In addition to Cassavetes and Danner, the episode features Hollywood legend Myrna Loy as Benedict's mother-in-law.
Columbo uses news and concert footage to prove Benedict was not wearing the flower during the performance, but had it immediately afterward at the crime scene. Benedict's wife, Janice (Blythe Danner), ultimately refuses to lie for him, sealing his fate. Key Episode Trivia
Blythe Danner was visibly pregnant during filming; her daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow, was born just 10 days after the episode aired.
In the Season 2 premiere, " Étude in Black " (1972) , the rumpled Lieutenant faces off against Alex Benedict (John Cassavetes), a world-renowned conductor who murders his mistress, concert pianist Jenifer Welles, to protect his career and marriage to a wealthy heiress. Plot Summary