COLOMBO - "Fade In To Murder" (1976)

 Tonight we've got a Saturday Night Special that truly lives up to it's name, a very special episode of the TV series "Colombo!"

 They decided to start Season Six off in 1976 with a bang, and that's just what they did!

This episode was titled "Fade In To Murder," and was a story about a very popular TV detective, who was also a conniving and ruthless murderer in real life!

The TV detective is played by none other than The Shat himself in one of his many memorable roles. His name is Ward Fowler and on TV, he's known as Detective Lucerne.

 This might be Peter Falk's show, but William Shatner owns this episode! Ward Fowler is unhappy with his domineering Producer Clare, and he's about ready to do something about it! Clare Daley is played by lovely Lola (The Monolith Monsters) Albright. Lola Albright was also a singer and played Peter Gunn's girlfriend, torch singer Edie Hart in 84 episodes of "Peter Gunn."

 Any William Shatner fan will enjoy this show I guarantee!

 As Ward Fowler, he sneaks into one of the prop rooms to borrow a gun to use as a murder weapon.

 It's just mesmerizing to watch Bill do his thing!

 He also stole some clothes from the costume department!

Now, it's just starting to get good. Next up is "The World's Greatest Sinner" himself, Timothy Carey as the coffee shop owner named Tony.

 Ward Fowler's got it all figured out!

 The dirty bastard shoots Clare right in the back, and kills her!

 There's a cool picture hanging on the wall in Tony's place of Ward, Tony, and Clare in happier times.

 During the investigation, the bumbling Colombo stumbles onto the set of the TV shoot.

 As it turns out, Colombo is a big fan of Detective Lucerne, and has seen every episode of the show!

 Because of that fact, Colombo is thrilled to have Detective Lucerne help him on this case!

 Ward Fowler just keeps on working it, and getting everything set just perfect!

 Colombo has to go to Universal Studios to ask some questions.

 It's like some kind of magical train wreck to watch Bill Shatner work the room!

 He's leading Colombo around by the nose, and then it happens!

 He gets caught!

And as it turns out, the buffoon Colombo is the genius, and Lucerne is just a fictional character played by a mediocre actor! What a great show, and why not? It was directed by Dungeon legend, Bernie Kowalski.
Big shout out to Lord Litter in Berlin for pointing this one out to me!!

THE THREE STOOGES / Dizzy Pilots - 1943

Here's one where the boys get a month deferment to develop and test their new airplane, The Buzzard, for a government grant, or, be inducted into the Army.

So, our little morons the Wrong Bros. get their deferment, what could possibly go wrong?

Oh boy!.. The boys can only dream of their futures as airplane builders, Moe especially.

Of course Moe ends up in the hot tar Larry's mixing and they can't get it off. Moe instructs them to hook him up to the hydrogen tank, fill him up and then cut away the strips. Larry turns on the gas but doesn't have a clue as to what he's doing, he's just turning all the knobs, and the look on his face.

Hey Moe!.. Whadda'ya doin' up there?!

Moe eventually floats through a ventilation hole in the roof and heads for the clouds.

Curly grabs a rifle but Larry tells him to use a shotgun instead, you know, just to make sure that he hits him!

And then, Moe is hung up on the propeller of The Buzzard and ends up in the tar tub. And Curly says... Well, here we go again!

It's the day of the test and two government men are there to watch the event. First thing out of the shoot, The Buzzard barely gets off the ground because of instability. Damn, it must have been so much fun to make these Stooges shorts back in the day.

The boys manage to make it into the sky somehow but everything breaks and their dreams of aero pioneering are dashed into a million pieces.

This episode has that classic boot camp scene with the drill Sergeant, reused in another title.

We end with the boys ducking out a back lot at Columbia Pictures... Check back tomorrow to see what Eegah!! has going on!

HOUSE OF MAGIC - "Meany, Miny, Moe" (1937)

"House Of Magic" was a cartoon created by Woody Woodpecker's Dad Walter Lantz in 1937!

 

"House Of Magic" stars three krazy monkeys named not Manny, Moe, and Jack, or Larry, Moe, and Curly, but Meany, Miny, and Moe! I'll bet you anything that they've got cousins named Teenie, Weenie, Itsy, and Bitsy.

The trio is out taking a snooze when it starts raining really hard!

The first shelter they can find turns out to be a magic shop called "House Of Magic!"

 Oh, boy, three monkeys in a magic shop, this oughta be rich!!

Okay Moe, I just don't think that's right!

Moe gets himself into all kinds of predicaments!

Miny tries to get himself some shuteye, but these ghostly hands don't need to rest!

Can't get away with that any more!!

Meany has problems sleeping too when this magic carpet keeps rolling it self back up!

Check out Moe's baggy ass pants style hanging low about 50 or 60 years ahead of it's time!

There's nothing up his sleeves, but presto, the rabbit in the hat gives him a good scare!

"

"But most of all, I did it Moe way."

The guys had to get the heck out of there, but at least they escaped with their lives and a jar of jam!

No happy ending here, it was a novelty item and the jar was full of those snakes that pop out and scare the crap out of them good!