Dead Weight
- Episode aired Oct 27, 1971
- TV-PG
- 1h 16m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
A war hero shoots and kills his business partner; an easily manipulated young divorcée is the only witness.A war hero shoots and kills his business partner; an easily manipulated young divorcée is the only witness.A war hero shoots and kills his business partner; an easily manipulated young divorcée is the only witness.
Jim Pelham
- 2nd Officer
- (as Jimmy Pelham)
Bobby Gilbert
- Exhibit Patron
- (uncredited)
Bart Greene
- Exhibit Patron
- (uncredited)
Chester Jones
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
Jack Slate
- Restaurant Patron
- (uncredited)
Earl Spainard
- Fisherman
- (uncredited)
Gary Wright
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe white house on the water that is supposed to belong to Maj. Gen. Hollister was, in real life, actually owned by Peter Falk, and is located in Newport Beach, California.
- GoofsThe General kills his victim instantly with one close-in shot. So he was either shot in the head or in the heart. Either wound would produce copious amounts of blood everywhere. Yet when Columbo enters the house, there are no bloodstains to be seen anywhere. It would be impossible to clean all such traces by that time.
- Quotes
Helen Stewart: Some men, Lieutenant, do not wanna look like an unmade bed!
Featured review
A nice try at something different that doesn't quite work, but is still an OK Columbo
Retired Major General Martin Hollister has made some money by being part of a business that gets work at very high prices, thanks to a partner inside the Government that awards him contracts and splits the profits, even though others are cheaper and better. However his partner's employers are onto him and Colonel Dutton is looking to run. Hollister can't end his career on the run and kills Dutton effectively cutting any possible route back to him. However a woman boating off the marina thinks she sees the murder and calls it in. With no other evidence, body or weapon Columbo is ready to drop it but can't discount the eye witness account from Helen Stewart. While Columbo keeps digging for clues, Hollister gets to know Helen hoping his easy charm will make her doubt what she has seen.
As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. Here we try something pretty different the cat and mouse games go three ways, with both men vying for the heart and mind of the witness to the crime. It could have been very good, and some strong moments in this dynamic show how well it could have worked, but too much of it is unconvincing and forced. If Martin and Helen had been good friends already before the murder, the step up to semi-lovers would have been easier to take. As it is, it feels too sudden and easy, and it surely would have set off alarm bells in everyone's mind Helen would have suspected and Martin would have known better once the seeds of doubt were evident after only one or two meetings. Helen's character is well written and is a little believable that she would be suckered in by male attention, but Hollister is not as well laid out as a character a problem since the conclusion relies wholly on an understanding of his character.
The film fails to set up Hollister as a vain and proud man early on and tries to do it suddenly at the end mostly by Columbo telling us who he is. This weakens the solution because we have not been allowed to see these traits really until then. If it had been better written then these little things would have been evident across the film just like personality traits are always there it would have impressive if it had done this and it would have been further proof of Columbo's powers of observation (although, in a way it still is but just a lot less effective). Falk is still good though, and even in 1971 he has "gotten" his character just right almost a second skin even then. Albert is OK but could have been better; he toys with Columbo but then that didn't work because (with no evidence or body) why would he? He also seems smarter than the road he takes not his fault as a performer but more of the material letting him down. Pleshette is good but again she is held back by the material; it was a nice performance though, and she did the best she could with it.
Overall this was a good try but I really want to be able to say more than that. If it had been better written then it would have been a very good variation from formula but, with the unconvincing aspects looming large over the story, it doesn't work as well as the occasional strong moment suggest it could. The performances are all pretty good but the writing and development of characters and the plot lets them down when they need it most. Fans will enjoy it but, without anything being added by the change to formula, even they will probably acknowledge that it is not one of the better Columbo films.
As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Saying this is not a spoiler it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually down to several factors whether or not the Columbo film stands out or if it is just average. Here we try something pretty different the cat and mouse games go three ways, with both men vying for the heart and mind of the witness to the crime. It could have been very good, and some strong moments in this dynamic show how well it could have worked, but too much of it is unconvincing and forced. If Martin and Helen had been good friends already before the murder, the step up to semi-lovers would have been easier to take. As it is, it feels too sudden and easy, and it surely would have set off alarm bells in everyone's mind Helen would have suspected and Martin would have known better once the seeds of doubt were evident after only one or two meetings. Helen's character is well written and is a little believable that she would be suckered in by male attention, but Hollister is not as well laid out as a character a problem since the conclusion relies wholly on an understanding of his character.
The film fails to set up Hollister as a vain and proud man early on and tries to do it suddenly at the end mostly by Columbo telling us who he is. This weakens the solution because we have not been allowed to see these traits really until then. If it had been better written then these little things would have been evident across the film just like personality traits are always there it would have impressive if it had done this and it would have been further proof of Columbo's powers of observation (although, in a way it still is but just a lot less effective). Falk is still good though, and even in 1971 he has "gotten" his character just right almost a second skin even then. Albert is OK but could have been better; he toys with Columbo but then that didn't work because (with no evidence or body) why would he? He also seems smarter than the road he takes not his fault as a performer but more of the material letting him down. Pleshette is good but again she is held back by the material; it was a nice performance though, and she did the best she could with it.
Overall this was a good try but I really want to be able to say more than that. If it had been better written then it would have been a very good variation from formula but, with the unconvincing aspects looming large over the story, it doesn't work as well as the occasional strong moment suggest it could. The performances are all pretty good but the writing and development of characters and the plot lets them down when they need it most. Fans will enjoy it but, without anything being added by the change to formula, even they will probably acknowledge that it is not one of the better Columbo films.
helpful•266
- bob the moo
- Jun 6, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mord unter sechs Augen
- Filming locations
- Balboa Island, Newport Beach, California, USA(BI Ferry, Pleshette sailing and reporting shooting to police officer.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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