Columbo Troubled Waters: Was it Filmed on a Cruise Ship?
The 1968 episode of Columbo entitled “Troubled Waters” has been the subject of heated debate among fans. Was the episode actually filmed on a cruise ship, as the scenes suggest?
The answer is both yes and no. While the majority of the filming for this particular episode was done on a studio set, certain exterior shots were filmed aboard a real cruise ship. This technique of combining live-action footage with studio-created shots was common at that time and allowed producers to capture an atmosphere they couldn’t replicate in a studio.
The exterior shots that were filmed on an actual cruise ship are easy to spot. The cruise ship used for these scenes was the Queen Elizabeth 2, which sailed between 1967 and 2008. Fans can easily recognize its distinctive design, which features white walls with green trim and large windows along the sides.
The interior shots were filmed in a studio set in Los Angeles, California. This set was built to resemble the interior of a cruise ship and even featured life-size replicas of its many cabins and lounges. It also included realistic props such as furniture, carpets, paintings, and other pieces of decor that provided viewers with an accurate representation of what life aboard a cruise ship was like during that era.
In addition to providing viewers with an accurate representation of life on board a real-life cruise ship, Columbo Troubled Waters also offered up some interesting plot points and twists that kept viewers guessing until the very end. The episode centered around murder suspect Victor Marlowe (played by Robert Culp) who had boarded the QE2 under an assumed name with plans to flee to South America before his crimes could be revealed. Of course, Columbo (played by Peter Falk) eventually catches up with Marlowe but not before he manages to outwit him on more than one occasion!
Conclusion:
So while Columbo Troubled Waters wasn’t entirely filmed aboard a real cruise ship, it did feature some exterior shots taken on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 and included several realistic sets depicting life aboard a vessel like it during that era. This combination allowed producers to create an authentic atmosphere that made viewers feel like they were actually cruising along with Columbo himself!