Columbo: Grand Deceptions

TV Movie
1989
TV-PG
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Peter Falk and Robert Foxworth in Columbo: Grand Deceptions (1989)

Cop Drama Police Procedural Crime Drama Mystery War

After the head of a private paramilitary think tank who is embezzling funds murders a blackmailer, he has to match wits with the persistent Lieutenant Columbo.After the head of a private paramilitary think tank who is embezzling funds murders a blackmailer, he has to match wits with the persistent Lieutenant Columbo.After the head of a private paramilitary think tank who is embezzling funds murders a blackmailer, he has to match wits with the persistent Lieutenant Columbo.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

1.9K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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

User reviews34

Review

Featured review

6/10

The military elite

In this Columbo story our persistent LAPD detective moves among the elite of what is called the military industrial complex. I wonder how the story might be handled today given the history of the paramilitary private organizations in the past quarter of a century. Remember the date of this episode was 1989 before Desert Storm.

Robert Foxworth who usually plays hard bitten villains is at his worst here in this story. He's a retired army colonel who works for this paramilitary type of outfit. One part of it is a think tank, a second part is paramilitary training for would be soldiers of fortune. A third involves some illegal activities that Foxworth wants no one, especially retired war hero General Stephen Elliott who is the chairman of the board of the place to know about.

Which when his Sergeant Major Andy Romano threatens to spill the beans he kills him and then disguises the death to look like a training accident.

Best scene is when Columbo answers Foxworth's question of when did he start suspecting him. The answer is a pip and it total keeping with the characters of both men.

Second best scene is Columbo interviewing some of the recruits for this paramilitary training. What specimens they are.

Foxworth should have gotten away with it, see what trips him up.