Now You See Him
- Episode aired Feb 29, 1976
- TV-PG
- 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
A stage illusionist kills his employer and makes it look like a contract killing; it's up to Lt. Columbo to trick the master trickster.A stage illusionist kills his employer and makes it look like a contract killing; it's up to Lt. Columbo to trick the master trickster.A stage illusionist kills his employer and makes it look like a contract killing; it's up to Lt. Columbo to trick the master trickster.
Benjie Bancroft
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
John Blower
- Magician's Assistant
- (uncredited)
Donald Chaffin
- Club Patron
- (uncredited)
Robert Cole
- Chef
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Dells
- Secretary
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe boarding house interview scene with Mike Lally was filmed several months after principal photography was completed on the episode. The writers hadn't completed, or could not agree on, the plot twist featuring Lally as a damning witness who could help to reveal Santini's true identity. Peter Falk himself wrote and directed the scene. Lally had appeared in 20 previous episodes of Columbo in minor roles or as an extra, making him the second-most cast actor of the show behind Falk. Lally's son said the scene, which uses Lally's real name for his character, was Falk's gift to the elderly Mike Lally for his otherwise nameless contributions to the series.
- GoofsDetective Sergeant John J. Wilson is identified by name not only by Columbo but by himself, and both characters mention having worked together earlier. They did work together before in The Greenhouse Jungle (1972), but Detective Wilson's name (played by Bob Dishy) in that episode is Frederic, not John J.
- Quotes
Santini: And I thought I'd performed the perfect murder!
Lt. Columbo: Perfect murder, sir? Oh, I'm sorry. There is no such thing as a perfect murder. That's just an illusion.
- Alternate versionsThe original German version from the 1970s was censored due to the Nazi topic. The dubbing changed Jack Cassidy's character Santini from the ex-Nazi Stefan Mueller to a wanted British bank robber named Stanley Matthews. Also this Columbo episode was slightly cut in places where the dubbing changes would have become obvious (i.e. the last few seconds of the scene where the name "Stefan Mueller" can be read on Jerome's letter). In the 1990s the German TV network "RTL Television" had the uncut version of this episode re-dubbed, now sticking to the original plot and preserving the Nazi-topic.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Sarah Silverman/Nico Hiraga (2021)
- SoundtracksCharade
Music by Henry Mancini
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by cabaret singer and incorporated into the background score
Featured review
The Magical Jack Cassidy!
Sadly, this was Jack Cassidy's third and final outing as a Columbo villain, in a episode made not long before his tragic death in a housefire. Here he is just as effective as before as he perfectly conveys the wholesesome villainy and cold-bloodedness of his characterisation - a stiff jaw, humourless and stern-faced expressions, hard-hitting and economical use of dialogue, a piercing focus of the eyes and simmering arrogance that is often forced out of him.
All in all, Cassidy's contribution aside, this is a entertaining, well-produced and watchable addition to the series., with some interesting insights into the world of magic, accompanied by some typically robust forms of deduction (the creases/sweat on the back of the victim's shirt being an obvious example).
There are, as you might expect, some strong scenes between Falk and Cassidy; particularly memorable ones are when Columbo challenges Cassidy's character to escape from the former's handcuffs, and at the finale -
Santini (Cassidy) says: "..And I thought I had performed the perfect murder..." Columbo (Falk) says: "....there is no such thing...that is just an illusion!"
A very good standard Columbo, made at a time when original scripts were becoming increasingly difficult to conceive.
All in all, Cassidy's contribution aside, this is a entertaining, well-produced and watchable addition to the series., with some interesting insights into the world of magic, accompanied by some typically robust forms of deduction (the creases/sweat on the back of the victim's shirt being an obvious example).
There are, as you might expect, some strong scenes between Falk and Cassidy; particularly memorable ones are when Columbo challenges Cassidy's character to escape from the former's handcuffs, and at the finale -
Santini (Cassidy) says: "..And I thought I had performed the perfect murder..." Columbo (Falk) says: "....there is no such thing...that is just an illusion!"
A very good standard Columbo, made at a time when original scripts were becoming increasingly difficult to conceive.
helpful•491
- The Welsh Raging Bull
- Apr 14, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Wenn der Schein trügt
- Filming locations
- The Magic Castle - 7000 Franklin Av Los Angelès, California, USA(Stage and other interiors)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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