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.
More quotes from Columbo
Trivia: A clever, subtle hint as to Mason's guilt - Columbo arrives at the animal pound just in time to stop him feeding Laurel and Hardy (the dogs he trained to kill on command) a large amount of chocolate treats. He has planned this murder meticulously, and he would be aware that chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs. The amount he is planning to feed them from the bulging bag of large chocolate balls he is holding would kill both dogs within hours if ingested.
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?
Answer: Columbo deduces that the first blow must have been to the front of the head, the force causing the victim to fall backwards and hitting the back of his head hard on the ground.
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