Just One More Thing: By Dawn's Early Light

Notes and screenshots for By Dawn's Early Light: Originally broadcast on October 27, 1974, starring Patrick McGoohan as a tormented commandant Col. Lyle Rumford, who'd do anything to keep his failing military academy from going (shudder) co-ed, Robert Clotworthy as something called a Boodle Boy, appearances from both Bruce and Bruno Kirby, and, of course, Peter Falk as Columbo.

"The commandant of a military academy for boys kills the chairman of the board for planning on turning the academy into a coed junior college. Lt. Columbo takes up residence in the barracks to investigate what looks like an accident."

-IMDB Summary

"In “By Dawn’s Early Light,” Patrick McGoohan is Colonel Lyle Rumford, overseeing a military academy whose enrollment has been steadily declining for years. When the scion of the academy’s founder announces plans to turn the institution into a co-ed prep school, the commandant sees fit to rig an antique cannon with C-4 and blow the guy to smithereens. Lt. Columbo is on the case, even bunking in with the young cadets (including a young Bruno Kirby!) and driving Rumford closer and closer to a confession. Michael Grasso (Hold My Order Terrible Dresser) is the guest."

-RJ's episode summary

Listen to the original podcast episode here:

Episode 51: You’ve Done a Very Nice Job with our guest Michael Grasso.

By Dawn's Early Light

Season 4, Episode #3

Director:  Harvey Hart

Writers: Howard Berk

I literally don’t know what to add about this episode that we hadn’t covered in the podcast. This is a great episode of Columbo, possibly THE GREATEST episode of the show, and features all-around stunning performances by its primary leads and its secondary supporting characters. 

One of the things which makes McGoohan such an amazing foil for Falk’s Columbo is that he imbues his characters with a hidden, protected backstory. There’s always something which remains unspoken in his roles, but which you can tease out using only the clues in his behavior. Naturally, Columbo behaves in the precisely contrary manner -- he exposes almost everything his backstory, but it’s fabricated to such an extent that he becomes effectively unknowable. 

Which makes the pivotal scene between Rumford and Columbo, wherein Rumford begins to soften and wilt at the edges, discussing his unachievable dream of a world which requires no soldiers (and, in the meantime, elaborating on the exact reality which drove him to murder -- that no one required his brand of soldiering any longer) just perfect. There is probably no greater scene in the entire series, 70s or 90s, which was written, shot and performed with such outright excellence. 

The other thing of note is that, while this is possibly the best episode of Columbo, it’s also a fine one with which to start watching the series. Other truly great episodes -- Forgotten Lady, for instance, the first example to come to mind -- either veer from the formula so much or introduce something experimental to a degree that it’s a poor introduction for a newcomer. By Dawn’s Early Light is a perfect start, because it’s the essential distillation of the Columbo formula AND its excellence.

RJ and I are gonna do our best-of list on some episode some day soon, and I think you can already figure out my number one.

Contact and physical motion plays a big role in By Dawn’s Early Light, possibly more than any other episode in Columbo’s canon. It’s not unusual to see our rumpled detective invade the personal space of a suspect -- or even a witness, or a bystander -- but for Columbo to make actual physical contact is rare. Even rarer is such obtrusive physical contact, such as in his scene with McGoohan in the chapel.

McGoohan’s Rumsford uses physical contact as an intimidation and dominance tactic, particularly visible in the final screencap above. That his Boy Friday expects a corporal punishment for the offense of having unpolished shoes is one of the great, small touches to the character of this episode’s killer.

Next episode: Troubled Waters