Short Fuse

An eccentric, arrogant killer and a good ending. What more can you ask for from Columbo? With a well executed killing and a business organization rampant with criminality, Columbo was going to have a tough time proving the killer was guiltier than any other possible suspect. Even getting caught red handed in the safehouse, the character had a personal excuse for their criminality.

Roddy McDowall is hilarious as a self righteous genius who thinks himself above everyone in his path. William Windom and Ida Lupino give great supporting roles as the various snakey lies twist in their ways, but the real star of the flick is the film's climax where Columbo unravels all of McDowall's close-knit cool on a tight alpine ride simply by tapping a cigar box. Brilliant.

For the most part, this is a below average Columbo; drags at parts and there's not much of a "fight", but it's worth watching if only for the delectable, very memorable ending.

One of the better plots of Season 01, and while Columbo did expertly caught the culprit to his own satisfaction, he seemed to have ended the episode at a note where, had this gone to trial, it would definitely seem as if there wasn't enough evidence to convict Roddy McDowall's character.