There is no separating the character of Lieutenant Columbo from the man who portrayed him on “Columbo,” Peter Falk (even if he wasn’t the first choice to play the unconventional detective). The actor really made the character his own through his performance, but shockingly, he only directed one episode of the long-running series. It’s likely that he wanted to focus on simply acting and wasn’t interested in trying to pull double-duty, although he did also write an episode of the series later in its run. In the end, though, fans got only a single magical episode both starring and directed by Falk: season 1, episode 7, “Blueprint for Murder.”
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“Blueprint for Murder” features “Silent Night, Bloody Night” star Patrick O’Neal as the murderer of the week, Elliot Markham, an architect who kills the extremely wealthy Texan Bo Williamson (Forrest Tucker in a 10-gallon hat) with the help of his lover, Williamson’s beautiful trophy wife, Jennifer (Pamela Austin). It’s a fun episode, but Falk’s direction isn’t particularly showy and gets lost in the shuffle since it’s in the same season as the episode directed by Steven freaking Spielberg. Still, it’s worth remembering as the one and only hour of “Columbo” directed by Falk.
Falk only directed one episode: Blueprint for Murder
Filming the first season of “Columbo” was a bit of an adventure for everyone involved, as series creators and co-producers William Link and Dick Levinson were still figuring out exactly what worked. Falk allegedly butted heads with NBC throughout the first season because he wanted to direct, so the network eventually let him tackle the season finale. It must have been a very challenging shoot, with many outdoor shots located on a construction site that would have made it extra complicated, but Falk did great work for a first-time director. According to The Columbophile, Falk even reached out to Spielberg and his old friend John Cassavetes to ask for directing advice — talk about some incredible tutors!
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“Blueprint for Murder” is a great ending for the first season, even if it’s not one of Falk’s favorite episodes of the series or one of the best “Columbo” episodes overall. Despite having a truly excellent first season, the show took a little bit of time to find its footing and really hit its stride in the mid-1970s, with bigger budgets and bigger guest stars. It’s just a shame that Falk was thrown into the deep end with directing and never tried his hand at helming another episode of “Columbo” because he clearly had the skills. Thankfully, though, he didn’t hang up his rumpled raincoat entirely after that. Indeed, he would go on to write the season 10 episode “It’s All in the Game” (featuring guest star of the week Faye Dunaway), but otherwise dedicated himself to being the best version of his lovable detective possible.
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