How to Dial a Murder

One of the many movie posters on display in Dr. Mason's house is for the thriller, The Suspect (1944), starring Charles Laughton. This is significant, as the structure of "The Suspect" prefigures the formula for "Columbo", presenting the viewer not only with a killer whose identity is known from the outset, but also a seemingly mild-mannered and polite police detective who befriends the killer and knowingly uses him as a sounding-board for his various theories about the crime. It is the close relationship between killer and detective thus formed that leads to the resolution of the story. It is not known if William Link and Richard Levinson, creators of "Columbo", ever saw this film.

Dr. Mason addresses Columbo as "Lieutenant" when they first see each other at the crime scene, even though they hadn't met yet. Then the detective introduces himself as Lieutenant Columbo.

However, the psychologist is seen exiting his own house where he can have asked a police officer who was in charge and where to find them.