Leicaman

Identity Crisis - S5-E3

Question: The examiner says he can't tell which blow hit the victim first. Columbo says he's lying on his back and says the blow to the forehead was first. Why did he think that? If the first blow hit him on the forehead and he fell on his back, how did he get the second blow on the back of his head while he was lying that way?

Leicaman

Identity Crisis - S5-E3

Factual error: The murder is solved based on the time the Chinese pulled out of the Olympics. (The episode was from 1975, so it must be the 1976 Olympics.) The Chinese never pulled out of the Olympics or threatened to do so. Taiwan was kicked out of the Olympics by Canada, but Columbo mentions that it was Peking, that is, Communist China.

Leicaman

Now You See Him - S5-E5

Trivia: Cassidy performs as "The Great Santini." Bull Meechum (Robert Duvall) refers to himself as "The Great Santini" in the movie of the same name.

Leicaman

Fade in to Murder - S6-E1

Factual error: Columbo solves the case based on fingerprints on the shell casings in the gun. No gun, even a prop gun that never fires live rounds, would be put away loaded.

Leicaman

Fade in to Murder - S6-E1

Other mistake: We see Fowler (Shatner) take the gun from the board in the Gun Room. Later, he puts the gun back, but in a different place on the board. Anyone in the Prop Department might notice that the gun had been moved.

Leicaman

Fade in to Murder - S6-E1

Continuity mistake: When Fowler (Shatner) goes into the Wardrobe Department and takes the parka and ski mask, he has a dark green garbage bag. When he leaves that room and goes to the Gun Room, the bag is grey.

Leicaman

A Matter of Honor - S5-E4

Continuity mistake: Columbo tells Montoya he has to be back in Los Angeles on Monday. Then he tells Sanchez he has to be there on Tuesday.

Leicaman

A Deadly State of Mind - S4-E6

Stupidity: Collier damages a post with his car as he leaves the driveway. His car would certainly have been damaged. The storyline is not long enough for Collier to have his car repaired. Columbo knows about the damaged post, but he never looks into how the damage occurred and never looks at Collier's car, which would have been incriminating.

Leicaman

A Deadly State of Mind - S4-E6

Plot hole: Collier's relationship with Nadia Donner is wildly improper, and her husband knows about it. It seems unlikely that nothing was done about it.

Leicaman

Playback - S4-E5

Character mistake: Columbo lies on Mrs. Van Wick's bed to demonstrate that she wouldn't be able to see the toy clown if the door was closed. He has his shoes on and puts them on the bedspread and never apologises for doing so. I don't think Columbo would be so inconsiderate.

Leicaman

Playback - S4-E5

Audio problem: Van Wick says he'll rewind the tape for Columbo. We hear the tape rewinding before he gets to the video room.

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Other mistake: In the cabin, Mrs. Danziger says he can pick up a pair of golf gloves in Acapulco. Golf gloves are normally sold as singles, not pairs. Very few people wear two golf gloves except in quite cold weather.

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Character mistake: The crew of the ship is British. Most of them refer to Columbo as "Leftenant," but the doctor switches between "Leftenant" and "Lootenant."

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Other mistake: The captain and the doctor play very fast and loose with medical records privacy, letting Columbo see them and discussing them.

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Stupidity: After Danziger fires the revolver into the mattress, Columbo compares that slug with the murder slug. He puts them both on a narrow railing. It is noticeably windy, and ships often roll with waves. Columbo would not risk losing both pieces of evidence.

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Factual error: The nurse is smoking a cigarette in the sick bay. By 1975, when the show was recorded, that would not happen.

Leicaman

Troubled Waters - S4-E4

Factual error: The nurse brings Danziger a sedative and takes his blood pressure. She has her stethoscope in her ears backwards. A qualified nurse would not make that mistake. When she comes in after the murder to do it again, she has the stethoscope in correctly.

Leicaman

By Dawn's Early Light - S4-E3

Audio problem: The clock striking wakes Columbo, and he gets out of bed. We see that he is barefoot. He takes a few steps in the barrack room, and we hear the sound he would make if he were wearing shoes. Then the sound gets louder and has an echo when we see him outdoors on the parade ground (in shoes).

Leicaman

An Exercise in Fatality - S4-E1

Other mistake: It is made clear that the barbell weighs 180 pounds. When we see Janus put it across the neck of Mr. Stafford, he moves it easily, as if it weighs perhaps 30 pounds. Although we know that Janus is very strong, no one could move 180 pounds that easily.

Leicaman

Swan Song - S3-E7

Audio problem: Columbo walks down the steps into Tommy Brown's (Johnny Cash's) house to ask him some questions. He's on a gold-coloured carpet, but his shoes make sounds as if he were on a hard floor. Later, when he leaves, his feet don't make the sounds.

Leicaman