The best Columbo ever. The best villain ever. Jack Cassidy had logged the most appearances of any Columbo killer up to this point. He was to die in a horrible fire only a few months later. The suave, sophisticated Cassidy and the down to earth Falk play off each other magnificently.

Santini (Cassidy) never sweats , never gets nervous, never appears ruffled all throughout the episode. Even at the end when Columbo has him dead to rights and shows him the paper which contains the incriminating eveidence against him, Santini says" This one is burned!" He then burns it into thin air. Columbo says "Watch closely, sir. This is my best trick. He then pulls out copy after copy of the document and hands one back to Santini. "You can burn this one too if you like sir, there's plenty more where that came from!" A classic ending. The best Columbo!