The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case

I won't bother commenting on the murder method, other than to say I thought it was pretty clever, if a bit, how do the English say, Heath Robinson.

But Columbo is about character interactions more than the brilliance of the murder plot. If you watch Columbo for brilliant air tight murder alibis, you are watching the wrong show by the way - after all, if they were air tight, Columbo would not 'get his man'. Some are more believable than others, but this is escapist stuff, not gritty crime drama.

What I like about this, is all the characters. If you think about it too hard, they won't seem like geniuses, because Hollywood, especially back then, usually had no clue about how geniuses look or act. They are caricatures I guess, but interesting ones.

I found the younger woman amusing as a support character. Wish they had developed her a bit more.

But the main interaction is the killer and Columbo. I enjoyed how, over time, rather than being more and more annoyed by Columbo, he developed a respect for him. I also like how, over time, his character weaknesses were exposed. Isn't that true for a lot of us? We often have weaknesses we try to hide, like gilt paint over base metal.

I think most fans should enjoy this one a lot if they like a few interesting support characters, and the usual byplay between a murderer who thinks they are unassailable and Columbo who hangs onto any discrepancy like a bulldog.

Theodore Bikel plays Oliver Brandt, member of an elite private club of people with high I.Q's who feels forced to murder his reluctant best friend and fellow member Bertie Hastings(played by Sorrell Booke) who threatens to expose his shady business practices regarding his clients. Oliver concocts an elaborate alibi that would seem fool-proof, but of course Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) finds those little loose ends that not even a genius can seem to avoid making. Can the good Lt. really be a genius himself? Carol Jones shines in a supporting role as a helpful young female genius/club member. Entertaining episode with a memorable(and overdue) murder plot amidst the high I.Q. set.

The Sigma Society is a group of high I. Q. members. One member, Oliver Brandt, is an embezzler and murders his business partner who threatened to expose him. He has planted misdirection to confuse the other members who could hear the gun shots. Columbo (Peter Falk) puts his smarts to the test.

I like the premise. I like the villain and his comeuppance. It's the classic arrogant smart guy being outsmarted by his perceived inferior. I didn't really understand the gold question as described. I know that I can get it. I got it as soon as they started pulling out the coins. I know that I can do it. I'm smart... maybe.

OMG That's Jamie Lee Curtis, a year before Halloween. She does a small comedic scene with a couple of lines. Somebody is giving her a break.

Bertie Hastings and Oliver Brandt are business partners; they are also both members of a selective group made up of a handful of people whose IQ's fall within the top 2% of the world. However Oliver has been stealing money from clients and Bertie has found out, meaning Oliver must kill him to keep it quiet. With the clever thought of genius, Oliver constructs the perfect crime, providing himself a watertight alibi and he has no doubt that anyone would ever suspect him, far less catch him – certainly not the poor bumbling detective that has been assigned to the case. Detective Columbo however, has been underestimated before.

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 start to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler – it is simply what happens in all the films. Here we have the usual perfect crime and all the formula is followed but what makes the film so much fun is the little things that add to the formula. The main thing is the comedy, for this is a Columbo film that is more jovial than some of the other films that go for a tense edge. The comic tone starts wit the characters and continues all the way thanks to their constant input; I found this to make the film feel very fresh and light – perfect for the mood I was in at the time.

The collection of characters mean that the film has more support than the lead two, but even just looking at them the film is very strong. Part of the reason is the writing but a big part is the acting. Falk can do Columbo in his sleep but here he has got his humility down pat and to see him afraid of telling these genius's that he has already thought of (and dismissed) their ideas is a wonder. He plays very well opposite Bikel and the two share a very interesting moment near the end where we learn a little more about them. Aside from looking like UK comic Jethro, Bikel is great. He is funny but his performance is well pitched throughout – witness his nerves give way to increasing arrogance when the evidence-containing trash can is removed; this makes his self-betrayal later so much more convincing and so much more satisfying. Support is good from the various boffins in support and Booke is a very funny victim.

Overall, those who hate Columbo (no, I don't know who they are either) will continue to dislike this film but for the rest of us it is a very entertaining film on so many levels. The formula is in place but it contains so much more than just that with nice character touches, good performances and a very satisfying script. Falk and Biekl are a joy and it is films like this one that mean I will always watch Columbo when he is on.

I suspect that if Peter Falk as Columbo were given an IQ test he would pass it with flying colors, scoring high enough maybe to rate admission to the Sigma (Mensa) society. The premise of this show is always how the bumbling homicide cop always trips up some very smart people. In this story Falk is up against some certified geniuses.

In fact a pair of business partners in an investment brokerage firm are members of the club and one of them Sorrell Booke is accusing the other Theodore Bikel with some creative accounting. So before Booke goes public, Bikel has to murder him, but do it creatively. And he's got a nice plan worked out with the rest of the club members as alibi witnesses. It involves two squibs, a silencer, an umbrella and a record player.

One of the nice things about this show was it gives Falk a chance for a moment of reflection where he says that he realizes he's not as smart as many who came on the force at the same time he did. But that by hard work and study he got to the top of his profession and how much he loves his job. Especially when he takes down smart guys like Bikel.

Although quite frankly the part of the episode where he does trip Bikel up didn't quite ring true for me. I don't think it would have been that easy.