Negative Reaction

Episode aired Oct 15, 1974
Unrated
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

Dick Van Dyke in Negative Reaction (1974)

Cop Drama Police Procedural Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

A photographer murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. But Lt. Columbo has an even sharper eye than the Pulitzer Prize winner.A photographer murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. But Lt. Columbo has an even sharper eye than the Pulitzer Prize winner.A photographer murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. But Lt. Columbo has an even sharper eye than the Pulitzer Prize winner.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
At the time of original broadcast, Dick Van Dyke was the spokesman for Kodak Instamatic (110 size film) cameras in a series of TV and print ads.

Goofs
When Sgt. Hoffman hands the ransom note and photo to Columbo, he tells him to be careful as the labs boys haven't examined it yet. At which point Columbo handles them with his bare hands and even pushing his finger on the photo to point something out.

Quotes
Paul Galesko: You believe that somehow I'm responsible for my wife's death. Oh, don't deny it, Lieutenant! You're like a little shaggy-haired terrier who's got a grip on my trousers, you won't let go. I can't turn around without you staring up at me with that blank, innocent expression on your face!

Connections
Featured in Brilliant But Cancelled (2002)

User reviews53

Review

Featured review

8/10

fab Columbo with a dramatic turn by a comedy master

Dick Van Dyke is a photographer whose artistry gets in the way of the murder of his wife in "Negative Reaction," an excellent Columbo episode. Van Dyke is married to Antoinette Bower, who is such a bitch, Van Dyke doesn't care if he gets caught for murdering her or not. Nevertheless, he goes to great lengths to set things up perfectly. But he doesn't count on the man in the raincoat.

There is a hilarious bit in which Columbo goes to a soup kitchen to try to find a homeless man who witnessed the murder of Van Dyke's accomplice, whom Van Dyke has also killed. The well-meaning nun, beautifully portrayed by Joyce van Patten, gives Columbo some soup and tries to find him another coat, believing him a bum! I dearly love Falk as Columbo, and this is a great episode where he unmasks a murderer who was just a little too artistic for his own good.