Directors. 1  Jon Barwise 1983â1985. 2  John Perry 1985â1986, 1993â1999. 3  Thomas Wasow 1986â1987, 2006â2007. 4  John Etchemendy 1990â1993. 5  David Israel c. 1999-2000. 6  Byron Reeves c. 2001â2005. 7  Stanley Peters 2008â2013. 8  Chris Potts 2013âpresent.
On December Jack Cassidy died in a fire at his West Hollywood apartment. He was 49 years old. Cassidy had fallen asleep while smoking and the cigarette had set fire to the couch. The fire then spread throughout the apartment.
Jack Cassidy returns for the third and final time as a Columbo villain in this thoroughly entertaining episode of the show. Cassidy had previously essayed villainous turns in PUBLISH OR PERISH and MURDER BY THE BOOK so by now he was an old hand at the show and his turn as a murderous magician is delightful.