The Greenhouse Jungle

Stemming from an enjoyably sarcastic, no-nonsense characterisation and a hammy performance from Ray Milland as the murderer and a plot which is reasonably fresh and original, this second season episode is deceptively entertaining.

Perhaps there is too much focus on the secondary characters, especially Sergeant Wilson (who is assigned to the case to help Columbo and who would make a further appearance in the series some 4 years later in "Now you see Him"), but it is not burdensome in the extreme and there are some typically choice moments of humour - nb: Columbo's fall after trying to negotiate his way down a steep hill.

Certainly not as intelligently conceived and executed as the vintage episodes in the series; the pacing is more playful than frenetic and the scenes between Falk and Milland are too few and far between. Nonetheless, above-average stuff and pleasing viewing.

PLOT: A cantankerous uncle (Ray Milland) and the nephew he loathes (Bradford Dillman) execute a successful scheme to get $300,000 from a trust fund via a fake kidnapping of the latter, but one of them has his own malicious objectives. Sandra Smith plays the cold wife who's having an affair with a musclebound gent (William Smith). Arlene Martel is on hand as the nephew's lady friend.

COMMENTARY: The way this one mixes up the formula is refreshing, but it's really not that altered in view of the big picture. Some people pan the episode on the grounds that the characters are unlikable but, really, it's just the arrogant uncle who's relentlessly cranky while the wife is simply not close to her husband and openly fulfilling her womanly needs through another man. The nephew's amiable enough despite his greedy scheme and his female friend is certainly agreeable.

The orchid conservatory is a notable setting while the greenhorn partner is a nice addition (Bob Dishy). Note how Columbo zeroes-in on his attributes and speaks well of him behind his back despite his rookie ineptness. This tells you something about the rumpled detective's character. I also enjoyed the attractive Star Trek alumni, Arlene Martel and Sandra Smith.

GRADE: B+/A-

A kidnapping proves to be a cover for a man and his uncle to make a quick buck by splitting the ransom money. Things are going along smoothly until the uncle decides to change the plan from a kidnapping to a murder. Columbo is on hand (with a partner) to solve the case with his own unique style.

This may be my favorite of the Columbo episodes that I've seen so far. Ray Milland makes an excellent adversary for Columbo. In The Greenhouse Jungle, he proves he could chew the scenery with the best of Hollywood. Columbo's "partner", Sergeant Wilson (Bob Dishy), is one of the few comic relief type characters I've ever seen that is really funny. The rest of the supporting cast is also quite good.

But the thing that makes this one of my favorite Columbo is the mystery itself. The way Columbo solves the murder in this one is truly surprising. Even though the clue that leads to the resolution of the murder is in plain sight, I didn't realize what it was or even why it was in the movie. It's a notch above the normal Columbo fare.

To anyone unfamiliar with Columbo, this would make a great place to start.

I like some episodes better than this one, but I'm a huge fan of the series.

In "Greenhouse Jungle," the villain here is nasty Ray Milland as Jarvis, who arranges with his nephew Tony (Brad Dillman) to break Tony's trust by pretending that Tony was kidnapped. We can infer that the plan was that Jarvis would get some of the money. Tony wants it because he believes if he has it, he can keep his straying wife (Sandra Smith) at home. She's currently involved with a ne'er do well (William Smith).

Jarvis, of course, has no intention of giving his nephew anything and kills him.

One question I had about this episode was why Columbo was put on the case, since he works in homicide, and there wasn't one until later.

It's an enjoyable episode, with light-hearted performance by Dillman and Bob Dishy as an ambitious new police detective who uses state of the art equipment. I found Milland's performance without nuance and terribly abrasive.

Peter Falk, as usual, was great.

Enjoyable episode, if not the best.

In the course of the Columbo series there are some perpetrators you feel sorry for and some you truly hate. Ray Milland in this episode falls into the latter category. He's a cynical and manipulative sort who really does think he's smarter than everyone else. He even tries to play off Bob Dishy making the first of two appearances as an earnest young police sergeant against Peter Falk at one point as Falk zeroes in on him.

The orchid growing Milland has a rather worthless nephew in Bradford Dillman and he administers with the bank a rather stringent trust with a strict allowance for him. He wants his hands on the money and there is an emergency clause to get some more out. They fake a kidnapping with a ransom demand of $300,000.00 and then Milland kills Dillman.

The beauty for Milland is that Dillman had a cheating wife in Sandra Smith who is prime for something like this. She also has a boyfriend in William Smith who casts well as a villain in any number items he's been part of the cast. But of course it doesn't fool Peter Falk who Milland thinks is dumb. The fate of all villains in this show.

I wish Bob Dishy had been cast in more than two of the Columbos. I like him here almost as much as a good defense lawyer in Law And Order. He and Falk work well together.

This most manipulative of villains gets his just desserts, but you have to watch to see how.