Just One More Thing: Double Exposure

Notes and screenshots for Double Exposure: Originally broadcast on Dec 16, 1973, starring Robert Culp as an ad-man with an axe to grind, Chuck McCann as an advocate for raisins, and, of course, Peter Falk as Columbo.

"An advertisement expert uses subliminal cues to help him commit a murder. Lt. Columbo is on the case."

-IMDB Summary

"The podcast has finally come around to its final Robert Culp episode, “Double Exposure.” In it, Culp plays Dr. Bart Kepple, an expert in psychological manipulation who uses subliminal filmmaking (with salty expensive snacks and a gun) to murder with his first victim. The second one? He just shoots the guy in a projection booth, nothing too fancy. Joining in is author Jeannie Vanasco (The Glass Eye), who also speaks about her personal experience with the series through her relationship with her father. And hey! Viewer Mail!"

-RJ's episode summary

Listen to the original podcast episode here:

Episode 64: The Mind String and How to Pull It with our guest Jeannie Vanasco. 

Double Exposure

Season 3, Episode #4

Director: Richard Quine

Writers: Stephen J.Cannell

Subliminal messages pepper the plot of this episode of Columbo, and so I looked for subliminal messages within the episode itself! Suggestions amidst the scenery, persuasion under the proscenium, sly comment by craft services ...  everything was suspect!

Well, no, there were obviously no subliminal cuts in the episode itself (or were there?), but it’s worth paying attention to the framing and placement in many of the individual scenes. Subliminally or not, themes make themselves understood in shots such as Columbo confronting Kepple at the supermarket, or on the golf green.

For the record, I am as shocked as anyone that it took us this long to get to the final Robert Culp episode in our catalog. How!? I have no idea. Mere coincidence, or happenstance. About half of our guests are asked onto the show to review an episode we’d picked to match their expertise, and the other half pick theirs for one reason or another. AND SOMEHOW DOUBLE EXPOSURE --- vwiip! Totally off the radar, just dodging bullets there ...

Below, this is what used to go on in those Photomat booths from back when:

Lastly, some character actors of note in the Columbo episode “Double Exposure”: Francis De Sales (Patterson), Richard Stahl (Ballistics Man) and George Wyner (Film Editor)

Next episode: Publish or Perish