Old Fashioned Murder

The Lytton siblings run the Lytton museum.Brother Edward decides to sell the museum.Ruth is against this, and decides to kill him.She's helped by the guard and a petty thief called Milton Schaeffer.Both the guard and Edward end up dead.Ruth frames her beloved niece Janie for the murder.Robert Douglas' Columbo episode "Old Fashioned Murder" is from 1976.It's the second episode of the 6th season.This is a fine Columbo episode, although not quite as good as the 1st episode of the season.Peter Falk does an excellent job as always as the cooky detective.Joyce Van Patten (Dick's sister) plays Ruth Lytton, and she does an excellent job.Tim O'Connor is great as the brother Edward she murders.Celeste Holm is marvelous as the older sister, Mrs. Brandt, who keeps fainting in Columbo's presence.Jeannie Berlin (Elaine May's daughter) is magnificent as Janie Brandt.Peter S. Feibleman, who did teleplays for this and the previous episode, does a great job portraying Milton Schaeffer.And so does Jess Osuna as his brother, Dr. Tim Schaeffer.This Columbo has some fine moments.It's a fun moment when Columbo goes get a manicure and a haircut.For a moment he doesn't look like Columbo at all.And it's always fun to watch how his mind works.And this time he's in a museum environment, which makes it all a bit more interesting.He gets the killer before the closing time.

OLD FASHIONED MURDER is a solid TV movie from the COLUMBO stable. It was put on TV in 1976, during season six of the show, so by now the format was familiar and it's left to the scriptwriters to throw spins on it. What follows is a story that's engaging while being entirely middle of the road and rather predictable.

The story involves a family-run museum which is struggling to make ends meet in the modern world. In this show, dodgy finances equal murder, thanks to an elaborate plan involving an alcoholic security guard who's asked to stage a robbery and his own disappearance, only to find himself murdered by his own employer. When another character intervenes, it's up to Columbo to solve a double murder.

Peter Falk is by far the best thing about this show, and that's particularly noticeable when the rest of the cast isn't up to much (Joyce Van Patten is one of the more lacklustre guest stars, steadfastly refusing to get annoyed - even irritated - with the shabby sleuth). What keeps this moving is the solving of individual clues, Falk's natural humour, and some broad comedy thrown into the mid (like the fainting sister). The scene where Columbo goes to get his hair cut is probably the highlight here.

The Lyttons are not a normal Southern California family. They are of the old money and had a place in society. Peter Falk's Columbo could not be more out of place than with eccentric bunch. Joyce Van Patten is a brilliant, under-rated actress who deserves awards and nominations for always leaving her mark in any role. After watching her in this role as Ruth Lytton, you want to see more of her. Celeste Holm does an exceptional job of playing her sister who won her sister's fiancé, married, and produced Janie, the heir to the Lytton fortune. Ruth and her brother Edward are caught in a conflict over the family's legacy which includes a museum that is constantly losing money. Ruth is determined to keep the museum alive because it is her life. Edward wants the best for his family and thinks by selling it that they would all benefit from it. Well, the only weak casting is the role of Janie, the niece. I liked her performance but I can't get that one awful vision of her reaction to finding her uncle's body in the museum. It is the most awkward reaction regarding murder. I won't say anymore but I think the writing was excellent. I think Joyce's Ruth and Peter Falk's Columbo was a good pair. I can sympathize with Ruth's loss of love and her devotion and loyalty to her family.

My favorite episode so far with a sweet Sergeant Miller, a neat manicured Columbo with a garish haircut and an extended knowledge of ancient artefacts.

Old-Fashioned Murder is not one of my favourite Columbos of all time, but I do consider it one of the sadly under-appreciated episodes. It is filmed beautifully, and the music adds much to the period and the mood. Old-Fashioned Murder is well-written with some amusing dialogue, with the scene with the hairdresser one of the funniest moments of the entire series, and the story while not as efficiently paced as other entries is still diverting. Peter Falk is excellent as always, Joyce Van Patten is wonderfully dry and calculating and of the support cast Celeste Holm is a riot.

All in all, a very good episode if missing out just on the truly great standard. It's a shame it's so under-appreciated, when (although I love Columbo) I can think of at least 6 other Columbos that fare much weaker. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox