i do not know but a magician who kill a person in a murder mystery have some formulaic sound over it . the whole killing and story approach of this movie however still give it an overall original touch . for the third time in his career jack cassidy star in a columbo movie . also in the this movie he play the killer and like he do as well 2 and 5 year before in the columbo movie columbo represent publish or perish and the steven spielberg direct columbo represent murder by the book . he star in this columbo movie in the same year a his early sudden death . he die when his couch caught fire after fall asleep with a lit cigarette on december 12th of the same year . he be only 49 at the time and despite look much old than that though . that also the reason why he throughout his career play character who be much old than him and a be also the case in this movie and in which he play an ex nazi and who get uncover by his employee and therefor kill him . harvey hart seem to be a director who provide the columbo movie with the right type of comedy . he direct a total of 4 columbo movie and of which this one be the last . his columbo movie be just a tad bit more entertaining to watch than the average usual columbo entry . funny thing in this movie be that lt. columbo have a new and much good look raincoat and who he constantly keep forget to take back with him after visit a place . of course in the end he get his usual trademark raincoat back and voilà and he solve the murder . the movie it story be good and foremost entertaining . it doesn not make this one of the best write or most intelligent columbo movie out there but the overall entertainment value of the movie compensate for this all . the movie also feature some good interaction between the peter falk and jack cassidy character . besides those two and the movie also feature robert loggia and before his day of fame . a real enjoyable columbo entry . positive .