Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht

Despite some of the other reviews on this site, I had a ball with DAGGER OF THE MIND. I always enjoy the Columbo episodes that take the detective out of his Californian home ground and allow him to explore a little further; I've previously seen him both in Mexico and on a cruise ship, but this story takes him his furthest yet - to London itself, at least a Hollywood version of London that few British viewers will recognise.

And it's a real hoot. There's more comedy in this episode than in most of the others. Columbo runs around like the typical bumbling American tourist and has to take snapshots of everything. All of the British characters act in the exceedingly old fashioned way, owning country houses with butlers and driving 1930s-era sports cars. However, I wasn't upset by any of this stuff, I found it quite amusing.

The murder itself is a good one that well utilises a theatrical backdrop. Richard Basehart can be accused of hamming it up something dreadful as the Macbeth actor caught up in a vicious crime, but it's the lovely Honor Blackman who really shines here as his accomplice and Lady Macbeth of the piece. I fully believe she's the loveliest murderess seen in a Columbo story, and the episode benefits hugely as a result. Watch out for some fun at a waxworks, a droll Wilfrid Hyde-White in one of his most developed supporting turns, a typically ingenious climax (isn't that illegal?), and DIAL M FOR MURDER actor John Williams as the victim.

Columbo shows up in London without his suitcase as even when this was filmed, they lost them. He says it is his wife's case but why he came to London without his wife when I am sure Scotland Yard would have paid for both of them? This is a nice tourist episode as a lot of Londons sights are shown. The cast is great as almost the entire cast became well known to American audiences after this was made. Honor Blackman is a bonus as she is a great performer and she was already known as Pussy Galore before this.

The plot on this one is a little weak in that the murder is an accident and Columbo has to result to trickery to trip up the murder solution rather than using his usual proved police methods of homicide investigation. Then again, as this episode was done more for the famous cast and London scenery, I didn't really mind.

At least there are some English actors, with real accents. Not surprisingly Richard Basehart's accent is hilarious - but better than Dick van Dyke's Cockney. While far from the best Columbo, this is a favourite as I was studying at Imperial College at the time and saw the crew preparing for the scenes. At one point there were a lot of jeering students (definitely 'Miners' - Imperial College graduates will understand) interrupted things. For this reason it brings back very happy memories of College days.

The "London Wax Museum" is not, as was stated in an earlier review, Imperial College. It's the entrance to the Royal College of Music, which is surrounded by Imperial College. The RCM would have got the cash, not IC. The Ipcress File scenes were further east, on the corner of Exhibition Road and Prince Consort Road. I spent two years living almost opposite the RCM, so knew the area very well.

I'm a HUGE fan of Columbo, but this is weak; actually the only bad episode. Please (Rosabel from Mass) don't blame us Brits for being pompous, quaint, obsessed with ritual and stuck-in-the-past. We're not! But this is how you Americans love to think of us, and this movie after all is an American production. I've noticed time and time and time again that whenever a US tv show does an episode in England it's always set in London, with a cast full of butlers and lords and sirs and of course the essential shots of Buckingham Palace, cavalry and bands, not to mention the deferential working class tugging their forelocks and mumbling "cor blimey guv". If I may quote Hannibal Lecter: "Tedious. Very tedious." Peter Falk simply wasn't on screen for long enough and that was an additional flaw. As for his Scotland Yard counterpart, Detective Chief Superintendents DO NOT scurry around chasing villains. The rank is equal to Lt Col. They're senior managers. "Dagger Of The Mind" actually annoyed me from start to finish which is a shame as most other Columbo movies are SO good. The only thing I did enjoy was seeing the wonderful Wilfred Hyde White, even though he played a butler (yawn).

May 2022

Yep here we have my very favourite episode of Columbo, and i know i am in the minority here, as there are plenty of reviews saying this is peoples least favourite episode.

Personally i prefer all the Columbo episodes where they tried something different rather than the usual format.

This was is set in London, which allows for a much different setting and quite a lot more comedy elements, as well as a really strong cast in this one, Bernard Fox, Wilfrid Hyde White, Honor Blackman and Richard Pearson amongst others.

So for me the most fun episode of all.

8.5 out of 10.