<story><title>Columbo: an origin story (2018)</title><url>https://columbophile.com/2018/02/17/columbo-an-origin-story/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>lqet</author><text>One of the earliest (and also one of the best) Columbo episodes (&amp;quot;Murder by the Book&amp;quot;, 1971) was directed by Steven Spielberg. If you watch it, it is &lt;i&gt;immediately&lt;/i&gt; clear (even during the initial shot) that this episode is simply in another league. Not only when compared to other Columbo episodes, but also when compared to other TV shows during that era (see for example this short documentary [0]). It is crazy to think that Spielberg was only 25 when he directed this.&lt;p&gt;If I remember correctly, the quality of that Columbo episode was what really started Spielberg&amp;#x27;s career. He got the offer to direct a TV movie afterwards, and he presented Duel [1] (also in 1971), which is simply a masterpiece and got a theatrical release after the TV success. It established Spielberg as a major film director. Just watch the title sequence: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=d0707XtiFPs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=d0707XtiFPs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=Gb62FxCH-Ks&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=Gb62FxCH-Ks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Duel_(1971_film)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Duel_(1971_film)&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Witoso</author><text>Apparently this episode is in the public domain, and is available on the columbophile&amp;#x27;s website[0]&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;columbophile.com&amp;#x2F;2018&amp;#x2F;03&amp;#x2F;25&amp;#x2F;full-episode-columbo-murder-by-the-book&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;columbophile.com&amp;#x2F;2018&amp;#x2F;03&amp;#x2F;25&amp;#x2F;full-episode-columbo-mur...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Columbo: an origin story (2018)</title><url>https://columbophile.com/2018/02/17/columbo-an-origin-story/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>lqet</author><text>One of the earliest (and also one of the best) Columbo episodes (&amp;quot;Murder by the Book&amp;quot;, 1971) was directed by Steven Spielberg. If you watch it, it is &lt;i&gt;immediately&lt;/i&gt; clear (even during the initial shot) that this episode is simply in another league. Not only when compared to other Columbo episodes, but also when compared to other TV shows during that era (see for example this short documentary [0]). It is crazy to think that Spielberg was only 25 when he directed this.&lt;p&gt;If I remember correctly, the quality of that Columbo episode was what really started Spielberg&amp;#x27;s career. He got the offer to direct a TV movie afterwards, and he presented Duel [1] (also in 1971), which is simply a masterpiece and got a theatrical release after the TV success. It established Spielberg as a major film director. Just watch the title sequence: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=d0707XtiFPs&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=d0707XtiFPs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=Gb62FxCH-Ks&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.youtube.com&amp;#x2F;watch?v=Gb62FxCH-Ks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Duel_(1971_film)&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;Duel_(1971_film)&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>NextHendrix</author><text>I was introduced to Columbo by a housemate a few years ago and was instantly hooked. The episode you mentioned is excellent, as are all the Jack Cassidy ones.&lt;p&gt;For me the standout episode is &amp;#x27;Any Old Port in a Storm&amp;#x27; (1973) with Donald Pleasance.</text></comment>