Double Exposure
- Episode aired Dec 16, 1973
- TV-PG
- 1h 10m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
A self-styled "motivation research specialist" uses subliminal cues to commit a murder. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A self-styled "motivation research specialist" uses subliminal cues to commit a murder. Lt. Columbo is on the case.A self-styled "motivation research specialist" uses subliminal cues to commit a murder. Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Arlene Martel
- Tanya Baker
- (as Arlene Martell)
Francis De Sales
- Patterson
- (as Francis DeSales)
E.A. Sirianni
- Norbert
- (as E. A. Sirianni)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaColumbo alludes to "Candidate for Crime" in both episodes that immediately followed it in the original broadcast schedule. In this episode, Columbo says he's been "working late on the Hayward case," referring to Nelson Hayward, the politician who murders his campaign manager in "Candidate for Crime," the preceding episode. This is an unusual acknowledgment that Columbo handles multiple cases at the same time. Then, in the next episode, "Publish or Perish," Columbo tells killer Riley Greenleaf (Jack Cassidy) that he wants to write a book about his experiences and describes, as an example, the plot of "Candidate for Crime," to which Greenleaf responds, "Lieutenant, very frankly, I don't give a damn about your Senator or your story."
- GoofsWhen Columbo is riding in the golf cart with Dr. Kepple, there are no golf clubs on the cart and Dr. Kepple uses the same club for three consecutive shots, including one near the green - something no good golfer would do.
- Quotes
Lt. Columbo: My wife's got no head for crime. We go to those whodunit movies, she always picks the wrong murderer. I wanna tell you something: If my wife decided to murder me, she could come up with a better alibi than you got.
- ConnectionsReferences High Plains Drifter (1973)
Featured review
Can subliminal advertising help you commit a murder? Find out on today's episode of "Columbo"!
Dr. Bart Keppel (Robert Culp) styles himself as a "motivation research specialist," and it's true he has written several books on marketing and made a name for himself on the subject of "subliminal advertising"—which involves inserting frames of an advertised product into the reels of a film. The frames go by too fast for the conscious mind to note them; but subconsciously the mind picks them up and makes the viewer crave what is pictured. But this advertising expert's more lucrative sideline is blackmail. He takes secret pictures of his married clients with a girl hired to tempt them. His latest victim, Vic Norris (Robert Middleton), balks and wants to turn in Dr. Keppel (don't call him Mr. Keppel) to the D.A. The blackmailer prevents this by murdering Norris during a screening of a promotional film. He finds a clever alibi and an even cleverer way of tempting his victim into the wrong place at the wrong time. But his projectionist (Chuck McCann) finds out and blackmails the blackmailer. It's up to our rumpled Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) to use subliminal tricks of his own to unmask the killer.
This enjoyable "Columbo" episode, directed by Richard Quine from a script by Stephen J. Cannell, bears resemblance to "Columbo: Death Lends a Hand," which also featured Robert Culp as a killer who blackmails one victim too many. The subject of subliminal advertising is amusing, though I think the idea was discredited at some point. The last I heard of it was when some Japanese animators innocently inserted frames of American flags into episodes of the TV cartoon, "Alf." There was an uproar, but the idea of hypnotizing people with frames of film came to look silly. Still, give this episode your willing suspension of disbelief, and you'll enjoy it.
This enjoyable "Columbo" episode, directed by Richard Quine from a script by Stephen J. Cannell, bears resemblance to "Columbo: Death Lends a Hand," which also featured Robert Culp as a killer who blackmails one victim too many. The subject of subliminal advertising is amusing, though I think the idea was discredited at some point. The last I heard of it was when some Japanese animators innocently inserted frames of American flags into episodes of the TV cartoon, "Alf." There was an uproar, but the idea of hypnotizing people with frames of film came to look silly. Still, give this episode your willing suspension of disbelief, and you'll enjoy it.
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- J. Spurlin
- Jan 10, 2007
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- Ein gründlich motivierter Mord
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