The Chevy Mystery Show: "Enough Rope" (1960)

<p><em>&quot;This old man, he played three,  Bert Freed first played Columbo on TV.&quot;<br/></em><br/>This week on Mystery to Me, we&apos;ll be discussing the genesis of beloved fictional detective Lt. Columbo. The fictional sleuth — with his rumpled sensibilities and absent-minded charm — was most notably portrayed by Peter Falk. But Falk wasn&apos;t the first to have a go at Columbo. That honor would belong to actor Bert Freed, who portrayed the character on the Chevy Mystery Show.<br/><br/> Columbo writers Richard Levinson and William Link first unleashed the character on the episode &quot;Enough Rope&quot; on July 31, 1960. The story is a classic &quot;howcatchem,&quot; following a cunning murderer who seeks to outwit Freed&apos;s blue collar detective. </p><p>Áine and Kevin discuss how this early version of a beloved franchise hadn&apos;t quite yet earned its rumpled raincoat. Special thanks to the <a href='https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/'>UCLA Film &amp; Television Archive</a> for putting on the special digital screening of &quot;Enough Rope.&quot; <br/><br/>Just one more thing.  Make sure to follow us on social media!</p><ul><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/Mystery-to-Me-Podcast-105987494771196'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://twitter.com/mystery_to_me_'>Twitter</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/mysterytomepodcast/'>Instagram</a></li></ul><p>And send us mysterious and intriguing missives at mysterytomepodcast@gmail.com.<br/><br/><em>Mystery to Me is a production of Mystery Sheet LLC.</em></p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>