Season 3, Episode 3, Columbo - Candidate for Crime (1973)



This episode was directed by Boris Sagal, and written by Irv Pearlberg, Alvin Friedman, and Roland Kibbee.

The three best outfits in this episode are:

1)  Linda Johnson's scarlet letter "A" dress: 
 
 

 
(Eagle eyes for fashion may notice this is not the first time we've seen a lovely lady of Columbo in a scarlet letter "A" outfit - Nora Chandler (Ann Baxter) in S2E5 Requiem for a Falling Star also sports a red "AAAAA" tank top.)
 
This is a long sleeve red knit sweater dress with white checkerboard pattern on top and scarlet letter "A"s all over. It has a cute matching knit sweater belt and the adulterous secretary accessorizes with some silver chains. 
 
 
 
The skirt hits at her knee and the modern day Hester Prynne has paired it with some black and white spectator pumps: 
 

 
2) Vickie Hayward's psychedelic green dress:
 

 It has a long celestial abstract skirt and cute crisscross tank top back
 

Also has a cute strappy bow on front
 

 Fresh and summery next to the turquoise floral fringed umbrella, and ready for a whiskey drink or four. 
 
 
 
3) Linda's long sleeved white pointelle knit  sweaterdress: 
 
 

 
 
The slightly flared cuffs with the same cut-out birds pattern are sweet. 


Very powerful and symbolic outfits here with the mistress in angelic white and the wife in blood red. 
 
We must call attention to Columbo's comments about his beloved rain coat. He says, "Every once in a while I think about getting a new coat...
 
 
There's no rush...

 
There's still a lot of wear in this fellow." 


 
This leads to a scene where Columbo goes to Nelson Hayward's Beverly Hills tailor at Chadwick's and makes some more important fashion-related comments:  
 
 
He values the same thing we do in vintage garments - softness,


 And looking good: 
 

 
The funniest lines in this episode are when the mechanic asks Columbo if he's undercover and he says, no he's underpaid: 
 


 Also very hilarious is the scene in the mafia-obsessed dentist's chair.
 
 
The dentist asks Columbo if any Italians in his family are mafia


 And says the pope is Italian
 


And leaves him with 2 pieces of advice - change his name, and don't bite down on anything hard. 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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