This strikes me as one of the most successful of the early-ish Columbo efforts. Falk is in good form and looks suitably befuddled as he stumbles his way through the labyrinthine world of Big Cosmetics. The villain this time is Vera Miles, who portrays cosmetics industry mogul Viveca Scott. She has an eye for the young chemists who work for her, but alas, one of said chemists gets a little too ambitious and thus must be eliminated. There's exceptional chemistry between Peter Falk and Miss Miles, even by Columbo standards, but much of the success of this episode resides with the tight script and crisp direction. Nice vistas of the ocean contribute to the vaguely exotic backdrop. Bonuses include cameos by a slimy Vincent Price and young Martin Sheen. And Fred Draper registers as the washed up, alcoholic plastic surgeon-in-chief who harbors a lifelong crush on his employer. But it's Vera Miles who dominates this episode. With her shapely figure, she looks terrific sashaying around in those awful 1970s mod clothes. Thus she's quite believable as a beauty industry tycoon who also moonlights as a health and fitness guru. She simply steals every scene she's in, giving some of the iciest stares that would freeze over the infernal realms while at the same time projecting a smoldering presence about to explode at any minute, pushed as she is to the edge by Columbo's questions and dogged persistence. It's a tribute to her professionalism that she accomplishes all with nary a curtain chewing scene anywhere.
Review of Lovely But Lethal
