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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 277343" data-attributes="member: 23">Any Old Port In A Storm continuedMy God - Peter Falk taking Donald Pleasence and Julie Harris out to dinner. Be still my heart. To be a fly on the walls of those dressing rooms with the stories they'd have to tell. But even putting the main guests aside, Carsini would no doubt approve of the fact that - with one exception - the casting of smaller roles in this episode showed a meticulous attention to detail.From the wine cohorts impressed with Carsini who don’t bat an eyelid when he makes a toast worthy of Dr Evil to the drunk man in the bar who keeps talking at Columbo while he’s trying to listen to the news report to the hipsters swinging by the pool. They’re all cast with care. Waiter and Maitre D’ at the posh restaurant who added a terrific finishing touch to one of the most memorable scenes in Columbo history with the synchronised rapid gibberish they spoke to one another (at the same time) after their customers had walked out which stopped instantly when Columbo returned. Then came that hilarious sip of the port and multiple lip smacks. Hilarious. My favourite of the small roles was the Italian caretaker at Carsini’s vineyard. His small exchange with Columbo was a really nice touch.The only performance I didn’t care for was that of Joyce Jillson who lacked any kind of inflection in her speech. One sensed that she’d mastered memorising and reciting the dialogue, but it didn’t go any deeper than that. And I’m fairly sure she would have struggled had Peter Falk started ad libbing during their conversations. The moment where she had to leave the poolside in tears of grief was particularly awkward. Fortunately, her screen time was short enough for it not to ruin things.Julie Harris is, as always, a gem. In her hands, Karen Fielding is a truly compelling character in her own right. There’s so much subtext there. Like the way she seems to barely tolerate Columbo’s presence as he makes his phone call, and yet can’t help listening. Even when he apologises for getting off on the wrong foot, the coldness is there (I think she politely asks him if he knows the way out). There’s a great scene where Columbo comes to see her at her home. She informs him there’s an Alan Ladd film she’s planning to watch at eleven o’clock and they end up discussing This Gun For Hire as Columbo makes a phone call to Carsini, ostensibly to apologise after Miss Fielding clears his name. One can really sense the wheels turning for both of them. There’s so much more to the scene than what’s on the page. The efficient old spinster secretary with a crush on her boss is a cliché, but here it has depth. Such is the extent of the loyalty that comes across from her that when she eventually presses her suit under threat of blackmail it seems like a more terrible betrayal than even Carsini killing his sibling. continued...</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?