How to Dial a Murder

Psychiatrist Dr. Eric Mason (Nicol Williamson) is a successful guru in "Life Control". He trained his two Dobermanns to attack upon hearing the command Rosebud. He tricks Dr. Charlie Hunter to utter the word which triggers his dogs to kill the doctor. His houseguest Joanne Nicholls (Kim Cattrall) discovers the body. Columbo (Peter Falk) controls the docile dogs which just earlier killed a man.

This is a young newcomer Kim Cattrall. There is no way he wouldn't sleep with a young hottie like Kim Cattrall. Second, I have a much better final Columbo trick. He could get two lookalike dogs which don't respond to the command word. In addition, there is a missed opportunity to raise the tension. Columbo could fight off attempts to kill the two dogs, both for the investigation but more importantly, he's a dog lover. Ed Begley Jr. Could be the evil dog-catcher and a fanatic dog-killer. That could be a fun side story.

A very good, and above average, Columbo episode. This is caused by that it makes small variations from the classic scheme. The motive of the murder isn't present at the beginning, which is something, that really improves the movie. Columbo is playing up against Dr. Eric Mason (nicely played by Nicol Williamson), who doesn't loose his temper as much as the characters that Columbo previously met.

The third main character, Joanne Nicholls, should have a special mention, since she is not only played extremely well - by Kim Cattrall, later of "Sex And The City" fame (however her role in this movie is the complete opposite, a true romantic who has her teddy bear as her true companion) - but also that her unbalanced character adds well to the movie plot.

And ad with that, some great incidental music, good directing spots (particularly in a wordless sequence with Columbo and the dog trainer), a generally good script(rarely have I laughed so much in a Columbo movie, and the many references to old movies - particularly Citizen Kane - and psychology are well-put and well used), and that Peter Falk seems in top shape makes it a great movie, and a Columbo classic.

Dr. Eric Mason (Nicol Williamson) is a guy who is not about to receive an award from the American Humane Association, that's for sure! As part of his VERY elaborate scheme at revenge, he's trained his Dobermans, Laurel & Hardy, to go mad and kill when they hear a trigger word! Well, his scheme DOES work....but what the psychologist didn't know is that Columbo was on the case AND Columbo never seems to lose a case!

This is a very good episode. While farfetched and too complicated, the murder was pretty cool and the plot very good. My only reservation is the character played by Kim Cattrall. Her acting was fine...that wasn't the problem. But her character seemed underwritten--like some editing occurred and much of her role was reduced. This made her being there in the first place confusing.

British actor, Nicol Williamson, as the guest murderer, earns his transatlantic paycheck in this fine story. As always with Columbo, the culprit is rich, resourceful and highly intelligent, and Williamson's take on the character, a motivational psychologist, is detailed and meticulous. It may not be his finest screen performance (check out The Bofors Gun and Inadmissible Evidence), but he makes a worthy foil to Falk.

The story has some interesting cultural asides, such as L.A.'s burgeoning self-help craze of the 70's, and the cult of the movies, particularly Citizen Kane; something which proves to be both the killer's murder weapon and his eventual undoing.

The only let-down is the somewhat low-key ending. I would have preferred more of a flourish from both actors, but it wasn't really in the script for them.

Over all, it's an intelligent and interesting movie. Patrick Williams' ethereal/ominous music (woodwinds and low strings) is rather good, and which, once or twice, quotes a fragment of Bernie Herrmann's Psycho score; why? For the hell of it. And why not?

This Columbo episode is about dogs who kill on command. British actor Nicol Williamson plays a doctor is better known for his role as Hamlet in 1968 production. Another British born actress and better known for her role as Samantha on Sex and the City, the actress Kim Cattrall in an early performance at a very young age is also in a supporting role. Anyway, St. Elsewhere's Ed Begley Jr. has a small role as a police officer. Anyway, the episode is a Columbo favorite because it has film references around. Of course, Peter Falk's Columbo has become like an old family friend with great stories and interest in anything whether psychiatry, dogs, or movies. The ending is also brilliant with a twist and of course, Columbo catches his man in this case.