Continuity mistake: Viveca's beauty mark switches cheeks several times between shots while she talks to her assistant. (00:07:45)
Continuity mistake: Dr. Murcheson is not wearing gloves when he scrapes the women's faces. Then he goes into another room and removes a gray glove from his left hand.
Continuity mistake: Just before Viveca murders Martin Sheen, she scribbles an amount on magazine-her nailpolish is red. Seconds later after the murder with the microscope, Vera's nailpolish is a completely different color, mauve.
Continuity mistake: During his poolside talk with Nelson Hayward, Columbo carries a large cardboard box under one arm. His coat tail is hanging straight at his side in the master shot, but when it cuts to another angle, the coat is draped over more than half of the box. (01:15:00)
Continuity mistake: Just before the end we see a slide of Columbo looking at the lamp, but in the next shot of Columbo the slide is reversed.
Continuity mistake: Columbo is eating with the commandant of a military academy. Columbo has carrots on his plate, among other things. A few shots later, the carrots have been replaced with beans. The next time the plate is seen, it has carrots on it again. Later on in the same scene, the beans are back. Finally, at the end of the scene, there is a longer shot as the commandant is leaving the table, and where the vegetables were there is now something that looks like meat. (00:36:05 - 00:42:45)
Continuity mistake: When Columbo is talking with a cadet, Columbo says that he was in the army. Later, when the Colonel mentions 2200 hours, Columbo asks him what time that is. If Columbo had been in the army, he certainly would have known that 2200 hours is 10:00 PM.
A Deadly State of Mind - S4-E6
Continuity mistake: When Columbo asks if he can borrow the psychiatrist's lighter, the man has his cigarette in his mouth and a newspaper in his left hand as he reaches into his pocket for the lighter. In the next shot, as he hands the lighter to Columbo, the cigarette has jumped into his left hand with the newspaper. (00:27:40)
Continuity mistake: When Raymond brings the doctor his milk and pill, the tray with the milk and pill are already on the bedside table.
Continuity mistake: At the cafe when Columbo talks with the police officer his cigar is in his hand in the back shots but disappears in the front shots.
Make Me a Perfect Murder - S7-E3
Continuity mistake: When Kay retrieves the gun from the elevator ceiling, they switch shots several time looking up at the ceiling and down from the ceiling. In one shot looking up, the barrel and grip of the gun are over the edge of the ceiling tile. In the next down shot, just the barrel is near the edge and the grip is inches away. Back to an up shot and the gun returns to barrel and grip over the edge.
Sex and the Married Detective - S8-E3
Continuity mistake: When Dr Allenby is getting dressed for the first time as the lady in black she puts on a camisole under garment with a high v-neck neckline. In the next scene she is wearing a deep v black jacket but there is no sign of the camisole underneath.
Continuity mistake: Columbo stops Mr. Finch on the road after following him from Biltmore hotel; as Columbo is speaking with him, the cigar in Columbo's hand is always in Finch's shot, even after we see Columbo place his hand on the roof. Plus after we see him put his hand down, the cigar ash keeps going from 1" to nothing. (01:44:20)
Continuity mistake: At the end, when Columbo is demonstrating on the mannequin, his cigar changes position between shots.
Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health - S10-E2
Continuity mistake: When Sheba the dog scratches Anders' car her claws are on the glass and the top of the metal part of the door, above the character line. In the photo that Columbo shows, the scratches go much further down the door.
Continuity mistake: Columbo wears a tuxedo the entire episode. Hours after his nephew's wedding ceremony, when Columbo's at the police station investigating the bride's abduction, his bow tie is hanging loosely around his neck. Shortly after, as he and the other detectives rush to the photography studio, the bow is now properly tied. This situation was too dire to bother redoing it, nor does Columbo ever worry about his appearance.
Death Hits the Jackpot - S11-E1
Continuity mistake: After Lamarr takes off Freddy's undershirt we see the level of the water in the bathtub. Then he drags Freddy over to the tub and breaks his watch. At that time the water level is lower than it was before, even though the water was still running.
A Bird in the Hand... - S11-E3
Continuity mistake: At 8:15 AM, Harold McCain telephones his Aunt Dolores but when she answers the call, the clock on her mantel shows the time as 10:20.
Butterfly in Shades of Grey - S12-E2
Continuity mistake: From his estate, Fielding Chase looks toward his front gate and sees smoke coming from the engine of Columbo's car. When we see Columbo standing atop the car and yelling for Chase to open the gate, there is no smoke.
Undercover - S12-E3
Continuity mistake: Columbo ushers Krutch and Susan into an office for questioning. When he closes the door, the venetian blinds on it change from straight to misaligned and back again between shots.
Answer: In the show, he was already a Lieutenant. A promotion would put him in the next rank up, which for the L.A.P.D. would be Captain. However, some of a Captain's duties would be overseeing other officers and ensuring they're compliant with policies, regulations, and standards. It would also most likely take him out of the field. This is something Columbo has no desire for as he rarely goes to police HQ's. Nor does he show interest in compliance and standards (for example, not going to his semi-annual evaluation at the firing range). However, he could still be assigned to a higher pay grade based on expertise, which is a form of promotion that does not include rank advancement. This would be going from Lieutenant I to Lieutenant II. I don't believe in the show it's ever started what his pay grade is. Although, in s02e01 (I believe) he mentions making $11K a year. Whether or not this was a true statement on his part, if you could find pay scale information for an LAPD Lieutenant in the 70's, it could give you an idea of his pay grade.
Bishop73