will make sure that Allan never writes for another publisher.

 



"Mind Over Mayhem" (1974)
Season: 3, Episode - 6
Director:Alf Kjellin
Written by:Steven Bochco, Dean Hargrove (from a story by Robert Specht)
Produced by:Dean Hargrove and Roland Kibbee
Originally aired:February 10, 1974
Run Time: (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo

Guest Starring 

Jose Ferrer 		as Dr. Marshall Cahill
Lew Ayres		as Prof. Howard Nicholson 
Robert Walker		as Neil Cahill 
Lee H Montgomery	as Steve Spelberg 
Jessica Walter 		as Margaret Nicholson 
Lou Wagner 		as Ross 
Art Batanides 		as Murph 
Darrell Zwerling 	as Motel Manager 
Charles Macaulay 	as Farnsworth 
John Zaremba 		as Coroner 
William Bryant 		as Fields 
Bert Holland 		as Whitehead 
Ed Fury 		as Plain Clothes Man 
Jefferson Kibbee 	as Jeff 
Dianne Turley 		as Lady Scientist 
William Christopher 	as Male Scientist 
Deidre Hall 		as Receptionist 
Dennis Robertson 	as 1st Reporter 
Luis Moreno 		as Officer

  
Plot:

Young Neil Cahill’s theory of molecular power is about to win him scientist of the years honors. His demanding father, Dr. Marshall Cahill, head of Cybernetic Research Institute think tank, is justifiably proud. But professor Howard Nicholson, an elderly chemist at the institute, has files to prove Neil stole the theory from the late Dr. Carl Finch. If Neil doesn’t confess the fraud, Howard will expose him Marshall will not let his son be touched by scandal. Howard must be eliminated

 

	 For More Indepth Information

 
			Click here if you wish to know additional information.








"Swan Song" (1973)
Season: 3, Episode - 7
Director: Nick Colasanto
Written by:Roland Kibbee, Dean Hargrove (from a story by Stanley Ralph Ross)
Produced by:Edward K. Dodds
Originally aired:March 3, 1974
Run Time:120 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo
  
Johnny Cash		as Tommy Brown
Ida Lupino		as Edna Brown
William McKinney	as Luke Basket
Sorrell Booke		as J.J. Stringer
John Dehner		as Roland Pangborn
Bonnie Van Dyke		as Maryann
Janit Baldwin		as Tina
Vito Scotti		as Mr. Grindell
John Randolph		as The Colonel
Lucille Meredith	as Lady
Richard Caine		as Bennett
Donald Mantooth		as Phil
Jefferson Kibbee	as Frank
Doug Dirkson		as Jeff
Larry Burrell		as TV Reporter
Mike Edward Lally	as TV Cameraman
Tom McFadden		as Police Pilot

 
Plot:

The star of the lost Soul Crusades, country-western singer Tommy Brown regularly sells out auditoriums and stadiums. But he sees very little of the enormous profits. Those are controlled by his pious and fanatical wife, evangelist Edna Brown. Edna is able to keep Tommy under the thumb because she knows he frequented motels with crusade singer Maryann when she was just sixteen years old. If he quits singing before the Lost Soul tabernacle can be built, Edna will turn him in on charges of statutory rape. An ex-convict, Tommy can’t afford to call her bluff. Yet he has swallowed all the blackmail he can stomach.

 



"A Friend in Deed" (1974)
Season: 3, Episode - 8
Director:Ben Gazzara
Written by:Peter S. Fischer Levinson, William Link
Produced by:Edward K. Dodds
Originally aired:May 5, 1974
Run Time:120 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo

Val Avery		as Artie Jessup
Richard Kiley		as Deputy Commissioner Mark Halperin
Michael McGuire		as Hugh Caldwell
Rosemarie Murphy	as Margaret Halperin
Eleanor Zee		as Thelma  
Rosemary Murphy		as Margaret Halperin
John Finnegan		as Lt. Dryer
Arlene Martell		as Sales Girl
Victor Campos		as Doyle
Joshua Bryant		as Dr. Macmurray
Byron Morrow		as Amos Lawrence
James V. Christy	as Sharkey
Alam Beltran		as Mrs. Fernandez
Albert Popwell		as Al Como

 
Plot:

Hugh Caldwell, who lives in the fashionable Bel Air section of Los Angeles, has just murdered his wife, Janice. In a panic, he calls his neighbor and best friend, Mark Halperin, who is gambling at their club. Mark tells Hugh to calm down and stay in plain sight at the club’s bar. Hell take care of everything.

 

	 For More Pictures

 
			Click here if you wish to know additional Pictures.


Return to Season2