The Wild Scene That Nearly Killed Peter Falk
Ah, Colombo–how we remember and yearn for your irreplaceable mastery of physical comedy. Never more apparent than in that iconic, one-of-a-kind Colombo scene where Peter Falk falls (Purposefully? Accidentally?) down a very steep hill.
It’s the stuff of legend, the highlight of the episode “The Greenhouse Jungle,” and one of the highlights of the entire series.
Encouraged to take the “quickest way down” to the scene of a car crash by the ever-eager Sergeant Wilson, Columbo’s comical expression of confusion precedes his hilarious stumbling, then collapsing, down the slope. Our favorite detective collapsed in a heap at the hill’s dusty bottom.
Columbo’s comical expression of confusion precedes his hilarious stumbling, then collapsing, down the slope.
One of Colombo’s greatest lines–arguably an ad-lib–follows: “I’ll tell ya–it was the quickest way down.” Indeed it was.
Undeniably, the various camera angles demonstrate that, in this case, Falk is performing his own painful-looking stunt. The film additionally appears not to have been sped up, a hallmark of stunt footage. Whether Colombo purposefully performed the tumble or Peter Falk genuinely slipped and toppled remains a mystery.
“The Greenhouse Jungle” features Tony Goodland, a villain strapped for cash to impress his wife with. He and his uncle Jarvis devise a complex-yet-moronic scheme revolving around a fake kidnapping. To stage the abduction, they shoot a gun through Tony’s car window, then shove said car over a ravine.
Meanwhile, Tony, ever the criminal mastermind, hides in a cabin, awaiting the ransom money.
Colombo arrives on the scene, joined by the anti-Colombo/foil Sergeant Wilson, a well-trained, normie police officer. Following Colombo’s incredible descent down the hill, he examines the car crash, concluding–amidst quintessentially Peter Falk facial expressions of incredulity–that something is suspicious.
Following Colombo’s incredible descent down the hill, he examines the car crash, concluding that something is suspicious.
For his part, Jarvis fakes cooperation and secures the ransom money by pinching it from Tony’s trust fund (!). As planned, he performs the ransom drop; contrary to plans, he murders Tony before framing Tony’s wife, Cathy, for the killing.
Of course, Columbo harbors suspicion of Jarvis, particularly upon observing how much the victim’s uncle despises his nephew. Soon, after employing modern police techniques, in this case, a metal detector, Columbo discovers a bullet in Jarvis’s greenhouse.
As expected, Jarvis’s plan goes awry, as Colombo/Peter Falk ace the case through that classic blend of shrewd observation, dogged investigation, and comedy–unveiling the dark truth behind what appeared to be a standard kidnapping.
All after, Columbo almost breaks his neck, falling down a double-black diamond-level slope.
Columbo aired primarily from 1968 to 1978, with sporadic episodes airing and exciting fans until 2003. The series still enjoys renown for its unique format and, of course, Falk’s iconic performance.
Unlike traditional mystery series, Colombo utilized a so-called “howcatchem” format–rather than a “whodunit” format most stereotypical cop shows rely on. Each episode commences by revealing both the crime and the perpetrator, thus foregoing the element of surprise; the audience need not guess the killer’s identity.
Instead, they sit back and watch Columbo’s star actor, Peter Falk, impressively solve the case with his unassuming demeanor and razor-sharp detective skills. Sometimes, additionally, they watch him fall down a hill.
