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Columbo Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Columbo Quizzes, Trivia

Columbo Trivia

Columbo Trivia Quizzes

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9 Columbo quizzes and 105 Columbo trivia questions.
1.
  Sex and the Married Detective   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
This is the name of an episode, but this quiz is not about that. It is about all those times the devoted husband Columbo is faced with sexual matters in the course of his work.
Average, 15 Qns, ArleneRimmer, Jul 26 15
Average
ArleneRimmer
1539 plays
2.
  Columbo   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Who could forget the rumpled detective?
Tough, 10 Qns, ArleneRimmer, Apr 14 08
Tough
ArleneRimmer
3932 plays
3.
  "Columbo": Notable Villains   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
LAPD sleuth Frank Columbo (Peter Falk) always catches the culprit. Many of those villains over the course of the series were already accomplished actors. See if you can identify them from the clues below.
Average, 10 Qns, BudBarryBob, Mar 03 08
Average
BudBarryBob gold member
1937 plays
4.
  Leftenant Columbo   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
No, it's not a spelling mistake - it's a play on the pronunciation of the word 'Lieutenant'. Do you know the guest stars who would naturally pronounce Columbo's rank in this way - the Brits?
Tough, 10 Qns, ArleneRimmer, Aug 31 06
Tough
ArleneRimmer
1482 plays
5.
  Columbo's Children   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz has a question on each of the seven 'Columbo' films in which a minor appears, and there are three others where I have bent the definition slightly to complete the full ten questions!
Tough, 10 Qns, ArleneRimmer, Jul 26 15
Tough
ArleneRimmer
1085 plays
6.
  Celebrating 50 Years of "Columbo"   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Lieutenant Columbo has been gracing the TV airwaves since 1971. Peter Falk starred as the LAPD homicide detective who was known for his rumpled raincoat, beat-up Peugeot convertible and his smelly cigars. Oh, and just one more thing - Enjoy!
Average, 15 Qns, BAMBOOMANIA, Nov 07 21
Average
BAMBOOMANIA
Nov 07 21
359 plays
7.
  Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The bumbling detective, in rumpled raincoat, has charmed audiences for generations. Despite being depicted in almost seventy episodes, viewers learned very little about him. Here's a quiz to see what you know about his habits and personal life.
Average, 10 Qns, Belleiscute, Jun 07 18
Average
Belleiscute
Jun 07 18
725 plays
8.
  The "Columbo" Murderers Matching Quiz    
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
This matching quiz asks you the quiz-taker to match the name of the guest murderer to the title of the episode. For the avid series fan, this shouldn't be too difficult. But if you are only a casual watcher, this could be a bit of a sticky wicket!
Tough, 15 Qns, BAMBOOMANIA, Apr 02 22
Tough
BAMBOOMANIA
Apr 02 22
236 plays
9.
  The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz all about Lieutenant Columbo and his television murder mystery series. If you love the show 'Columbo' as much as I do, this quiz should be very easy. I will make more quizzes soon. Oh, just one more thing, have fun!
Average, 10 Qns, featheredfriendsmack, Aug 03 16
Average
featheredfriendsmack
3082 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In which episode did Columbo let the killer go free?

From Quiz "Columbo"





Columbo Trivia Questions

1. James Read played the murdering dentist in 'Uneasy Lies the Crown' in 1990; he framed his wife as being the murderer of her lover during a rendezvous in the pool house. Which substance did he use to kill Adam Evans, the popular actor?

From Quiz
Sex and the Married Detective

Answer: digitalis

The wife, Lydia, was a highly-strung woman with a history of mental instability; following the death of her first husband on their honeymoon she spent time in an institution, and then she married Wesley (James Read). He then set the scene to recreate the death of husband number one in order to implicate her in the murder, using her heart medication to kill her lover and a group of famous people acting as his alibi.

2. When Faye Dunaway asked what his first name was, what did Columbo answer?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: Lieutenant & Lt

Faye asked this of Columbo in 'It's all the Game'. 'Trivial Pursuit' once claimed his name to be 'Philip' but this has no foundation in the programme at all, and later editions changed this to state that the name was unknown.

3. What kind of dog does Columbo have?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: Basset Hound

4. Columbo is almost always depicted with a cigar, whether smoking it, gesturing with it, or chewing on it. According to one suspect, what is particularly disgusting about Columbo's tobacco addiction?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: He chews, rather than cuts, the ends off the cigars

The murder suspect feels only a savage chews the ends of cigars; a gentleman uses a cutter. Columbo tries the cigar in the suspect's way and is revolted by the amount of tobacco in his mouth.

5. In which Columbo episode do we see numerous long-legged nymphs fawn around the photographer/owner of a magazine called 'Bachelor's World'?

From Quiz Sex and the Married Detective

Answer: Columbo Cries Wolf

There is a lovely mistake in this episode. If you watch the opening scene (with the credits) carefully, you will see Columbo walking alongside the swimming pool. But, ladies, don't expect your fellas to spot him, because there are so many nubile bikinied beauties lounging around they might get a little distracted.

6. In which episode did Columbo let the killer go free?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: 'Forgotten Lady'

Former film star, Grace Wheeler, kills her husband, and as Columbo discovers the truth, he finds out that she has only a short time to live, and that she does not remember doing the deed. He agrees to arrest her friend, with the expectation that by the time his innocence is established Grace will be dead.

7. In which Columbo episode did Dog make his debut?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: 'Etude In Black'

Columbo spent much of the episode trying to come up with a name for Dog.

8. It's amazing how many victims are killed in the middle of the night and poor Columbo arrives at the murder site hungry and trying to eat a hastily collected snack. What food does he usually bring with him to the scene?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: Boiled eggs

Columbo often shows up with boiled eggs in one hand and shells in the other. He then spends the better part of the scene looking for a repository for the shells. In one episode a young police officer has the shells dumped in his hands with instructions to find a suitable means of disposal.

9. "Swan Song" featured this timeless country-western singer, subject of a 2005 award-winning biopic. Here he's cast as a gospel singer who sends his wife and her protege to their deaths in a plane crash.

From Quiz "Columbo": Notable Villains

Answer: Johnny Cash

Although primarily known as one of the greatest country and gospel singers of his time, Johnny Cash also appeared from time to time as a guest star on various television programs. His life and career are portrayed in 2005's "Walk the Line."

10. In 'Murder of a Rock Star' there is a serious continuity error - what is it?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: Although pouring with rain when Columbo goes in to the building it is dry underfoot when he comes out a moment later

Columbo goes out to the bins with the cleaner, and we see that although there was a thunderstom raging when he went into the front of the building, out the back it was a beautiful sunny day with no sign anywhere that any rain fell at all.

11. What name did Columbo try to name Dog but he didn't like it?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: Beethoven

When he took Dog to the vet, the vet recommended calling his dog Fido, Jet, or Munch.

12. When hot on the trail of a suspect, Columbo whistles a certain tune. What children's song is it?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: "This Old Man"

With a knick knack, paddy whack, give a dog a bone! Often the accompanying soundtrack includes versions of the tune as well.

13. What is the first name of the Scottish comedian/actor who played a murdering musician in a Columbo film, and played opposite Dame Judi Dench in a 19th century royal drama?

From Quiz Leftenant Columbo

Answer: Billy

Dame Judi played Queen Victoria in 'Mrs Brown' while Scottish Billy Connolly played John Brown; he played Findlay Crawford in 'Murder with Too Many Notes' in 1999. Billy is best known in the UK as a no-holes-barred stand-up comedian, but he has had many parts in films in his career, and has produced television series of his journeys through the UK and Australia which have proved popular.

14. Where was the episode 'Dagger of the Mind' set?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: London

Bond Girl Honor Blackman co-starred in this episode with Richard Basehart, as husband and wife who murdered Sir Roger Haversham.

15. What food does Dog enjoy eating?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: Ice cream

Dog also likes to watch some television.

16. What weakness, especially unusual for a police officer and homicide detective, does Columbo admit to?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: He can't shoot and doesn't like guns

In one episode, Columbo is tracked down by superior officers and required to submit to a test of his shooting ability, because he hasn't completed his annual firearm test for five to ten years. Under questioning, he is forced to admit that he isn't even sure where his police issued pistol is. He eventually convinces an expert shot on the force to take the required test in his stead.

17. In "The Most Dangerous Match," a grandmaster disposes of his worthy opponent prior to their championship chess match. Which actor, who was unforgettable as a brain-washed assassin in "The Manchurian Candidate," did the dirty deed this time?

From Quiz "Columbo": Notable Villains

Answer: Laurence Harvey

According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Harvey was the first Lithuanian-born actor nominated for an Oscar (in 1960, for Best Actor for "Room at the Top"). His most memorable role, however, is probably that of tortured Raymond Shaw, a Korean War veteran who unknowingly has been brainwashed to become a political hitman.

18. What was the command word or phrase which caused the dobermans to kill in 'How to Dial a Murder'?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: 'rosebud'

Columbo had the dogs 're-programmed' so the command induced them to 'kiss' instead.

19. What pet does Columbo have?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: A basset hound named Dog

Columbo never comes up with a name for his canine companion, other than Dog. In one episode he explains that the dog won't come to him, no matter what he is called, so Dog is good enough.

20. Famous as a child actor from the "Our Gang" comedies, this performer portrays a Senatorial candidate who murders his campaign manager then attempts to frame it as an attempt on his own life.

From Quiz "Columbo": Notable Villains

Answer: Jackie Cooper

Cooper, who began acting before the age of nine, was a fixture in the "Our Gang" series of the late 1920's and early 1930's. According to IMDB, he is also a two-time Emmy Award winner for directing achievements during the 1970's. In the episode titled "Candidate for Crime," he runs for office as a senator who will be tough on criminals. Problem is, he's become a pretty dastardly one himself, and Lt. Columbo is on hand to pester him until his guilt is proved.

21. He had a part in 'Troubled Waters' and Chief Inspector Durk in 'Dagger of the Mind' as well as appearing in 'Perry Mason', 'Ironside', 'I Dream of Jeannie' and as a tough commanding officer in 'M*A*S*H', but who was he?

From Quiz Leftenant Columbo

Answer: Bernard Fox

Bernard Fox also appeared in 'A Night to Remember' (1958) as the man who gave the iceberg warning, and 39 years later in 'Titanic' as Colonel Archibald Gracie, who comments on Jack saving Rose - "Well, the boy's a hero! Good for you, son. Well done." William Lamb was Lord Melbourne's name (he was one of the Prime Ministers during Queen Victoria's reign), Michael Fish was a British weather-man and John Bull is a British symbol just as Uncle Sam is an American image.

22. In the 1976 episode, 'A Matter of Honor' (sic), another episode was mentioned, not by name, but by description of the murder and its detection - which one was this?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: 'Troubled Waters'

The Mexican police chief tells Columbo he heard about the case he solved on the cruise liner and wanted his input in a case in his area. Columbo goes on to solve the murder.

23. What does Columbo usually eat for breakfast?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: Hard boiled egg

He also likes to have his coffee black.

24. Over the course of the series, Columbo is revealed as a man of many talents. In what artistic endeavor does he show especial skill?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: Playing the tuba

In one episode, he delights a group of school children by playing a ditty on the tuba. He admits it was the only instrument left in high school when he signed up for band.

25. In a rare role as the baddie, this veteran of Disney films and a successful 1960's sitcom shines as Paul Galesko, a world-famous photographer who murders his wife then pins the crime on an unsuspecting ex-convict.

From Quiz "Columbo": Notable Villains

Answer: Dick Van Dyke

It may be hard to imagine the lovable star of such family favorites as "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" playing a calculating killer. This episode is also memorable for Larry Storch's brief appearance as the harried examiner who must give Columbo a driving test when the detective lets his license expire.

26. Classic butler-type Wilfrid Hyde-White appeared in two Columbo films, once as a victim. Which episodes were these?

From Quiz Leftenant Columbo

Answer: 'Dagger of the Mind' / 'Last Salute to the Commodore'

In 'Last Salute to the Commodore' Hyde-White played the family lawyer who was one of the least-likely suspects in the first Columbo film which does not identify the murderer in the first scenes. He played Sir Roger Haversham's butler in 'Dagger of the Mind'; he worked out what happened and ended up framed and dead himself.

27. While some actors have appeared in more than one episode, one guest star played the murderer in four separate storylines - more than any other - who was this?

From Quiz Columbo

Answer: Patrick McGoohan

Patrick played Col Lyle C Rumford in 'By Dawn's Early Light', Nelson Brenner in 'Identity Crisis', Oscar Finch in 'Agenda For Murder and Prince in 'Ashes to Ashes' He also directed 'Last Salute To The Commodore'. Robert Culp and Jack Cassidy each played the murderer three times and William Shatner played the murderer twice.

28. What kind of car does Columbo drive?

From Quiz The Lieutenant Columbo Quiz

Answer: 1950 Peugeot

Columbo says it is a 1950 Peugeot, but it is actually a 1959 Peugeot, Model 403.

29. Columbo has an extensive family; he frequently talks about his brothers, father, brother-in-law, his nephew, and of course, his oft mentioned, but never seen wife. How many children do he and his wife have together?

From Quiz Endearing, Enigmatic Columbo

Answer: It's not known for sure

It was never clear in the series whether Columbo and Mrs. Columbo had children or not. For instance, in one show Columbo indicates that he and his wife never had children; in another episode, however, he assures a suspect he will bring his wife to dinner, provided he can find a babysitter. Maybe he means a babysitter for Dog? This can be explained in a couple of ways: in many episodes, Columbo was known to provide contradictory information as he often manipulated suspects by so doing, or it could have been that his family was growing as the series progressed; thus he may not have had children in the earlier shows, but had a family as the years went by.

30. The 1991 special, 'Death Hits the Jackpot' had an unusual 'child' in it - a young chimp lived with the victim and provided the proof needed to nail the murderer. What was this proof?

From Quiz Columbo's Children

Answer: the chimp left foot prints on the murderer's medallion

This adorable little primate wore little dresses and had a liking for shiny objects - as shown by a series of photographs found in the victim's flat. Columbo noticed this and checked out the murderer's fancy dress costume, which included a large shiny medallion - and sure enough there were foot prints all over it, proving that the medallion had been at the scene of the crime, and that Leon had to have been there with it.

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