Étude in Black

Interesting to see this movie 30 years later; it's still good theater, even better TV. I think the unique qualities of this particular Columbo episode may have been largely due to the relationship between Falk and Cassavetes off screen, but it certainly worked in this show. This one reiterated Columbo's quirky, irritating methods; and again, one of the reasons the entire series was so watchable was the low-key progression of the drama. This is one of the few 'cop shows' I ever watch because it's based in human interaction and pyschological issues, not in violent shocks. I think Bochco did a very good job on this film.

Etude in Black is one of my favourite Columbo episodes, it was one of my first ones as well and the one that officially made me a fan. I agree it is not note-perfect, the scene with Myrna Loy and the fogies is very badly played and one or two of the clues were a little too obvious too early especially the carnation at the scene of the crime(which the mystery revolves around) and while I loved the chemistry between Columbo and Benedict I personally would've liked more mind games between the two perhaps.

However, when it comes to the production values Etude in Black is one of the most visually beautiful and interesting of the Columbo episodes with skilled camera shots and lighting. The music is a sheer delight, and part of the reason why this episode holds a special place in my heart. The premise is a clever one, and the story is very well constructed with some fun scenes. Here Columbo is delightful, he does get increasingly irritating throughout Etude in Black but deliberately so. There is also a razor-sharp script, satisfying chemistry between Columbo and Benedict and good direction.

The acting on the whole is great. Peter Falk is exceptional once again, particularly in the monologue which cleverly expresses Columbo's disbelief at how anybody would kill themselves. I also liked the scene(s) with his new dog, which thankfully were appropriately awkward(fitting Columbo's character) and low-key. Blythe Danner is divine as Janice, she looks lovely and acts very convincingly, Myrna Loy has a smaller role and is merely okay. John Cassevetes however is brilliant, very sexy and deliciously stone-cold as well. His way of conducting is the only part of his performance that rings false(not only was it an odd way of conducting but some of it was out of time as well), but his voice, mannerisms, interaction with Columbo and delivery more than compensated, he is both dark and wacky in the ending which wraps things up well.

All in all, a fine episode and while not perfect it is a personal favourite. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox

This is another of my favorite Columbos. It sports a top-notch cast, including John Cassavetes, who was never handsomer or sexier, Anjanette Comer, Myrna Loy, and Blythe Danner. Now here's something I've always wondered - had Gwenyth Paltrow been born when this episode was shot, or was Danner pregnant at the time? Thanks to IMDb, I have my answer - she was five months' pregnant. Now I can really feel ancient.

Cassavetes plays a brilliant conductor whose marriage to Danner was apparently to use the social connections of her mother (Loy). He has a mistress on the side, Anjanette Comer, a prominent pianist, but she announces she wants more. She's sick of being back street. On the night of their concert, he gets rid of her and makes it look like suicide. Columbo picks up a few problems immediately. One thing he notices: "You have a beautiful woman here - bedroom eyes - she has money, a body, and a career. Where's the man?" It's wonderful to see Falk and good friend Cassavetes together. There's a very funny episode at the vet with Columbo's Bassett. Everyone in the cast is great.

This is one of the episodes that made Columbo the classic series it became.

Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes) is an orchestra conductor having an secret affair with his pianist. When she threatens to expose him and create a scandal if he doesn't leave his wife, he sees he has no choice but to murder her and make it look as if she had committed suicide. Too bad for him our rumpled detective, Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), is on the case.

Stephen Bochco has written another razor-sharp episode for the series, following marvelous detail with marvelous detail. We watch the villain commit his murder and set up his alibi for about twenty-five minutes, and we're completely engrossed. Then when Columbo appears on the scene, it gets even better.

We first see Columbo after the murder (as per usual). This time he's at the vet with his new dog. Scenes of purely comic relief are usually the weakest ones in the show (think Columbo's discomfort over the nude model in "Suitable for Framing"). Columbo is hilarious when he's dithering or bumbling deliberately in order to trip up his quarry; but too many writers make the mistake of showing him in a ridiculous light when he's with non-suspects. Bochco, by contrast, shows Columbo a bit awkward with his new pet in a handful of low-key scenes that are funny and artfully integrated into the story. (And I'm grateful he didn't strain for a punchline to Columbo's quest to give the dog a name. As far as we learn, the dog remains nameless.) Bochco gives Columbo some of his best moments in this episode, and Peter Falk makes the most of them. He's particularly good in a monologue where he expresses disbelief that anyone could kill herself, much less this brilliant and beautiful young pianist. And he's even better in his scenes playing cat-and-mouse with Cassavetes. That these two long-time friends and collaborators would play off each other brilliantly is to be expected; and that's what we get. Notice how Alex Benedict can't help but admire the deceptively dimwitted Columbo, even as the brilliant detective is tightening the noose around his neck.

Bochco makes the most of every situation in his script. When Columbo goes to question Benedict's snooty mechanic, of course – of course! – he asks the man to look at his own beat-up heap. And when Benedict finds Columbo at the Hollywood Bowl before rehearsal, of course – of course! – he's on the piano playing "Chopsticks." And what should our audacious lieutenant bring with him but the victim's typewriter with the phony suicide note still in the roller.

Columbo also has good scenes with a precocious little girl (Dawn Frame) and the lovely Blythe Danner, who plays Cassavetes's wife. It's nice to see Myrna Loy show up as Danner's mother, though she does little with her minor role.

The director Nicholas Colasanto (who also acted, most notably as Coach in "Cheers") does a perfectly creditable job, though he follows the lead of nearly every other "Columbo" director by adding one or two silly flourishes. Scenes end by going out of focus and begin by coming into focus. Then there's that bit where Cassavetes sees the carnation he dropped at the scene of the crime – and we see a zoom-in shot of it reflected in his sunglasses. There's also one scene with Myrna Loy and group of old fogies that is atrociously performed by everyone except Cassavetes.

These are quibbles, though. This is a splendidly entertaining episode, the kind that made me a "Columbo" fan.

ETUDE IN BLACK is one of the strongest of the early COLUMBO episodes, where it seemed the writers could do no wrong. It benefits from the fine acting of guest villain John Cassavetes, who really gets into the nitty gritty, egotistical mindset of one of the world's top conductors, who's forced into bumping off his mistress in order to keep his life perfect.

The story is a relatively complex one, offering few clues for Columbo to get his teeth into, but he does eventually start picking the story apart. Blythe Danner has a nice role as Cassavetes's ice-cold wife, and there's welcome comic relief from the detective's dog, who appears for the first time in the series. Altogether, the production values are very strong, the pacing is decent, and the sense of time and place is exemplary.