Columbo: Death Lends a Hand

Columbo Episode #4
Original Air Date: October 6, 1971

Directed By: Bernard Kowalski
Written By: Richard Levinson and William Link
Created and Produced By: Richard Levinson and William Link

Starring:
Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo
Robert Culp as Mr. Brimmer (Murderer)
Patricia Crowley as Lenore Kennicut
Ray Miland as Arthur Kennicut

Synopsis of Columbo: Death Lends a Hand

A private detective investigating whether a client’s wife is having an affair, gives her a “Clean Bill of Health” even though he has evidence that Nora was having an affair in order to pressure her to feed him information from her husbands business dealings. Nora rebuffs Mr. Brimmer, and plans to come clean with her husband. Brimmer gets angry, and slaps Nora back handed, and she falls, hitting her head and dies. Brimmer dumps with body on a vacant lot.

Cast of Death Lends a Hand

Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo
Robert Culp as Mr. Brimmer [Murderer]
Brett Halsey as Ken Archer [Golf Instructor]
Eric James as Denning [Private Detective]
Don Keefer as Medical Examiner
Len Wayland as Capt of Detectives
Lieux Dresser as Ceil Gentry
Barbara Baldavin as Brimmer’s Secretary

Associate Producer: Robert F. O’Neill
Story Editor: Steven Bocho

Columbo Theme Music by: Henry Mancini
Filmed at Universal Studios, Universal City, California

Tidbits about Death Lends a Hand

Robert Culp also plays the villain in two other Columbo episodes. He plays Paul Hanlon in Columbo Episode 12, The Most Crucial Game (1973) and plays Dr. Bart Keppler in Columbo episode 21, Double Exposure.

Ray Miland plays the villain Jarvis Goodland in Columbo Episode 11: Greenhouse Jungle