Ruth Gordon is mystery novelist and playwright Abigail Mitchell, in season seven’s “Try and Catch Me.” When Mitchell’s beloved niece dies in a boating incident, she suspects murder. When the police fail to find evidence of foul play, she does the next natural thing- killing the niece’s husband by locking him in a vault. Everyone does that, right? Myke Chilian (Uncle Grandpa, Rick and Morty, Channel 101) joins Jon and RJ to see how Columbo could find such a sweet old lady to be such a cold-blooded killer.
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Another good episode of the podcast. Thanks for sticking with it, RJ and Jon.
I don’t get why everyone keeps saying how lovable/sympathetic Ruth Gordon was in this episode of Columbo. Maybe you’d think that if you were familiar with her other work or something, but I thought she was really quite creepy as the murderer here — but appropriately so. The way she was lit and made up probably enhanced the effect.
Speaking of lighting, and direction generally, how good were both in this ep? Loved the dark shots from inside the safe, and that one of Columbo in shadow, smoking and thinking.
I think you mentioned in the podcast that the music was great too. I agree: a great recurring motif in the musical cues. Plus a fair bit of This Old Man, which is always nice to hear.
A great episode of Columbo, which I only fully appreciated after listening to the podcast. Thanks again!
I think the situation is that she’s objectively charming, if you didn’t know that she’d murdered someone in a genuinely horrific manner then you’d think she was an entertainingly brassy old broad …
Good podcast… still catching up on them but love this episode.
Regarding the keys I assumed she took them because she didn’t want the maid to see them and perhaps ask about opening the safe.
Over the 4th of July week-and-end I binge-watched the first 7 seasons on Netflix, then started looking for podcasts on it. Found yours and this was the first podcast I listened to tryinbg to find out if anyone else caught this tidbit.
During the Mystery Ladies luncheon, there is a table in the back with piles of books. I assume it is the author’s book as all of the women leave the luncheon with a copy and lots of chatter about it.
If you look at the title of the books in the stack it is “Murder Most Foul”.
An homage to Agatha Christie?