If you even know who Peter Falk is, chances are you only know him as the homicide detective who pretends to be a village idiot, Columbo. How about we kick things off by looking a different side of Peter Falk? I have this tendency of focusing on the more embarrassing sides to a celebrity whether it be through Hollywood rumors or in this case, something that made it onto television and millions of homes.
This incident took place on The Dick Cavett Show and Falk, along with John Cassavetes and Ben Gazzara, was there to promote Cassavetes’ new film, Husbands. It’s the worst example of how to promote a new movie because all three men are drunk. Peter Falk is turned away from everybody while giggling, Cassavetes is doing faceplants like he’s Ric Flair after wrestling Sting for an hour and Ben Gazzara is barking at people to hurry up with their answers. It’s one of those things you see and say to yourself, “Well….it was the 70s.” I kinda wish celebrities were still this interesting and unpredictable.
Now I guess we can move onto the actual topic.
Death Hits The Jackpot was the first episode of Columbo I saw. I’m a H-U-G-E fan of MeTV, anybody who gives a home to Svengoolie obviously has my approval. I was checking out their Sunday schedule one day when I saw it was going to be Rip Torn looking to weasel his way out of a murder. I have to imagine quite a few people were hooked into this series through this episode because who doesn’t love Rip Torn? Whether it’s through The Larry Sanders Show or Dodgeball, you’re aware at how great of a performer he is. Even if you’re one of those weirdos who only knows him as the dad from Freddy Got Fingered, you’re aware at how anything with this guy in it is given a great boost from his presence.
Torn in this episode plays a Beverly Hills jeweler who finds out his nephew won the lottery and kills him in order to steal the multi million dollar ticket. It’s quite the foolish risk because if there’s anybody who should be financially stable it’s a Beverly Hills jeweler, the closest thing this guy’s seen to a homeless beggar is a waiter he slipped a $100 tip to because he was recognized with someone who isn’t his wife. I’m used to the Tales from the Crypt format where the guy killing for cash is some lowlife sap sporting a leather jacket, stained wifebeater, torn acid wash jeans and chainsmoking in a bedbug motel where he gets no sleep because a giant neon sign is right outside his window. Even when the gimmick to Columbo was rich people thinking they could easily get away with murder, Rip Torn’s Leon Lamarr is twice as slimy.
On top of killing his nephew for a lottery ticket, he’s boning his nephew’s ex wife while married. The girlfriend is played by Jamie Rose who’s a notable face if you watched a lot of television in the mid to late 80s. She first became notable on the soap opera Falcon Crest. After a couple of seasons she left for a lead role in Lady Blue where she played a police detective patrolling the worst side of Chicago. It only lasted 14 episodes and she soon got a 4 episode arch on St. Elsewhere. She’s also recognizable to hardcore horror fans for making her film debut in Just Before Dawn, a slasher capitalizing on the monumental success of Friday the 13th.
Funny how I mentioned Friday the 13th because you know who played the wife that Rip Torn is two timing on with Jamie Rose? BETSY FUCKING PALMER! Yep, Mrs. Voorhees herself! It makes sense for a horror icon like Betsy Palmer to be part of this episode since it takes place on or at least around Halloween. On the night he murders his nephew, Rip Torn is hosting a costume party, not any old costume party because it’s clearly a seasonal one. You can see those wonderful cardboard skeletons on the wall and black and orange balloons all around.
O yeah….there’s also this sign.
Columbo is considered by many to be one of the best written shows of all time. Not only did the show have the unique concept of letting you know right away who the killer is, but it created new episodes and made for television movies over the course of five decades. If you’re looking for one of many great places to begin, Death Hits The Jackpot is a perfect way to start. It sure was for me.
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