Identity Crisis

This episode has all the trademarks: Guest appearances by Hollywood notables; memorable one-line throwaway gags; a baffling mystery; familiar L.A. locations; problems with the car ("there's only three like this in the country" he says; and Columbo's tying things together by staying on that one thing that doesn't make sense.

Guest was Leslie Nielsen, looking younger and much more serious than in the other roles I've seen him in.

Can we catalog the great one-liners in these 68 movies? Here are two from this episode: Columbo: "Do you have any wine?" McGoohan: "I have a whole cellar full." Columbo (waving his hand) "Oh, I'll just have a glass." Another classic: McGoohan: "Do you like music?" Columbo: "Oh, I hear it all the time."

Seeing the action at Travel Town, where I took my daughter 10 years ago, added to my enjoyment of this episode.

Maybe it's my tv adjustment, but the clash is getting greater between the color of Columbo's suit and his raincoat ...

Stay the course, Lieutenant Columbo, stay the course.

Leslie Nielsen dying in the first few minutes tells you that this is going to be a good TV film after all! However he does get to accompany McGoohan at the funfair first. McGoohan's portrayal of a cynical killer who is kind to little girls takes us all right back to those gallant Danger Man days! Then he even has the nerve to deliver the line "Be Seeing You" repeatedly, a farewell to his Prisoner devotees? What a star! Peter Falk shuffles in and you know even McGoohan's time is limited but what a lot he packs in first! McGoohan even gets to do his favourite 'pretending to be a very old man' party-piece. As other reviewers have said, an excellent piece with many strands. Columbo was always great but some episodes were brilliant. The only criticism of this one would be that even Columbo would never have caught this guy!

While I agree with those who point out the plot implausibilities, there is no denying the chemistry that exists between Falk and McGoohan. Other installments surely have a tighter plot and stronger story- telling, but McGoohan is hands-down the finest bad guy the series had. Not for nothing was he featured four times. Just the way he intones "mahjongg" make it worth wading through the borderline ludicrous plot twists.

I am a big Columbo fan, and I have always had a soft spot for this episode. It is not absolutely perfect, the scene with Columbo fumbling for change is a little overlong for my tastes, and while the deduction on Columbo's part was brilliant I did also feel that Brenner gave up too easily, it just seemed strange that a man as calculating and smart as he was would give up just like that. However, Identity Crisis looks wonderful, with beautiful locations and slick photography. There is an atmospheric score as well as Patrick McGoohan's purposefully languid but very effective direction, the sharp, witty writing with the "do you have some wine?" and "do you like music?" exchanges standing out and occasionally convoluted but very cleverly written and interesting story. My favourite scene of Identity Crisis is the scene in Brenner's mansion with Madama Butterfly playing in the background, one of Columbo's finest scenes. Peter Falk is exceptional as Columbo, while McGoohan also stars as Nelson Brenner and he is splendid, very snobbish and world-weary. A younger and more serious Leslie Nielson is a good presence as well. In conclusion, a Columbo classic. 9/10 Bethany Cox

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