Robert Conrad guest stars in this Columbo episode where he plays a murderous Jack La Lanne like physical fitness instructor who franchises various physical fitness gyms and has a few other money making schemes involving said franchises. When one of his franchise partners Philip Bruns starts looking into things and accusing him of theft, Conrad feels he has to take action. Bruns has an accounting and corporate background and he could make an accusation stick, especially if the accusation was true.
After killing Bruns and making it look like his windpipe was crushed by a barbell that fell on him, Conrad sets up quite the elaborate alibi which of course Peter Falk painstakingly blows apart.
There's always a contrast between the rumpled Columbo and any of the people he nails for a homicide. But I don't think the contrast was more evident with health guru Conrad who was and is a remarkably fit individual in real life and Falk as Columbo who tries some of those exercises and looks bad at it. That's something you have to start early in life and keep at it. Too late for me and definitely too late for Lt. Columbo.
But an out of condition body doesn't equal an out of condition brain and Columbo is as sharp as ever in nailing Conrad.
After killing Bruns and making it look like his windpipe was crushed by a barbell that fell on him, Conrad sets up quite the elaborate alibi which of course Peter Falk painstakingly blows apart.
There's always a contrast between the rumpled Columbo and any of the people he nails for a homicide. But I don't think the contrast was more evident with health guru Conrad who was and is a remarkably fit individual in real life and Falk as Columbo who tries some of those exercises and looks bad at it. That's something you have to start early in life and keep at it. Too late for me and definitely too late for Lt. Columbo.
But an out of condition body doesn't equal an out of condition brain and Columbo is as sharp as ever in nailing Conrad.