this cold-blooded murder which put the cult series into mourning

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In the section of cult series which do not age despite the weight of the years, it is impossible to miss the famous Columbo. Redefining the codes of the genre, the show hit the mark thanks to a multitude of small details. We think of our dear inspector played by the charismatic Peter Falk, but also and above all of the particular narration of his investigations. No mystery here, from 1971 to 2003, the series took great pleasure in showing us everything about the crimes, thugs included, before we observed Columbo untangling the threads… A hell of a program in short, which has elsewhere seen reality catch up with him, from the beginning.

Columbo under the eye of Steven Spielberg

Laying the foundations of the series, the very first episode of Columbo, Murder By The Book, The Witness Book in VF, takes us into a somewhat original affair. In front of Steven Spielberg’s camera – yes, it’s really him – it’s about the revenge of a failed writer, Ken Franklin. A man who, after killing his former colleague and friend James Ferris, will commit the irreparable a second time. Indeed, a poor neighbor who witnessed the first murder will experience the same fate… A victim who we meet only briefly on screen, played by Barbara Colby. Seen in numerous performances on Broadway, the New York native had a series of series, particularly detective series, in the 1970s. Appearing briefly in four films at the cinema, she would experience a tragic fate, like her character in Columbo.

One of the first actresses of the series murdered in a parking lot

At only 36 years old, Barbara Colby will indeed be the victim of a terrible assassination, along with her comrade James Kiernan. On July 24, 1975, the two actors were shot dead in a parking lot as they tried to return to their vehicle, just after a theater class in Venice, a famous district of Los Angeles. Unlike Barbara who was killed instantly, James was able to describe the scene before passing away from his injuries. They were attacked coldly, without warning, shouts or threats. Cold murders which remain, even today, unsolved.