Just One More Thing: Forgotten Lady

Notes and screenshots for Forgotten Lady: Originally broadcast on September 14, 1975, starring Janet Leigh as an aging starlet succumbing to dementia, Sam Jaffe as her patient but unfortunate husband, John Payne as dashing and noble Ned Diamond, a touch of Johnny Carson (with special guest Della Reese), of course, Peter Falk as Columbo.

"An aging musical film and stage star plans to come back from retirement, but her rich husband refuses to fund her comeback production, so she kills him and makes it look like a suicide. Lt. Columbo doubts her seemingly solid alibi."

-IMDB Summary

"In “Forgotten Lady,” Janet Leigh is Grace Wheeler, an actress from the heyday of big movie musicals, who wants nothing more than to once again feel the white hot heat of stardom. When her wealthy husband refuses to put up the scratch for her big comeback, she murders him and tries to make it look like a suicide. As Lt. Columbo digs deeper, however, the story proves to be even more tragic than that. Also discussed- Dorothy Kilgallen conspiracies, Angela Lansbury exercise videos and much, much more.

Jon and RJ are joined by Kevin Klawitter, who recently co-directed a stage production of Prescription Murder, the headwaters from which all things Columbo flow. In fact, the show is being staged again this August as a dinner theater production! Click here for tickets and details, if you’re in the Wadena/Fergus Falls/Battle Lake, MN area this summer."

-RJ's episode summary

Listen to the original podcast episode here:

Episode 37: Cadaveric Spasm with our guest Kevin Klawitter.

Forgotten Lady

Season 5, Episode #1

Director: Harvey Hart

Writers: William Driskill

Despite being a superb episode -- easily one of the best in the series’ much-lauded catalog -- this one was a difficult one to watch. In general, it’s possibly also the grimmest Columbo ever, whatever one’s personal connections to it.

Despite the uneasy memories of my own mother’s early-onset dementia, I ended up watching this episode multiple times, drawn in by the superb writing, direction and acting. It’s a genuine testament to Leigh’s abilities that she plays so much about her character so close to the vest, and there’s no opportunity to stitch it all together until the final scene. It’s a shame she wasn’t re-used as a killer, and that Hart and Driscoll didn’t work together on another episode.

The Tonight Show episode which is being watched by the butler and maid was an episode originally broadcast on June 27, 1975. This is more for RJ’s sake than anyone else’s. I think this was driving him nuts.

If this episode of the podcast sways a bit into tangents, it’s simply because we couldn’t add much more to our almost unmitigated admiration for Forgotten Lady. If you’re a Columbo fan and haven’t seen it yet, watch it immediately. 

Next episode: A Case of Immunity