Columbo: Grand Deceptions (TV Movie 1989)

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Peter Falk

Columbo

Robert Foxworth

Frank Brailie

Andy Romano

Sergeant Major Lester Keegan

Janet Eilber

Jenny Padget

Stephen Elliott

General Padget

Michael McManus

Tanzer

James Lashly

Sidney Winnik

Lynn Clark

Marcia

Bennett James

Corporal
(as Bennett Liss)

Lee Arenberg

Paramilitary Man #3

John William Gibson

Paramilitary Man #2

Stephen Quadros

Paramilitary Man #4

Milt Kogan

Medical Examiner

Christopher Titus

Paramilitary Man #1

Rick Marzan

Police Officer

George J. Peters

Mr. Martinson

Carolyn Carradine

Major's Wife

Norma MacMillan

Mrs. Martinson
(as Norma Macmillan)

Director
- Sam Wanamaker
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Trivia
(at around 43 mins) This is one of the few Columbo episodes in which the Lieutenant's supposed first name is displayed. Columbo is showing Frank Brailie a plastic evidence bag of leaves and mud retrieved from the collar of the victim, and the name 'Frank Columbo' can be read on the bag.

Goofs
When Columbo looks at the body of Sergeant Major Lester Keegan, he can be seen to be blinking.

Quotes
Lieutenant Columbo: You know, Colonel, the way we always agree with one another, that's amazing, considering the fact that we really don't like one another. Would you agree with me on that?
Colonel Frank Brailie: I think I'd have to agree.
Lieutenant Columbo: You see? We agree again.

Crazy credits
As the program ends and the credits roll, the camera pans across the Civil War miniature figurines on their battlefield. It ends its motion on a tight closeup of a miniature figurine of Columbo himself, complete with trademark rumpled tan raincoat and arms up in his classic pose when interrupting to make a point. Clearly, his figurine is intended not as a Civil War relic, but instead as a little joke for the viewers.

Connections
Featured in Columbo: Grand Deceptions

Soundtracks
I've Got A Crush On You
(uncredited)
Written by George Gershwin

Average military-themed Columbo story

GRAND DECEPTIONS is one of the earliest of the comeback Columbo episodes, following on from the superior SEX AND THE MARRIED DETECTIVE. This one's a little dry and stilted for a Columbo episode, not to mention that the military setting is overly familiar from earlier and better instalments (like BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT).

The murder is a typical one with a military angle, but it takes forever to get going and about half an hour of screen time has passed until we get to the meat of the detective investigation. Although the running time overall is only an hour and a half, this story feels very slow and it's a little too serious for its own good; there's no goofiness here, and even though Columbo's dog makes a cameo, he doesn't get to do much.

Falk is on fine fettle, but I find that Columbo is only as good as his opponents, and Robert Foxworth as the guest villain is a bit of a bore, far too straight-laced to make an impact. Andy Romano (ERASER) as the victim is much better, as Stephen Elliott playing the old-time general. But, in the end, GRAND DECEPTIONS is a very ordinary and average-feeling Columbo story, with a completely spurious ending, and certainly not one to remember.