Film #141 - How To Dial A Murder (1978)
Viewed May 21, 2006
How To Dial A Murder is a 1978 entry in the ‘Columbo’ series of made-for-TV movies. The story this time revolves around a self-help guru, Dr. Eric Mason (Nicol Williamson), who murders his best friend by using his abilities with mental training to cause the doctor’s dogs to attack him. When Lt. Columbo gets the case, the doctor’s various missteps lead to his arrest.
On the surface a typical ‘Columbo’ story, the details really add up to a waste of a fine cast. Nicol Williamson is a versatile actor, with quality work is such diverse films as The Cheap Detective (1978), Excalibur (1981) and The Wind in the Willows (1996). But here he seems to be sleep-walking through his role. He shows none of the flair that he’s shown so many times before. He barely seems to be interested and it’s easy to see why, since his character is written in such a dull way, with none of the cleverness that marks the better ‘Columbo’ villains.
In an early performace, Kim Catrall gives her character a bit more depth than, perhaps, she deserves. Like the doctor, her character is so simplistic there’s ultimately little she can do to fill it out. But she, at least, gives it a go.
Peter Falk gives his usual fine performance as Lt. Columbo, but he, too, seems less than fully engaged. The character even notes how disappointing the doctor proves to be, not presenting much of a challenge. Why the filmmakers would want this pointed out to the audience, I don’t know, but it perfectly reflected by opinion of the film as a whole.
‘Columbo’ films are unique, with their “how-does-he-prove-it” formula replacing the usual “whodunnit” perspective. But for a formula like that to work, the plot and clues have to be clever and engaging, since the question of guilt is already established. How to Dial A Murder fails at this task, so it simply doesn’t work.