Certain directors deliver stylistic flourishes that instantly separate their efforts from other TV shows airing alongside their episodes. In Peter Falk’s time on “Columbo,” he crossed paths with some future greats in the world of television.
One filmmaker helped the “Columbo” actor think about the medium completely differently. “Murder by the Book,” the first episode from Season 1 of “Columbo” from 1971, is an all-timer, and that’s largely because of both Falk’s acting and the fact that Steven Spielberg directed it. Yes, the legendary film director was directing TV back then.
Falk talked to “Pebble Mill at One” about the experience and shared a funny story of how he realized that Spielberg wouldn’t be doing TV for long. It all comes down to the unique shot compositions on “Murder by the Book.”
“I knew this guy was exceptional. The show with Steven Spielberg was the first time in my acting career that I did a scene in which I was unaware where the camera was,” the “Columbo” star revealed. “In television, the camera is always right there. And we did a scene, and he said ‘action,’ and we started to shoot, and in the middle of the scene I said, ‘Where the hell is the camera?'”
Just that moment alone signaled that something was different about the “Jaws” director long before he hit that beach.
Steven Spielberg changed Peter Falk’s perspective on TV
By putting the camera far up above the scene, Steven Spielberg signaled his intention to take things in a more cinematic direction on “Columbo.” Peter Falk was floored by the attention to detail that showed, despite the completely unorthodox nature of a shot like that at the time.
A 24-year-old Spielberg had the vision from an early point in his career, and the script for “Murder by the Book” had him feeling extra creative. Sometimes, the vision for what goes on-screen and what’s written on the page completely align, as he told “On Small Screen.“
Spielberg said, “I treated [‘Columbo’] like a little mini movie, and I made the movie with the psychology of a film director, not a TV director. I said, ‘I’m going to make this look like — you know, within the time they’re giving me — I’m going to make this look like a million bucks. They’re giving me $130,000 for this hour? I’m going to make it look like a million bucks.'”
The director would go on to shape all sorts of American pop culture with “Jaws,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” His work in TV on “Columbo” and the TV movie version of “Duel” in 1971 would pave the way for more success. Even now, he is still producing series, such as “Masters of the Air” over at Apple TV.
Falk understood just how far the medium could go by the end of “Columbo.” It’s funny now that the show has itself inspired other imitators, or spiritual successors like “Poker Face” on Peacock.