The Eyewitness is YOU! | Columbo

[@rnash999]

And once again, simply refusing to speak to Columbo and allowing your lawyer to do his job would have saved the criminal.

[@garryiglesias4074]

Arrogant people don't know how to keep silent.

[@royceanderson6964]

Exactly, if this jackass had just kept his mouth shut, he might have won.

[@StreetFighter2010]

Not for long. It would only delay Columbo’s hangman’s noose.

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

Well in real life no detective would have questioned a suspect like that prior to searching him for weapons, and definitely not in his own home.

[@gigigiseleworld]

I completely Agree.... It's your 🗣️Mouth.. 🤬.. That will..send you.. South. "Prison ⚡😂...😂

[@Ronin4614]

I never tire of seeing Columbo. What a great series.

[@landonletterman831]

The decor, the technology, the mannerisms and the people. I swear, every single one of these episodes is like a lovingly crafted time capsule for the era that it was shot in. Up to and including "Columbo Loves the Night Life"

[@djdon60]

@Ronin:Yes,, do I agree! Thus far, my DVD collection consists of Seasons 1-3 and, those which contain the years, 1988-1991. I, WILL, eventually, own the complete library, for certain. BTW, when I thought I wouldn't be coming, out, satisfied(not being a big GH fan), WAS I surprised, discovering it's now one of my top ten, all-time favourites. He was fine. Great "payoff", in my, humble, opinion. Oh...for our forum, "one thing, more."(sorry). Could the lieutenant, truly, use the word, "EYEwitness?" Your thoughts, people?

[@Brian-uy2tj]

@@djdon60

[@jasonh7284]

One of the best TV programmes ever made!!

[@jjc2316]

I didn’t even have a color TV when I started watching Columbo.

[@jamesfeldman4234]

In his day, George Hamilton used to be known as "famous for being famous," rather than for any acting skills. But Hamilton is actually a highly underrated actor, who plays dramatic and comedic roles with equal facility. In this episode, he plays one of the best murderers in the series. And even though the hypnosis premise inherent in the story is a bit far-fetched, Hamilton does an outstanding job of making it seem believable.

[@kenle2]

I still laugh at Hamilton playing Dracula in "Love at First Bite". The guy known for having the best tan in Hollywood plays a vampire. 😂

[@dontbewoke]

He's absolutely brilliant in this scene , and I don't compliment often.

[@fasteddie9867]

I totally agree with everything--and how handsome he was! Season 4 was the best in my opinion

[@GodsFavoriteBassPlyr]

Read his book... "Don't mind if I do"... A FASCINATING life.

[@fasteddie9867]

@@GodsFavoriteBassPlyr thanks

[@marcusmedlock847]

George Hamilton was great here in portraying a very arrogant and heartless villain. Classic example of ensnaring someone with their own ego.

[@ColonelCarnage]

The slime just oozes off him. I love his quick obnoxious replies every time Columbo lays out what he has.

[@marcusmedlock847]

@@ColonelCarnagevery well put 👍

[@michaelmartinez1345]

This episode (A deadly state of mind) is one of the best 'Gotcha' scenes in the series. George Hamilton's face that has the smile that quickly runs away when the man who he THOUGHT is blind started reading the magazine he gave to him; And quickly proving that he saw a blind man walking his dog that he almost hit when racing from the crime scene... Absolutely brilliant detective work here...He inadvertantly incriminated himself in front of 7 witness's.... Time for the jail cell, then the courthouse....

[@Fiduciariesonio]

Then a Not Guilty Verdict cause I'm sure there's a case for him

[@stefs3460]

This is one of my favorite gotcha moments too but I also really like the guy who picks the camera out that took a picture of his wife before he shot her that he had reversed and the lady in the wall with the beeper that he messaged that says gotcha

[@RMR1]

Yeah, it's a great scene and "gotcha" moment, but a first-year law student could get him off. The evidence is so circumstantial -- and super-thin. I mean, the suspect assumes the guy's blind ... and that PROVES he saw the guy's brother that evening? I don't think so. No D.A. in their right mind would ever prosecute this case in real life. Great episode nonetheless.

[@oot007]

@@RMR1 You miss the point. He didn't assume the guy is blind, he insisted the guy was blind. There is no reason to believe that guy was blind unless he believed he saw him that other day with the guide dog. Second this was not the only evidence. Watch the entire episode and there were gaping holes in the culprit's case.

[@RMR1]

@@oot007 Even if he "insisted" Morris was blind -- and you're right, he is insistent -- it still proves nothing. A defense lawyer could easily show that any doctor might reasonably believe that a man acting the way Morris did was blind. Not so much because he moved in a slow, almost robotic way and wore dark glasses indoors, but because he stared at a fixed point, even as both Columbo and Collier moved while talking to him. Sighted people -- especially well-mannered and educated people, which Morris clearly is -- do not stare into space while others are addressing them. And yes, there is other evidence, but it's either entirely circumstantial or very thin. All of which, though, is completely moot. His admission, if you can call it that, would never be admitted in court because Columbo -- even after advising Collier that he was under arrest -- does not Mirandize him. And without the subsequent "confession," the case goes nowhere. Again, in real life. On TV, sure, it's an airtight case.

[@jasonh7284]

I love the way Columbo pretends to look defeated at 6.05 to 6.11 !

[@modelcitizen2028]

A great Columbo villain, played by George Hamilton. The character is so overwhelmingly arrogant and sure of himself that he overplays his hand - and straight into the Lieutenant's trap! 📺👍

[@driewiel]

I also liked Rin Tin Tin in the guest role.

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

But he was only caught because he is pre-tan George Hamilton. Post tan, he would have been undefeatable.

[@Noah-wx7fm]

The victim, right before the murder, described him as “Never at a loss for words.” He always had to have the last thing to say. He saw himself as the doctor and everyone else was just his mice to manipulate however he wanted. Of course he wouldn’t think of them as being able to threaten him. Columbo knew all do this about him, and tailor made this trap for him

[@robertbotelho9702]

@@Noah-wx7fm The victim, Carl Donner, was played by Stephen Elliot, who many people would probably recognize as the “is this the man….” police chief in Beverly Hills Cop.

[@EssexAggiegrad2011]

@@Noah-wx7fm It was lovely to see the smile quickly fall off his face when the man started reading

[@ianmangham4570]

George really knocked it outta the park with this performance 🎭 👏

[@cathystruska1558]

Columbo always gets proof and is tricky the way he gets both guys there and how he nails George Hamilton. I love all the Columbo episodes . They are all good but I have my favorites too.

[@joiedevie3901]

This episode may have been inspired or even based on a great short story, "Eyewitness," by Robert Arthur, who was a writer and editor for Hitchcock. It is interesting that this trope had not been used more to trip up the perpetrator in these plots. The closing line in the short story has the investigator similarly admonishing the murderer that there is always an eyewitness to every crime: the one who commits it.

[@josephadorno92]

Robert Arthur, there's a familiar name! He created the "Alfred Hitchcock and The 3 Investigators" series of mystery novels for kids.

[@sparroweyes498]

I also read it in a Cadfael mystery, one of the short ones. By . . . Peter Ellis?

[@frankieclayton9303]

Love how he presents evidence to you and keeps you guessing

[@TileGuyJesse]

One thing Columbo consistently does and that's play the suspect(s) against themselves. He exploits their own arrogance or confidence in themselves. Beautiful.

[@DemonicAkumi]

What I do like is yes, he did play off a bit and spoke as someone that was told lines to memorized and supposedly seemed blind, but even then... you wouldn't know unless you asked him. For him to be 100% sure and full of himself to know the man had to be blind without knowing him was what sealed the deal. Another one of those times where the culprit is moving faster than their brain, with the inability to think it through before realizing "Hush. You're saying too much."

[@robertbotelho9702]

There was also one subtle clue that the man “can’t” be blind, and that was when the officer silently gestured for him to come forward, and he did. Contrast that to the blind man’s entrance, which was preceded by Columbo yelling out his name (and quite loudly).

[@theinsufferablebutthole8923]

Thats why you don't talk to cops, especially without a lawyer present

[@SanyaJuutilainen]

@@robertbotelho9702 Which could also be easily staged by police (one man behind corner with blind man, who prods him to go forward when he sees the office gesture)

[@BioYuGi]

The 'blind' man also pointed out where the matches were.

[@michaeljohnson5365]

just spent 50 UK pounds on ALL episodes i have spent over 3 days straight watching all episodes back to back! Columbo must have said "MY WIFE" and "just one more thing" about 3,000 times!

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

Great purchase. Haha.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

I wish someone could take the time to find out the exact count 😂

[@RJSRdg]

Apparently "One more thing" came about by accident. Levinson & Link had typed up (on a typewriter, of course) a scene where Columbo went to the villain's house to ask some questions. When they read the scene back, they realised Columbo hadn't asked the question he needed to ask. Rather than type the whole scene out again, they had Columbo come back in and say "One more thing" and it worked so well that they kept using it!

[@Brian-uy2tj]

George Hamilton is an underrated actor. He was excellent as the murderer.

[@rhyskandoll9472]

Closing that car door by the glass makes the antagonist even more dastardly

[@SRDhain]

The satisfaction level is always higher with Colombo, because the villains usually tend to be insufferably arrogant. Consequently the denouement has to be shattering, in order to chip as much away from the offender's psyche as possible. Dr Collier was one of the worst and deserved to be hoisted on his own petard. Even at the end, he's not broken, but looks like he's just seething with rage at his own slip up.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Pretty sure this bait-and-switch wouldn't possibly stand up in a court. Of course it's reasonable for the doctor to think the man in the half-shade glasses is blind without seeing him on the road.

[@Johnnybdecent]

No, the issue is that the murderer wasn't supposed to see anyone, as he had a fake alibi to where he was at the time of the murder. So, by saying he saw the blind man, he just contradicted his own alibi and put himself at the scene of the crime when it happened.

[@JustineSmith-j8h]

Great clip! Remember it well from back in the day when there was a new episode of Columbo broadcast every Sunday afternoon in the UK. Classic.

[@emsleywyatt3400]

Plodding expertise trumps raw intellect every time.

[@kathleenschuman6131]

One of the cleverest gotchas in the series. Very slick idea. Only time I've ever seen it.

[@lighstormlightstorm9024]

Another great columbo episode ending..loved it. I seen this episode a number of times, but first time ever I noticed a small detail I always missed. Let me know any thoughts anyone on what you think., or anyone else noticed it as well. Columbo calls into the room Mr. Morris. Then he asks Mr. Morris to take a seat on the couch. So he does, and sees Columbo trying to find a match in his pockets. Mr. Morris sees a match on the table and hands him the match. Right there, is a clue that Mr. Morris isnt blind, otherwise how could he see the match and hand it to columbo?. Just a fun curious detail I noticed. Surprising Dr Collier didnt notice it, but then he had a guilt written all over him, and columbo was turning screw as he classically does to catch murders.

[@michaelg8193]

At 5:35 the suspect dismisses the entire concept of the man on the couch seeing/giving the matches as he is convinced the 'witness' is blind. 'Hamilton' is too arrogant to perceive it otherwise.

[@Markworth]

The whole scene is very deliberate and, not that he was ever above this sort of thing, this is probably one of the most underhanded gotchas in all of Columbo. Everything that they do in this scene is to provoke this response while having a solid counter-argument. No department would even humor attempting this unless they knew that the post-arrest investigation would seal the deal, because this is a hair folicle above straight up entrapment.

[@monacojerry]

The curls of Falk's hair needs its own spin off!

[@bobuncle8704]

This was always one of my favourite gotcha’s of the series

[@art.demirjian9721]

Conclusion right on the spot - perfect plot against the suspect. The verdict is: "Blind Man successfully recognized the suspect". Amazing! 😊

[@giarc888]

Every vilian thinks they are smarter than columbo and columbo still wins at the end,that's poetic justice.

[@Argumemnon]

"There is no way in the world that you could've assumed that ... this man is blind." Lieutenant, first time I saw this scene out of context, I assumed the man was blind because of the way he acted.

[@rafanifischer3152]

One of my favorite Columbo scenes.

[@albertchehade9916]

ahhhh....the cigarette handling by george is priceless.....

[@OmegaHulk2010]

6:28 "When the blind man starts reading."

[@elizabethlacky6068]

" I'm sure you can see the problem " lol

[@bvarsho1]

Brilliant writing..

[@FCN933]

I thought this episode had the smartest "Gotcha" moment of all episodes.

[@onemorething123]

"I'm not sure that suspect is a strong enough word." Oh, how this one angered Columbo. Heck, even I wanted to crawl through the TV to smack the living daylights out of George Hamilton's character. It made the gotcha moment that much sweeter.

[@MrAitraining]

Yeah. Not so much the 1st murder but programming the wife to jump off the balcony to kill herself was the dead that made columbo really despise Dr. Collier

[@mattdaugherty7865]

Lieutenant Columbo, for the win!

[@GizmoBeach]

Peter Falk and George Hamilton in Last Salute to the Eyewitness.

[@art.demirjian9721]

Right on the button! That is where Colombo put his entire effort to find the murderer in this movie. I love the way he drove in to meet Colombo and his team.

[@paulronco9709]

Thank you for another classic clip.

[@kamillgran9408]

From what we have learned about the rich and their high price attorneys, I don’t think Columbo would have a high conviction rate with these cases.

[@susanadiasjohnson457]

Another episode that haunted me every time I watched it throughout my life. So very, very dark what he did to that woman and how he blamed her for her own death. Scathing rebuke of corrupt medical professionals and their power over the vulnerables they are helping.

[@anaccount8474]

This wouldn't even get to court

[@BeasleyStreet]

The whole plot is built around around the fact of a blind man as the listening witness...only Columbo😂

[@3BK235Y]

0:20- 0:25 "You'll be the first to know..." I guess he did that promise before... and kept it.

[@briangatt2956]

i'm confident i could watch any Columbo episode and tell who the murderer is immediately just by the way they speak to Columbo.

[@r.rodriguez4991]

That and every episode starts with the murderer committing the murder.

[@trukomf1nn162]

This reasoning to incriminate Hamilton is actually not so water-tight. He could validly conclude the blindness of the "eye-witness" by his behaviour.

[@frankieclayton9303]

Columbo is always 70 two 💯 steps ahead of you

[@DeclanGilmartin]

This case would have been thrown out of court because of lack of evidence of course 😂😂. But the show is entertainment not real life.

[@robertwheatley2471]

Fantastic scene and one of the best 'gotchas' of the entire series. Great episode even though it probably doesn't enter my Top 10 since there's so many classic ones. Definitely honorable mention however. George Hamilton was superb in this and the 70's episodes by far were the better ones.

[@briinelson298]

Just one more thing...I so enjoyed his double back😄

[@nadiamarsile3049]

🙏🕯💕💕💕🌹🌹💖👍🥰🥰🥰😍😘 thank you Colombo for teatch me, since some time ago , logique who clach enmis"...

[@stevekerp1]

Let's give lots of credit to the writers and director, as well as the late, great Peter Falk.

[@theoldempressrv6193]

Brilliant as always

[@b01tact10n]

"Just One More Thing." 😁

[@Brian-bg2cb]

This is one of my least favorite Columbo killers. But George Hamilton is such a pretty man, even at 84. I enjoyed seeing him so confidently incriminate himself. This character was so greasy.

[@urbanfranko]

I just watched this one last week.

[@wojtekwlodarczyk9718]

Up to this day I wonder which sport is surely the most beautiful

[@jamestiscareno4387]

Crime doesn't pay.

[@TheLookingOne]

What type of evidence is that known by in the legal trade? It seems to be very loose evidence. Could that get a conviction in a real court?

[@jamsid33]

one of the best Columbo endings

[@art.demirjian9721]

There are times when "Psychological Games" becomes far more effective than the skill of knowledge. 😊

[@jankington216]

Is this video hosted on any other platforms that don't lock bitrate behind a paywall?

[@Richard_Straker]

Fix the title and thumbnail. Great video.

[@melotone3305]

Like a Boss. That was a good reveal. Not sure I've seen George looking so pale, nearly paid. Trye dedication to his art.

[@jaketstephens3932]

The only problem I have with this ending is that they DID make it seem like the brother of Mr. Morris was blind. He always kept his head straight when he was walking, only strafed to sit down without turning at all, clumsily getting up to grab the match. It all definitely looked like he was a blind man who was coached on what to do to trick the killer into thinking he could see. Heck, I saw this clip in a compilation before I ever watched the episodes and I assumed the dude was pretending not to be blind before I knew he really wasn't. So to say "There's no way you could have assumed this man was blind without actually seeing the blind guy" doesn't seem to work so well.

[@r0bw00d]

Agreed. This "Gotcha!" is anything but. I can see that and I don't work in the judicial system.

[@Rosyellow]

I adore COLUMBO 🦋💕💕💕💕 , I still have some of the episodes that I didn’t see yet , but don’t know where I can find them 🦋

[@ChataCovers]

Dr. Collier should have realized right away that the first witness was not blind because when Colombo said officer. Then the black officer pointed to the first witness he didn't call the first witness he pointed at him so would a blind man know that you're pointing at him?

[@redmusichouse]

Collier assumed it was part of the charade

[@RJSRdg]

All done deliberately though so that they're not misleading Dr Collier into thinking the man is blind.

[@dannydinosaur73]

Phone call!! Idiotic phone call!! 😂😂

[@SunnySingh-nk4zj]

His hair in that first scene tho, just took me out of the whole scene lol

[@drxym]

And his lawyer will get him off by simply asking - "Have you ever seen this blind man before?" "yes all the time, he lives up the road I believe, so when Lt Colombo brought him of course I assumed he was blind, I didn't realise that knowing a neighbor was a crime". Not guilty

[@cheetodust5433]

After watching Gianni a lot I think he does the voice better than the real Columbo

[@jonnymotoritz4393]

I love this scene, but didn't he get the arrest warrant based on a suspicion, which was then confirmed?

[@crystalyang255]

Hmm. He says he is blind then why @ 6:43 he points out to him with his finger to" read that read that" in the magazine?

[@MrK623]

Columbo seems to set up a lot of entrapments.

[@chriswinter6672]

Got to love the German shepherd

[@KneeJerkish]

As with some other episodes, I don't think this would hold up in court.

[@bmoshareholderappleshareho855]

In most murders, there is no video or witness. So the homicide detective has to collect as much evidence as possible. That's how you build a case against somebody. It's all those little pieces of evidence that add up.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

The great thing about this show is it uses one of the little know things about law enforcement. They are not required to tell the truth when talking to you unless they are under oath.

[@Dabhach1]

And even then, they rarely do. 🙄

[@silverseer573]

How smug was the perp? He was sure the witness was blind even though the officer CALLED HIM IN WITH A GESTURE.

[@jasonh7284]

Can someone tell me what happened to the episode of George Hamilton's third appearance in Columbo? This episode was his first, the second was the episode where he poisoned his victim's cigarettes, and there was a third later episode (about 1995)where he concealed something within a wall. I have not been able to find his final role in Columbo anywhere.

[@r0bw00d]

I don't know about something, but there _was_ an episode where _someone_ was concealed in a wall: "Columbo Cries Wolf" (1990). In that one, however, Ian Buchanan was the big bad, not George. That's probably the one that you're thinking of, because the Columbo wiki lists George as a two-time guest star.

[@jasonh7284]

@@r0bw00d Thanks, I think I may have thought it was George Hamilton because he looks a little similar.

[@GodsFavoriteBassPlyr]

Yes!

[@booboolips6053]

Oops! Busted again😄

[@Clipahoy]

This is one of the best episode ever

[@maryoleary5044]

Beautiful Dog ❤

[@Thomas-vision]

If everyone writing here would tell if they like justice or if they dont like justice. The interpretations of their comments would be interesting in Columbo class............

[@wombat6]

Absolute 4D chess, I love it

[@bobuk161]

I would have still maintained my none guilt. The guy was so obviously acting blind, that anyone in any situation would have assumed him to be so. So this would not be proof of my guilt

[@bgill7475]

That was a pretty weak ending, he even said that he could recognize the man was blind because he's had medical training. He could just use that as an excuse. It was clearly entrapment because he could say the man was acting as though he was blind. Wouldn't hold up in court.

[@indrocahyono7074]

He totally forgot that he had the right to remain silent 😅

[@Clipahoy]

The moment he said the man was blind, he couldn’t me or see his car. You know he was there at the time of murder

[@maurogozzo139]

Sono i miglior telefilm del secolo❤️❤️💯💥

[@Willyswy3998]

Who did he point at to come in 😂😂😎

[@squizza28]

Superbly acted out

[@zzc8505]

in both Hamilton's episodes there is a dog involved

[@allanritchie4243]

why do they cooperate with him

[@friedrice7]

The title is suspect

[@josephineclay235]

I died straight away

[@vicmclaglen1631]

Pretty weak; they had the brother come in and act like a blind man who had previously rehearsed the room. The perp admitted nothing, and his explanation for believing the first man was blind still stands.

[@jlandles]

You missed the point. The point is they had an "ear-witness" but not an eye witness. Yet, by claiming to "know" a man was blind even though he was not, Columbo was able to pair this with the ear-witness who was present. It is subtle, but it is plausible evidence that lands him at the scene of the crime at the right time.

[@virnamisra1657]

Go गौ बाल वाल iyer. Swami. 🔥🔥🔥

[@calogerovenniri7868]

Brilliant

[@mumblesbadly7708]

Uhhh… All that the murderer said after Columbo told him that he was being arrested is inadmissible in court. Why? Columbo didn’t read him his Miranda rights before continuing to question him!!!

[@ChataCovers]

I will reiterate what I said in an earlier comment long ago that Dr Collier should have known that witness was not blind when the black cop pointed at the witness and then the witness walked out to the couch now how would a blind man know that the black cop pointed at him that should have been Dr Collier's first clue