**SPOILERS** Being in a life and death struggle with her competition the smooth and sarcastic cosmetic mogul David Lang, Vincent Price, to keep her cosmetic company afloat Beauty Queen Viveca Scott, Vera Miles, has come up with the miracle of the ages. A miracle cream that prevents aging developed by her ace chemist the brilliant but, at times, hopelessly drunk Dr. Murchison, Fred Droper.
Happy at first that she finally got a product that will blow her rival David Lang's company into chapter 11 Viveca is shocked to find out that the miracle cosmetic cream developed by Dr. Murchison is a complete fraud. This from the doctor himself who sadly tells her that the earlier results were a fluke and that the cream is about as effective, in getting rid of wrinkles, as putting a blob of Chirico on one's face.
We then get to find out that Viveca had a spy working for her in David Lang's company his personal secretary Shirley Blaine, Slan Barbara, who uncovered a plan by one of Dr. Murchison assistants the very underpaid and unappreciated, at least thats what he thought, Karl Lassing played by Martin Sheen.Karl had stolen the new wonder drug from right under his boss Dr. Murchison's, probably while he was out cold drunk, nose and was trying to sell it to Lang for $200,000.00.
Viveca getting the news from her spy Shirley Blaine goes out to Karl's place to see what she can do to get the secret formula back from him. It turns out that Karl had the hots for the beautiful Viveca and her treatment of him over the years, using Karl as if he were just a play toy, really got to him. Now with him in the drivers seat Karl's the one who'll decide what and if the price is right. The price that Karl want's is nothing more and nothing less then being an equal 50/50 partner with Viveca in her company. Before Karl can even finish his long planned and euphoric speech he gets smashed over his head by a heavy microscope that Viveca picked up from his study table killing him.
With Karl Lassing murdered Lt. Columbo, Peter Falk, is put on the case and he quickly goes to work on just who would be the person who would most benefit from him being knocked off? this leads to David Lang. Finding out that Lang had no idea who Karl was since his only contact in Lang's was through his private secretary Shirley Blain not with him Karl just wrote the check with no questions asked.
Columbo catches on to Viveca right away sensing that she somehow was involved with Lang's murder by finding out that she broke off the affair she had with him some two years ago. There's also the fact that the day that Karl was murdered he was set to take a trip to Europe that would have cost him a lot more then what he had in his bank account $300.00.
Lt. Columbo is at his best in this movie with his nudnik-like badgering as he hounds poor Viveca Scott, even though she deserved it, day and night. Lt. Columbo even invades her exclusive $200.00 a day fat-farm outside Malibu with his constant questioning and just making a pain in the butt of himself to not only Viveca but everyone else he comes in contact with. Shirley seeing that she can now get Viveca to give her a high paying job in her company, unlike the peanuts that she's being paid by her cheap and current boss David Lang, puts the screws on her. Viveca gets rid of Shirley by slipping her a mickey-Finn, in the form of a cigarette. This has Shirley lose control of her car and drive off a cliff killing herself.
Columbo had been having this annoying itch on his left hand ever since he got on the case and it's that itch that leads him to find out who was the one who murdered Karl Lassing. Since the only way one could have gotten that itch is by being present at the murder scene! Just guess who else, beside Lt. Columbo, was in Karl's place investigating his murder, got it? yes the person who murdered him his boss and former lover Viveca Scott.
Happy at first that she finally got a product that will blow her rival David Lang's company into chapter 11 Viveca is shocked to find out that the miracle cosmetic cream developed by Dr. Murchison is a complete fraud. This from the doctor himself who sadly tells her that the earlier results were a fluke and that the cream is about as effective, in getting rid of wrinkles, as putting a blob of Chirico on one's face.
We then get to find out that Viveca had a spy working for her in David Lang's company his personal secretary Shirley Blaine, Slan Barbara, who uncovered a plan by one of Dr. Murchison assistants the very underpaid and unappreciated, at least thats what he thought, Karl Lassing played by Martin Sheen.Karl had stolen the new wonder drug from right under his boss Dr. Murchison's, probably while he was out cold drunk, nose and was trying to sell it to Lang for $200,000.00.
Viveca getting the news from her spy Shirley Blaine goes out to Karl's place to see what she can do to get the secret formula back from him. It turns out that Karl had the hots for the beautiful Viveca and her treatment of him over the years, using Karl as if he were just a play toy, really got to him. Now with him in the drivers seat Karl's the one who'll decide what and if the price is right. The price that Karl want's is nothing more and nothing less then being an equal 50/50 partner with Viveca in her company. Before Karl can even finish his long planned and euphoric speech he gets smashed over his head by a heavy microscope that Viveca picked up from his study table killing him.
With Karl Lassing murdered Lt. Columbo, Peter Falk, is put on the case and he quickly goes to work on just who would be the person who would most benefit from him being knocked off? this leads to David Lang. Finding out that Lang had no idea who Karl was since his only contact in Lang's was through his private secretary Shirley Blain not with him Karl just wrote the check with no questions asked.
Columbo catches on to Viveca right away sensing that she somehow was involved with Lang's murder by finding out that she broke off the affair she had with him some two years ago. There's also the fact that the day that Karl was murdered he was set to take a trip to Europe that would have cost him a lot more then what he had in his bank account $300.00.
Lt. Columbo is at his best in this movie with his nudnik-like badgering as he hounds poor Viveca Scott, even though she deserved it, day and night. Lt. Columbo even invades her exclusive $200.00 a day fat-farm outside Malibu with his constant questioning and just making a pain in the butt of himself to not only Viveca but everyone else he comes in contact with. Shirley seeing that she can now get Viveca to give her a high paying job in her company, unlike the peanuts that she's being paid by her cheap and current boss David Lang, puts the screws on her. Viveca gets rid of Shirley by slipping her a mickey-Finn, in the form of a cigarette. This has Shirley lose control of her car and drive off a cliff killing herself.
Columbo had been having this annoying itch on his left hand ever since he got on the case and it's that itch that leads him to find out who was the one who murdered Karl Lassing. Since the only way one could have gotten that itch is by being present at the murder scene! Just guess who else, beside Lt. Columbo, was in Karl's place investigating his murder, got it? yes the person who murdered him his boss and former lover Viveca Scott.