Now You See Him

The Great Santini (Jack Cassidy) is a brilliant stage magician with a hidden past. His real name is Stefan Mueller and he was an SS officer assigned to the concentration camps. Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff), his current employer, has learned of the illusionist's Nazi career and is using the information to blackmail him. One night, while ostensibly performing his celebrated trick of being locked in a steel cabinet and dowsed in a tank of water, Santini is really disguising himself as a waiter and walking unseen to Jerome's office. When Jerome turns up dead, it looks like a contract killing. But our rumpled, redoubtable Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), assisted by the overeager Sgt. Wilson (Bob Dishy), has a few tricks of his own.

If Columbo can outmaneuver a chess champion ("The Most Dangerous Match"), out-think a scientific genius ("Mind Over Mayhem") and outwit a master spy ("Identity Crisis"), what made a master illusionist think he could do any better?

This is a splendid "Columbo" episode, with all the tricky plotting, delightful comedy and tense cat-and-mouse play that fans love. Did I mention the comedy? In the weak "Greenhouse Jungle," Bob Dishy is clearly a good actor playing a tedious character. Here he returns as Sgt. Wilson but the script by Michael Sloan is much better. Wilson's comic business, this time involving Columbo's new raincoat, is much better integrated into the plot than in "Greenhouse"—and it's much funnier.

Harvey Hart does a very nice directing job. Somebody in his crew had an excellent eye for detail. I especially like how a little water trickles out of the trap door after Santini's daughter (Cynthia Sikes) opens it.

The ending is ordinary, without one of those great thunderclap surprises, as in "A Stitch in Crime" and "Suitable for Framing." I love the final scene anyway, with Columbo's funny yet unnerving imitation of a magician's stage technique. This "Columbo" will work like magic on any fan.

Of all of the repeat offenders who appeared on Columbo, I admit to liking Jack Cassidy the best. Handsome, charming, exuding great self-confidence, always immaculately dressed, he's one you just love to see Columbo drag off to prison, no matter what character he's playing.

Here's he's a well-known magician with a secret. Calling himself The Great Santini, he's known by the blackmailing club owner Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff) of the Magic nightclub where he performs as Stefan Mueller, former SS officer.

Jerome collects 50% of The Great Santini's earnings - he's a regular Tom Parker. Elvis may not have known any better, but Santini does, and he's sick of paying up. When he tries to pay just 10%, Jerome informs him that if he doesn't have the rest of the money by performance time, he'll be writing to the Israeli government and turning him in.

Santini doesn't appear with the rest of the money - he has other plans, which include shooting Jerome during the time when he has an excellent alibi, stuck on stage in a locked case submerged in a tank of water.

I always try to find the moment where Columbo knows the identity of the killer - this one didn't take him long. Bob Dishy is a riot as the officer assisting Columbo, constantly returning the new raincoat Mrs. Columbo gave her husband, which he is desperate to lose.

Fantastic episode, with the lovely Cynthia Sikes as The Great Santini's daughter. Sadly, it was Cassidy's last appearance - he died in a fire in December 1976, the year of this episode.

Sadly, this was Jack Cassidy's third and final outing as a Columbo villain, in a episode made not long before his tragic death in a housefire. Here he is just as effective as before as he perfectly conveys the wholesesome villainy and cold-bloodedness of his characterisation - a stiff jaw, humourless and stern-faced expressions, hard-hitting and economical use of dialogue, a piercing focus of the eyes and simmering arrogance that is often forced out of him.

All in all, Cassidy's contribution aside, this is a entertaining, well-produced and watchable addition to the series., with some interesting insights into the world of magic, accompanied by some typically robust forms of deduction (the creases/sweat on the back of the victim's shirt being an obvious example).

There are, as you might expect, some strong scenes between Falk and Cassidy; particularly memorable ones are when Columbo challenges Cassidy's character to escape from the former's handcuffs, and at the finale -

Santini (Cassidy) says: "..And I thought I had performed the perfect murder..." Columbo (Falk) says: "....there is no such thing...that is just an illusion!"

A very good standard Columbo, made at a time when original scripts were becoming increasingly difficult to conceive.

Jack Cassidy returns for the third and final time as a Columbo villain in this thoroughly entertaining episode of the show. Cassidy had previously essayed villainous turns in PUBLISH OR PERISH and MURDER BY THE BOOK so by now he was an old hand at the show and his turn as a murderous magician is delightful. Columbo would later turn back to the magic world in COLUMBO GOES TO THE GUILLOTINE, but this earlier episode is definitely the stronger one.

Aside from Cassidy, this TV film has plenty of reasons to watch. The magical backdrop means there's a whole smoke-and-mirrors feel to the story, with mystery lurking in every corner. The supporting cast members include a reliable Robert Loggia and a fine and sympathetic turn from Bob Dishy as one of the detective's helpers. Humour comes from Columbo's new coat, which is a poor fit in comparison to his beloved overcoat. There's nothing really to dislike about this story, which is one of the strongest of the series.

Jack Cassidy pops up again as another scheming and conniving scoundrel, and general all round nere-dowell.

Here he is reincarnated as The Great Santini the grand master of illusions, himself replete with concealed skeleton.

This is a 2nd Columbo Episode featuring magicians though they both involve Murders, this is no way near as gruesome.

Columbo is looking rather neater than usual this time replete with, new haircut and coat supplied by his misses as a present.

But, can Columbo ever really be happy in anything in the way of new clothes?

Inspector Columbo is teamed up again with Sargeant John Wilson, and we are reminded of his characters personality.

Sgt. Wilson is an officer who loves to stick by the book of police procedures, and particularly keen to be efficient and punctilious.

What a complete difference in personalities and approach, between Columbo vs Sgt. John Wilson.

Neither of them can seemingly quite appreciate or want to contend with the other, that's certainly what comes across to me.

Columbo is really a solo performer which may appear as a daft observation, as he is invariably seen in situations surrounded by other officers.

But if you watch him at work he is thoroughly emersed, in what he is about. And Columbo really doesn't want to have to be bothered with having to put up with Sgt. John Wilson.