Identity Crisis

Episode aired Nov 2, 1975
TV-PG
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

Cop Drama Police Procedural Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

A top CIA operative commits murder, as only a brilliant agent can, never guessing he'll have to contend with a man like Lt. Columbo.A top CIA operative commits murder, as only a brilliant agent can, never guessing he'll have to contend with a man like Lt. Columbo.A top CIA operative commits murder, as only a brilliant agent can, never guessing he'll have to contend with a man like Lt. Columbo.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Director Patrick McGoohan, also guest starring as an intelligence agent, inserted many references to his cult TV series, The Prisoner (1967), including saying "Be seeing you!" and, in one scene, wearing an outfit almost identical to that which had been his standard costume in the earlier program.

In addition, the chimes of the clock when he turns it forward and back are the same as the town clock on "The Prisoner".

Goofs
When Columbo checks with the photo booth regarding identifying photos, he is shown color Polaroid prints from a pack-film camera and is told they have the negatives as well. The only Polaroid packs which produce a printable negative are in B&W (and the negatives he is shown are indeed B&W). Also, when they see Brenner's face more clearly in the second (color) photo, this isn't possible because a Polaroid can't take two pictures in such rapid succession.

Quotes
Lt. Columbo: What do you have to do to win one of them things?
Shooting gallery attendant: Knock down the ducks ten out of ten.
Lt. Columbo: Yeah, my wife would go for that.
Shooting gallery attendant: Oh, no, sir, Lieutenant. Hey... hey, you're a pro.
Lt. Columbo: Aw, forget about it. If I'm standing on the dock, I couldn't hit the water.

Connections
References Secret Agent X-9 (1945)

Soundtracks
Un bel di vedremo
(uncredited)
from Madama Butterfly
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Heard over the End Credits

User reviews53

Featured review

7/10

Major plot error !!

The very murder this episode of Colombo is about makes it impossible for the Lt. to have been summoned to investigate. The murder takes place underneath the Santa Monica Pier which is in the City of Santa Monica, so since Colombo is L.A.P.D, he would not been called for this case.

Never the less, I enjoyed seeing the pier as it was in the 70s when I used to hang out there. The Santa Monica Pier is the home of the old-fashioned wooden merry-go-round, carousel that is seen as the home of Paul Newman in The Sting, it is still in use. I also enjoyed the scenes of the Long Beach Pike, (amusement park), which no longer exists as the site of the Pike is now the shopping and dining village adjacent to the Long Beach Convention Center. This area was also used in the filming of the conclusion of the chase in it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, World, which was also shot in the state park near the Santa Monica Pier where the Big W was set up and you can see the taxis driving up n down the road from PCH to the park.

Jon Jax 71