Murder is Bad, but Suicide is Sadder

Daniel Lavery (then Mallory Ortberg) (the-toast.net) joins Jon and RJ to discuss “Etude in Black,” which features John Cassavetes as an orchestra conductor who murders his mistress/concert pianist. It’s up to Columbo to unravel how and why the maestro staged the woman’s death as an apparent suicide. Also involved- his long-suffering wife, Blythe Danner; her very, very wealthy mother, Myrna Loy; a precocious neighbor kid; and a drunk, hothead trumpeter. Also discussed (among other things): – Daniel’s wonderful essay, The Case For Making Columbo America’s Doctor Who. – That time Cassavetes, Falk and Ben Gazarra went on The Dick Cavett…