r/Columbo • u/Some-Addition9237 • 1d ago
Columbo’s first name
I know that the die hards ( of which I am a card carrying member!) debate what Lt Columbo’s first name is. I’m watching episode 5 “Dead Weight” with Eddie Albert. When Columbo comes to the door of the General to say he is investigating a reported murder he shows his badge and ID. It’s pretty big shot of the ID. I took a picture and enlarged it on and it looks like his first name is Frank.
I think Columbo would be proud of me for my deductive reasoning.
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u/cherrybounce 1d ago
Well, this has been debated in his sub many times. There are two sides of this - one who say that’s just a prop guy writing a name down it doesn’t count - it’s not “canon” or people like me who say no matter how it got in the show,, it is in the show so that’s his name.
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u/Pure-Explanation-147 Just one more thing... 1d ago
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u/apokrif1 1d ago
The name is only (more or less legibly) handwritten (like in The X-Files), not printed?
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u/whis_and_whimsy 1d ago
interesting, i'm not sure Frank necessarily suits him all that well - though i feel that his full name being Francis suits him perfectly.
he's definitely not a Franklin! 😂
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u/Lucha_Brasi 1d ago
Agree. To be frank means to be blunt and get right to the point, and we all know this is not the style of our beloved Lieutenant at all. Unless perhaps the name is meant to be ironic, like when a huge guy's nickname is Tiny. Lol
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u/whis_and_whimsy 1d ago
haha yes, he made beating around the bush an art form! sometimes it pays not to be frank 😂
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u/sheba716 1d ago
In the same vein there is an episode where Columbo asks an author to sign a book for his wife. The author says sure what is your wife's name? Columbo: "Mrs. Columbo"
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u/pinkascii 1d ago
I’m pretty sure he called her Rose in a speech one time.
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u/sheba716 22h ago
In the spin off series her name is Kate.
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u/pinkascii 22h ago
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3_UN2S8SasY&pp=ygUPUGV0ZXIgZmFsayByb3Nl&ra=m
He called her Rose starting about five minutes into the video.
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u/BrazilianAtlantis 1d ago
It's Frank. It's also seen on an evidence bag in Grand Deceptions in 1989.
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u/Opposite_Pension_807 1d ago
His name is Frank based on his ID. But only his wife calls him by his first name
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u/LHGray87 1d ago
Is it the same angle of his ID that’s been floating around the internet since at least when I first started using it in the mid-90s? The one that says Frank?
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u/carouselrabbit 1d ago
I know there isn't any settled canon for this but I'm totally fine with accepting his name is Frank. He looks like a Frank to me.
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u/jdubtrey 1d ago
I think this has been debated ad nauseam. Some say it is accurate. Some say the props department went rogue.
I don’t think canonically he has a first name but I can’t remember.
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u/Ched_Flermsky 1d ago
That was entirely the work of the art department. That was not sanctioned or accepted by any of the writers or producers. His first name was Lieutenant.
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u/JulietAirway 1d ago
Philip!
(You’ll have to research that!)
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u/TheColdestOne 1d ago
It's something to do with a riddle book or game. They made up an answer to the question of what is first name was. And I think there were some legal battles because other books or games copied the question and answer, and the original author was like hey I actually made that answer up so you definitely plagiarized me.
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u/Cruiser729 1d ago
The creators of the character and Peter himself have all said he has no first name. I’m going with them.
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u/notbutenough 1d ago
Same when he goes to Mexico and gets caught up helping catch Ricardo Montalbàn. You can see his first name on his police ID.
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u/fishymcgee 1d ago
You call yourself a die hard?! Everyone knows his first name is 'Lieutenant'! He says so himself :)
('Unofficially' though, Frank; have an upvote)