If only Roger had confessed there and then it would have saved us all a lot of time and trouble. Doris then gives the Lieutenant further grounds for suspicion when she openly states that she knows Roger doesn’t like his uncle very much. “If only Roger had confessed early on it would have saved us all a lot of time and trouble.”įortunately, DL rings off picoseconds before the fatal blast, but Columbo has noticed Roger eyeing his timepiece (which was so overtly done that a blind man would have noticed). Listening to it unfold, panicky Roger starts looking at his watch, knowing that a minute after the box is opened his Uncle will be a charred corpse. Calling from his car phone (which probably cost the equivalent of several trillion dollars by today’s standards) DL leaves Doris a message in which can be heard Quincy passing him the rigged box of cigars. If you can’t quite recall the glory of the scene, revisit it below from 1.49 mins in!Ĭolumbo’s car is aptly described as ‘that old heap’ by the Ferrari-driving Roger in Short FuseĬolumbo’s first real clue comes via cutting-edge technology, 70’s style, in what was a familiar theme for the series. Roger, meanwhile, is establishing his alibi by necking with company secretary Betty Bishop at a discotheque, like a pair of teenagers in love. This is unashamedly played out against a funky little Gil Melle jazz number, the canoodling action being intercut at one stage with a female Star Trek reject frenetically cage dancing. In a scene reminiscent of a Hammer Horror film, David and Quincy battle sky-splitting lightning and driving rain as the car creeps up the mountain pass to explosive oblivion. “The action is intercut at one stage with a female Star Trek reject frenetically cage dancing. BOOM! So long Uncle! KER-BLAM! See you later Quincy! And helloooooo luxury office and total control of the chemical empire that Roger believes is his birthright. Using his extraordinary brain power for EVIL, he rigs a bomb in a cigar case and deftly manipulates matters to ensure the booby-trapped box will be opened as DL’s car traverses a twisty mountain road. The evidence has been collected by Uncle D’s sinister sidekick Quincy, who, in the dual role of chauffeur and private detective, arguably deserved a spin-off show of his own, which could have scuppered the popular Jack Klugman vehicle years before it ever got off the ground.Īs well as getting mad, Roger gets even. Said skeletons involve debauchery, car theft, drug dabbling and other misdemeanours of the sort guaranteed to break the heart of even the staunchest old crone (no offence, Doris). To ensure his co-operation, DL threatens to reveal the skeletons in Roger’s closet to Doris. Wicked uncle DL needs Roger to quit the business and convince Doris to back the sale. Madcap genius Roger Stanford (Roddy McDowall) ain’t happy that his Uncle ‘DL’ David is trying sell off the family chemical plant against the wishes of both Roger and his beloved Aunt Doris (Ida Lupino). Score by: Gil Melle Episode synopsis: Columbo Short Fuse Quincy (credited as ‘Murphy’): Lawrence Cook The Year of our Lord 1972 duly arrived, with millions of fans desperate for more Lieutenant Columbo action after the Christmas break.Would the New Year be kind to them? Let’s pull on our tightest trousers and turn back the clocks to January 19, 1972, the date Short Fuse first aired, and find out… These included three of the very best TV episodes of all time – Murder by the Book, Suitable for Framing and Death Lends a Hand. Following the ultra-successful Columbo pilot Ransom for a Dead Man in March, five more magnificent outings followed between September and December in Season 1 proper. The year 1971 was a monumental year for American TV.
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