Extra Information

Synopsis

An egocentric film director resorts to his mastery of special effects to murder a
vengeful friend who discovered the director's role in the movie-stunt death of the
friend's sister years before on MCA TV Inter-national's "COLUMBO" episode entitled "Murder, Smoke And Shadows." The segment was written by Richard Alan Simmons and directed by Jim Frawley.

When an unidentified male body is found on the Malibu beach and nearby a book on filmmaker-director Alex Brady, Columbo pays the young movie mogul a visit. Later, Columbo interrupts a romantic rendezvous between Alex Brady and actress Ruth Jernigan with the information that the dead man's name is Leonard Fisher and death was caused by electrocution. Alex is shocked because he knew Len and his sister Jenny, who died in a motorcycle accident ten years before. Columbo is studying the set where Brady is shooting his new film. He finds a piece of shoe sole which he deduces was blown of f when the victim was electrocuted. That evening, Columbo introduces Kardarsian and Det. Sewell to Brady. Apparently, Kardarsian had picked up Len at the airport and dropped him of f at the Tour Center. Alex realizes that the leads are getting closer and hires bit-player Crossette to stear Columbo off course.

The next day while lunching at the studio commissary, Columbo overhears
two actresses in conversation about Len and his drug dealing. When
Columbo makes a move to question them, Crossette, dressed as a security
guard, stops the Lieutenant. Alex invites his secretary Rose to lunch
with the intention of firing her. She reminds Alex that she knows about
Len's telephone call despite the fact Lt. Columbo was informed other-wise.
Alex agrees to keep Rose on payroll with the added bonus of a paid
vacation. when Alex walks onto Stage 4, he sees a 16mm black and
white film in the projector. He watches the footage of Jenny riding
on the motorcycle, her subsequent accident, and Alex motioning for
the camera to be shut off. Columbo appears and mentions to Alex
that the Albany police sent him Len's belongings, and he had other
information regarding the case. Apparently, Jenny was doing a stunt
in Alex's film, and when she crashed, Alex left her to die. Len
had obtained the film footage from cameraman Buddy Coates and
threatened to end Brady's career for causing his sister's death.
Brady lured Len Fisher to the back lot where he had the street
wetted down and electrocuted him on the iron gate. Columbo points
out that he has Rose's statement as to Brady's bribing her, and the scenes in the commissary and the restaurant were arranged to throw him off track. As it turns out, Columbo used a little bit of film magic of his own by planting detectives
dressed as busboys and waitresses as well as witnesses in other scenes -- staged by Columbo!