April 28, 2025: Our Columbo rewatch continues with…Double Exposure!

This episode aired December 16, 1973.

Subliminal advertising was an invention of James Vicary, a market researcher, who claimed to have inserted subliminal frames of Coca-Cola and popcorn during a screening of a movie which resulted in an 18% increase in Coca-Cola sales and a 58% increase in popcorn sales. Under scrutiny however, Vicary admitted he had concocted the entire scenario in a bid to save his floundering marketing business.

This is the only episode of Columbo written by Rockford Files creator and t.v. veteran Stephen J. Cannell. He apparently wrote the role of Dr. Bart Kepple with Robert Culp in mind. It was actually a spec script Cannell wrote during the writers’ strike and later dropped off at producer Dean Hargrove’s office.

According to Cannell: “I was an avid viewer of the series. It was my perception that it worked best in the first year when the premise was that an urbane, sophisticated man or woman, for reasons of complete personal gain or jealousy, would commit a perfect murder – and intelligent murder. He was completely sure of himself and along would come this shambling guy in a raincoat. At first amused by this little guy, the murderer slowly would realize that he had a major intellect on his hands. It became mano a mano. That led to the classic scene where Columbo and the murderer would sit opposite each other the murderer says “You think I committed this murder.” And Columbo says “Aw, gee, if I ever made you feel like that…” Then the guy would say “Cut the shit. You know and I know that I did this, but you’ll never prove it.” So Columbo would force him into a second move – a stupid movie – that would incriminate him. In the second season, I saw more crimes of passion. I thought it should be a cold-blooded, sophisticated, planned murder.”

This was Robert Culp’s third of four villainous appearances on the show.

Chuck McMann, who played a projectionist in this episode, also starred as the projections in the 1970 film The Projectionist.

Star Trek/Twilight Zone/Outer Limits veteran Arlene Martel is credited as Tanya Baker, but never appears in this episode. Apparently, this was originally one of those longer episodes that ended up being trimmed for syndication.

The 50k Vic Norris attempts to blackmail Kepple out of would be about 3.5 million in “today dollars”.

My thoughts on this episode in chronological viewing order…

This feels like one of the most elaborately planned murders to date.

A lot of his plan hinges on some massive assumptions: the caviar making his victim inordinately thirsty, the wife setting out to meet at the appointment time and place, the subliminal messages actually working.

Was no one else in the theater allowed to eat any caviar?

I like the shot of the executives physically bracing themselves in their seats when the bikini model comes onscreen.

It would have been far easier if, instead of hoping all of these pieces fall into place, he had just laced that caviar with some diuretic that would cause his victim to rush to the washroom – where he would be waiting for him. Though, admittedly, a tox screen would give it away.

No one heard the shot?

Why does Dr. Kepple turn on that tape recorder at the scene?

Love Columbo helping himself to all the leftover food at the crime scene.

Columbo is hungry because he was working late on that Hayward case. Is this the first time Columbo has made mention of a previous case?

Columbo spooning the caviar directly into his mouth. How gauche!

“Mr. Kepple?” “Doctor Kepple.” I don’t like him already. It’s like Ben Kingsley insisting he be referred to as Sir Ben.

Roger White offers his iced tea but gives him a stingy pour.

“Sorry to bother you again, Mr. Kepple.”
“Doctor Kepple.”
“DOCTOR Kepple. Why can’t I remember that?”
Columbo already getting under his skin.

“That was my observation. You’re a man of enormous self-control.” Yeah, he already has his #1 suspect.

Still don’t understand why he felt the need to turn on that tape recorder at the crime scene.

“If my mother decided to murder me, she could come up with a better alibi than you got.” Interesting, yet accurate, reasoning.

“Hey, that’s me!”says Columbo upon seeing himself on the monitor, then turns, trips over a cable, and disrupts the feed. Like a writer their first day on set.

Boy, that is some yellow jacket Kepple is wearing. Sorry, Dr. Kepple.

Uh oh. Roger White is about to go the way of every other dimwit to blackmail a murderer on this show.

Pretty easy to break into homes in the old days. All you needed was a credit card!

How did he know the gun would be there? Spoiler: Turns out that in the lengthier uncut version, there is an early scene that takes place at Vic Norris’ home where the big man pulls a gun on Kepple. It does feel strange without it.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,”says Roger when Kepple pulls a gun on him. Really, Roger? Have you never watched an episode of Columbo?

Hey, SG-1 “Prometheus”‘s Al Martell is the film editor.

Boy, the eyelines in this elevator scene are way off. Columbo must be the size of a hobbit in relation to Kepple. Sorry. DOCTOR Kepple.

“Okay, shoot.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Okay, I’m waiting.”
lol

Columbo admits he stole something that belonged to him…the caviar! We have already established the fact that Columbo is a kleptomaniac.

Columbo found the caviar too salty? Hunh. Must’ve been the cheap stuff.

Aha! The autopsy reveals the victim ate a lot of caviar.

Aha! Columbo forces Dr. Kepple to lay out the whole subliminal messaging scenario.

Aha! No splices in the film!

“Which is line 2?”asks Columbo. “The second one,”says the secretary.

The verbal sparring at the golf course is absolutely brilliant and one of my very favorite scenes in this series to date.

Kepple admits he was having an affair with Tanya Baker and Columbo reassures him he doesn’t work for the vice squad. Was adultery a chargeable offense in the 70’s?

Again with that damn tape recorder. What was the point of that?

Aha! There was no nickel on the floor! Leading me to assume that projection booth is usually littered with nickels.

“For a while there I thought I was going to spoil your game.”
“Not a chance, lieutenant.”
Brilliant.

“I’m not searching, I’m looking.” Great line.

A calibration convertor hidden in the lamp! Uh, why did he not get rid of it anytime after the murder?

Columbo used his own subliminal cuts against him! And the good (bad) doctor respects him for it.

The whole subliminal messaging angle is a HUGE BUY and if you can’t get on board with it, you’ll probably consider this a heavily flawed episode. BUT if you can get onboard, then it turns out to be one of Columbo’s best outings. In the end, I came on board and really, REALLY loved it. This is my favorite Robert Culp performance as well. He and Falk were brilliant together. That scene on the golf course was perfection. Just one thing..why the hell DID Kepple bring out his tape recorder and press play when they discovered the body? Also, why didn’t Kepple ditch the evidence at any point after the murder? Anyone?

My revised episode rankings: 1. Any Old Port in a Storm, 2. Double Exposure, 3. Double Shock, 4. A Stitch in Crime, 5. Death Lends a Hand, 6. Suitable for Framing, 7. Dagger of the Mind, 8 Requiem for a Falling Star, 9. Prescription: Murder, 10. Murder by the Book/Ransom for a Dead Man (tie), 11. Lady in Waiting, 12. Etude in Black, 13. The Most Crucial Game, 14. Blueprint for Murder, 15. Lovely But Lethal, 16. The Most Dangerous Match, 17. The Greenhouse Jungle 18. Dead Weight, 19. Short Fuse, 20. Candidate for Crime.

Finally, time to consider whether Columbo’s evidence is enough to convict our murderer. Is Dr. Kepple looking at a GUILTY verdict or will he be looking at an ACQUITTAL? Well, in this case, that calibration converter is pretty damning. The good (bad) doctor is going down.

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