PLOT: Joe Devlin is an Irish poet who supplies guns to the IRA on the quiet. He claims that the funds he raises are for the victims of war when actually they are for guns. He works alongside George and Kate O'Connell. While Devlin is signing books at a bookstore Vincent Pauley approaches him. Devlin signs his book, which alreadly has the words 'Ourselves alone' written in pen. The Gaelic translation is Sinn Fein. Devlin meets up with Pauley, and they agree on an arms deal. However, Devlin decides to cut out the middle man and shoots Pauley dead in Pauley's apartment. He takes all the documents relating to the transaction and believes that there is nothing linking him to Pauley or the scene of the crime. However, when Columbo shows up he finds a half empty bottle of Irish whiskey on the floor. Pauley was a diabetic and couldn't drink alcohol, leading Columbo to think the whiskey must have been drunk by the murderer. Columbo finds the copy of Devlin's book. This is the only thing he has to go on. He meets Devlin, who confirms that he had signed the inscription in the book at a book signing at a bookstore. Columbo also notices that Devlin likes the same whiskey that had been in Pauley's apartment. He digs around into Devlin's past and finds that in his youth he had served a prison sentence for terrorism. In Pauley's apartment Columbo found a note with the name of a ship on it (it took Columbo a while to work out what it was.) He puts two and two together and realises Devlin may well try and smuggle the arms aboard the vessel, which is travelling to Southampton, England. Before the vessel leaves the police search the vessel from top to bottom but find no arms. Then he meets Devlin in a restaurant overlooking the harbour. He has several whiskey bottles with him. Devlin has a habit of scratching the whiskey bottles with his ring showing where he intends to drink to. Columbo shows Devlin that the bottle found at Pauley's apartment had the same scratch on it, which was made from the diamond in Devlin's ring. Devlin, though, seems unperturbed, as Columbo has not found the guns. Then he notices police boats speeding up behind the vessel as it is leaving the harbour. Columbo has rumbled him. Devlin had a boat waiting at the end of the harbour, which would attach the weapons.
VERDICT: This episode was the last of the 70s Columbos and not a great way to go out. Part of the irritation of this episode is that few of the Irish characters are played by Irish actors, leading to some awful attempts at Irish accents. Devlin's accent is the most inaccurate of all. Clive Revill was born in New Zealand and would have been better served in Dagger of the Mind as his English accent is better than his Irish. Despite this he is a competent villain. The plot is not complex enough to warrant 90 minutes either.
Written by Mark Wilson
(C) Copyright Wilson/Young Enterprises 2006.
CAST:
Joe Devlin............Clive Revill
George O'Connell...Bernard Behrens
Kate O'Connell......Jeanette Nolan
Vincent Pauley......Albert Paulsen
Kerry Malone........Michael Horton
Chuck Jensen.............L Q Jones
Angela...............Deborah White
Captain...............Sean McClory
Michael Moore.......Michael Prince
Leach...................Donn Whyte
