Columbo, meanwhile, takes Helen’s arm and leads her out of the exhibition to an uncertain future as credits roll… The General couldn’t bring himself to part with it.īested in battle for the first time, Hollister apologies to Helen and submits to the long arm of the law.

Most normal people would have thrown it away after the killing. The general’s attachment to his beloved gun has been his undoing. The Lieutenant reveals that he’s already had the ‘duplicate’ gun run through ballistics, and it’s the same one used to shoot Colonel Dutton. Ergo, the so-called duplicate must be the real thing!Ĭolumbo arranges to meet Helen at the Hollister Exhibit, a party which the General predictably gatecrashes. There’s no way he’d let anyone get hold of that gun. The General places great importance on his war mementoes. Columbo makes the jump to Hollister’s pearl-handled Colt 45. Burt just can’t get rid of his old war memorabilia. It’s a casual conversation with war veteran – and chilli purveyor – Burt, that gives Columbo the inspiration he needs. The lady loves a man in uniform – even one old enough to be her grampappy! His chances of securing a conviction seem all at sea. She’s now firmly on the General’s side, leaving Columbo unable to rely on his one key witness, even as he builds the rest of the case. Columbo attempts to lead Helen back to her initial suspicions, but her lonely heart is leading her head.Įven the reappearance of the Colonel’s body off the LA coast (Hollister ditched the corpse off his boat after the celebratory dinner) doesn’t sway her.

The detective, who had little reason to suspect Hollister initially, is wary of his motives in taking such an interest in the star witness. So begins a sham romance where Hollister takes advantage of Helen’s low self-esteem to turn her to his way of thinking, and to forget about the crime she witnessed.Īlthough his plotting works on Helen, it has the opposite affect on Lieutenant Columbo. He then shows up on her doorstep and invites her to watch the 11 o’clock news that evening in the hope that a report on his exhibition and war heroics will clear his name. General Hollister easily talks his way out of a tight spot during his initial meeting with ColumboĪlone again, the General finds out the whereabouts of Mrs Stewart through the loose-lipped boat hire owner ( Columbo regular Val Avery in his first appearance). There’s a certain level of reluctance, though, because General Hollister is a bona fide war hero, whose exploits with his legendary pearl-handled Colt 45 in Korea helped make him a household name. Helen reports the crime to the police, and Lieutenant Columbo is sent to investigate. While boating with her overbearing mother, troubled divorcee Helen Stewart distantly witnesses Major General Martin Hollister gun down lily-livered Colonel Dutton in cold blood through the window of his dockside mansion. Score by: Gil Melle Columbo Dead Weight – Episode synopsis

Major General Martin Hollister: Eddie Albert But could the quality be maintained in the Season’s third instalment? We’re turning back the clock to 27 October 1971, when Dead Weight first aired.

Murder by the Book and Death Lends a Hand are two of the best TV episodes ever made. Season 1 of Columbo left viewers knocked for six with its heady combo of lovable central character, wicked high society bad guys and sumptuous production values.

Eddie albert death