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Blueprint for Murder is the seventh and final episode of the first season of Columbo and the ninth episode overall. It first aired on February 9, 1972 and was directed by Lieutenant Columbo himself Peter Falk. The episode stars Patrick O'Neal, Pamela Austin, Janis Paige and Forrest Tucker.

In Blueprint for Murder, a wealthy industrialist threatens to pull the funding on a pricey construction project, the project's architect decides to kill him and hide the body. Columbo becomes convinced that body is buried somewhere on the construction site and must jump through bureaucratic hoops to get it excavated.

Cast[]

  • Patrick O'Neal as Elliot Markham, an ambitious architect who murders Beau Williamson and hides his body somewhere, possibly on his very own construction site.
  • Pamela Austin as Jennifer Williamson, Beau's beautiful young wife who is influenced by Markham into bankrolling his construction project against Beau's wishes.
  • Janis Paige as Goldie Williamson, Beau's ex-wife who first becomes suspicious of his disappearance.
  • Forrest Tucker as Beau Williamson, a wealthy-but-boisterous Texan who is furious to learn that Markham has manipulated Jennifer into funding his pet project. In order to keep the money coming, Markham has to kill him and then hide his body.
  • John Fiedler as a heart specialist who encourages Columbo to give up cigars.
  • John Finnegan as Carl, the construction foreman. Finnegan went on to appear in multiple Columbo episodes in other minor roles.
  • Cliff Carnell as Officer Wilson.
Columbo (season 1)
1."Murder by the Book" 2."Death Lends a Hand" 3."Dead Weight" 4."Suitable for Framing" 5."Lady in Waiting" 6."Short Fuse" 7."Blueprint for Murder"
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