Nelson Hayward
Jackie Cooper
EPISODE 20
Last Words to Columbo: "..all that remains for you is to dig the bullet out of the wall and take it to ballistics for a comparison"
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In "Candidate for Crime" campaign manager Harry Stone cooks up a phony murder plot to boost the chances of his senatorial candidate, Nelson Hayward (played by Jackie Cooper), in the upcoming election. But things take a deadly turn when Hayward seizes the opportunity to silence Stone, who knows too much about his shady dealings. Hayward stages the murder to make it look like he was the intended victim, throwing the investigation off course.
Enter Lieutenant Columbo, who hits the campaign trail to catch the killer. He navigates through the world of politics, interviewing politicians, aides, and supporters to uncover the truth behind the murder. Despite Hayward's attempts to deflect suspicion and create an alibi, Columbo slowly but surely pieces together the evidence, eventually leading to the dramatic unveiling of the true killer.
Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, and producer, born on September 15, 1922, in Los Angeles, California. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a child actor, and by the age of nine, he had already worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Cooper's most notable film roles include playing the lead in the "Our Gang" series of shorts, as well as appearing in films like "The Champ" (1931), "Treasure Island" (1934), and "Superman" (1978). He was also the youngest actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "Skippy" (1931).
In addition to his work in film, Cooper also had a successful career in television. He directed episodes of several popular TV shows, including "MAS*H," "The White Shadow," and "Hennessey," and he produced and starred in his own TV series, "The People's Choice," in the 1950s.