Any Old Port in a Storm

This Columbo film is one of my favorites with Donald Pleasance as the murderer, a fanatical wine connoisseur who Peter Falk eventually traps into a confession of murder. This was not a planned murder by any means, in fact Pleasance does it in a fit of rage. But he plans well the alibi and that due to the fact that apparently no one saw his victim come or go from his home.

The victim here is Gary Conway, Pleasance's half brother who owns the land where the vineyards of the family business grow. Pleasance got the cash, but he spends it foolishly on expensive wines for his educated palate. The business has gone to rack and ruin and Conway wants to sell it and get out.

Both these guys are not prizes, Conway is a playboy who's about embark on his latest marriage, this one to Joyce Jillson. Pleasance is an egotistical fool who won't pay attention to business.

This Columbo film contains one of my favorite moments, it's when Conway informs Pleasance that he's considering an offer from the Marino Brothers for the vineyards. Just watch Pleasance literally foam at the mouth at the thought that these guys who apparently supply the stuff favored by the wino community are going to own his vineyards. You would have thought that he was being asked to sacrifice a child to Baal. It's what drives him to murder Conway. You can't really understand it, but you feel his rage.

There is one other major character in this film, that of Julie Harris, Pleasance's devoted secretary who has her suspicions about Conway and hopes to use them to form a closer relationship with Pleasance. She's a piece of work.

Still Donald Pleasance really shines as one of the best foes Peter Falk ever came up against.

This was another episode that I saw recently and I am still mystified at how I missed this episode for so long. Any Old Port in a Storm defines the term classic Columbo and has next to nothing wrong with it.

While it is a slow-paced episode, Any Old Port in a Storm is never dull. The script is excellent, with some very snappy lines and some of the interactions are among my favourites in a Columbo episode. The story lives up to its great premise and is always interesting and absorbing, the ending is tricky but not confusing as it is paced and explained very well.

Any Old Port in a Storm looks striking too, the photography doesn't jar in any way and the location shooting still looks pleasing on the eyes. The music is atmospheric and is careful not to intrude too much. The direction is top notch, as is the cast. Peter Falk is spot on and Donald Pleasance is so classy in an equally strong performance.

All in all, a classic Columbo episode with very little to fault it. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Adrian Carsini loves his wines and has both made and lost a fortune buying and selling expensive and famous wines. However his brother Enrico wants to make money from the family business by increasing production and selling lower quality wines but in bulk. Trapped and facing losing his beloved work, Adrian explodes into a rage and hits Enrico with a lamp. Using a trip to New York as an alibi, Adrian hides the body and, on his return dumps him in the ocean and makes it look like a scuba-diving accident. Columbo gets involved because missing persons manage to dodge the case but, rather than wonder why it is his job, Columbo finds one or two details just failing to make sense.

As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula – we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Knowing this ahead of time won't ruin anything for you; it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. Having watched a couple of the "new" Columbo films recently, I was glad to return to the vintage fold to find that the formula was all very much in place here. The story opens with a sudden moment of rage that is different from the usual plans in the series. The way Columbo gets involved is a bit contrived but from here on in it all works really well – the reasons why Adrian become the focus are played out in a great scene where Adrian says things that don't ring true and a close-up shot of Columbo shows us the confusion growing within him. The mystery builds well and moves easily and professionally – being enjoyable from start to finish.

Falk is the reason his character has become so well known and, as always, he is spot on. Whether playing the simple characteristics or allowing more complex thoughts to come across on his face, it is a typically strong performance. He is helped by having a director in Penn who understands where Falk is and how to best capture it on film. Pleasence is a typical piece of class and his performance works really well whether he is blowing up, slyly playing with Columbo or finding himself trapped. It is a strong performance that stands out as one of the stronger of the series. As usual the support cast are less important but Harris is good in a minor role as Adrian's secretary even if Jillson and Conway are only par for the course.

Overall a typically strong entry in the series that deserves the repeated bad puns made on this site about it being a "vintage". The story is clever and well delivered while the performances are very good where it counts (the lead two) and are helped by a director that seems to understand what it is all about.

This is by far the best episode of Columbo. A pure pleasure. Several others are very good but not quite in the same league as this one. I think the key to it's greatness is Donald Pleasence. Of all his roles before or after, this is his finest hour. The restaurant scene towards the end is pure magic. The interplay between Columbo and Pleasence is pure genius. Every time this comes on TV I tell myself I'll change the channel soon, but I always watch it until the end.. It is that good.

"Any Old Port In A Storm" is my own personal favourite Columbo episode & I have read that it was also Peter Falk's. It begins with wine connoisseur & maker of fine wines Adrian Carsini holding up a wine-glass full of one of his wines to the light. "Titian himself could not have created a better colour & would have gone mad trying". Donald Pleasance plays Adrian Carsini who runs a California winery. The property is owned by his younger half-brother Enrico played by Gary Conway. Adrian is a wine-snob who loves his business of wine-making to the exclusion of just about everything else. When his playboy brother needs money to finance his own interests he decides to sell the family business to rival wine producers, the Marino brothers. This infuriates Adrian who rages, "The Marino brothers. 5 cents a gallon Marino brothers. They don't make wine. They don't even make good mouthwash". In his fit of rage he clubs Enrico over the head with a lamp knocking him unconscious. He then ties him up in his wine cellar just before travelling to a wine conference in New York with his secretary played by Julie Harris. When he returns 5 days later Enrico is dead & Adrian tries to cover up his murder by making it look like a scuba-diving accident. When Columbo is put on the case he soon begins to suspect Adrian Carsini may be involved & what follows is great entertainment. The scripting is top-notch as is the acting by all concerned. Even the minor roles are excellent. Vito Scotti as a restaurant Maitre d' is great as is George Gaynes playing a Frenchman who owns a wine-shop. The latter teaches Columbo some of what he knows about wines in order to help him trap his suspect. "Let's start with the basics. How can you tell a good wine from a bad wine?", is Columbo's first question. "Er, by the price!", answers the wine-shop owner. This, for my money, is just a fabulous Columbo entry!.