Peter Falk

2.1. Birth and Family Background

Peter Michael Falk was born on September 16, 1927, in The Bronx, New York City. He was the son of Michael Peter Falk, who owned a clothing and dry goods store, and Madeline (née Hochhauser). Both of Falk's parents were Jewish; his father was of Russian-Jewish descent, and his mother had Polish, Czech, and Hungarian-Jewish (Ashkenazim) heritage. He grew up in Ossining, Westchester County, New York.

2.2. Vision Issues and Childhood

At the age of three, Falk was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer, which necessitated the surgical removal of his right eye. For the majority of his life, he wore an artificial eye, which contributed to his distinctive squint. Despite this physical challenge, Falk actively participated in team sports during his childhood, particularly baseball and basketball. He was known for his resilience and humor regarding his condition. In a 1997 interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine, Falk famously recounted an incident during a high school baseball game: when an umpire called him out at third base, he removed his glass eye, handed it to the umpire, and quipped, "Try this." This anecdote highlights his ability to turn a personal challenge into a source of humor and connection with others. Falk's first stage appearance was at age 12 in The Pirates of Penzance at Camp High Point in upstate New York, where one of his camp counselors was Ross Martin. He attended Ossining High School, where he was a star athlete and served as president of his senior class, graduating in 1945.

2.3. Education

Falk's academic journey was varied and extensive. He briefly attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Following his service in the Merchant Marine, he returned to Hamilton College and also studied at the University of Wisconsin. He later transferred to The New School for Social Research in New York City, where he earned a bachelor's degree in literature and political science in 1951. Continuing his education, Falk enrolled at Syracuse University, ultimately obtaining a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University in 1953. This program was designed to train civil servants for the federal government, a career path Falk later admitted he had "no interest in and no aptitude for."

2.4. Merchant Marine Service and Early Experiences

As World War II was nearing its end, Falk attempted to join the armed services but was rejected due to his missing eye. He subsequently joined the United States Merchant Marine, serving for a year and a half as a cook and mess boy. Reflecting on this experience in 1997, Falk humorously remarked, "There they don't care if you're blind or not. The only one on a ship who has to see is the captain. And in the case of the Titanic, he couldn't see very well, either." After his time in the Merchant Marine, Falk traveled extensively in Europe, including working on a railroad in Yugoslavia for six months. He also considered joining the fight in Israel against Egypt but the war ended before his ship sailed. Prior to pursuing acting, he applied for a job with the CIA but was rejected due to his mandatory membership in the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union during his Merchant Marine service, a union that had faced scrutiny for alleged communist leanings. He then worked as a management analyst for the Connecticut State Budget Bureau in Hartford, a role he characterized as an "efficiency expert," humorously noting that his tendency to be late, which was ironic for an efficiency expert, ultimately led him to acting.

3.1. Stage Career

While working in Hartford, Falk joined a local community theater group known as the Mark Twain Masquers, performing in productions such as The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, The Crucible, and The Country Girl by Clifford Odets. He also sought formal training, studying with the renowned actress and director Eva Le Gallienne at the White Barn Theatre in Westport. Falk later admitted to "lying his way" into her class, which was intended for professional actors. He would drive from Hartford every Wednesday, often arriving late. When Le Gallienne questioned his tardiness and profession, Falk confessed he was not a professional actor. Her response, "Well, you should be," served as a pivotal moment, prompting him to quit his job and move to Greenwich Village in 1956 to fully pursue acting.

His first New York stage role was in an off-Broadway production of Molière's Don Juan at the Fourth Street Theatre in January 1956, which closed after a single performance. However, his next role proved more impactful: in May, he appeared as Rocky Pioggi in a revival of The Iceman Cometh at Circle in the Square, directed by Jose Quintero and starring Jason Robards. Later in 1956, Falk made his Broadway debut in Alexander Ostrovsky's Diary of a Scoundrel, followed by an appearance in Shaw's Saint Joan with Siobhán McKenna. He continued to perform in summer stock theater, including a 1962 staging of Arnold Schulman's A Hole in the Head.

In 1972, Falk appeared in Broadway's The Prisoner of Second Avenue. While critics noted that his "squinty gaze, the result of the loss of an eye," added authenticity to his characters, this production caused Falk considerable stress. He struggled with memorizing lines and experienced an anxiety attack during rehearsals. This experience, coupled with his growing preference for film and television, led him to avoid further stage performances.

3.2. Early Film Career

Despite his success on stage, Falk faced initial resistance in Hollywood due to his artificial eye. A theatrical agent advised him not to expect much film work, and Columbia Pictures studio boss Harry Cohn famously told him, "For the same price I can get an actor with two eyes." He also failed to secure a role in the film Marjorie Morningstar. His early film appearances were in small roles in Wind Across the Everglades (1958), The Bloody Brood (1959), and Pretty Boy Floyd (1960).

A turning point came with his performance in Murder, Inc. (1960), where he played the supporting role of killer Abe Reles, a character based on a real-life gangster. The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther praised Falk's "amusingly vicious performance," noting how his weary demeanor and squinty gaze could suddenly transform into terrifying viciousness. Falk himself described his casting in the film as a "miracle" that "made my career," leading to other significant movie roles. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

In 1961, legendary director Frank Capra cast Falk in the comedy Pocketful of Miracles, Capra's final feature film. Although the film was not a commercial success, Capra was effusive in his praise for Falk's performance, calling him "my joy, my anchor to reality" and crediting him with making him "forget pains, tired blood." Falk, in turn, lauded Capra's enjoyment of actors and the acting craft, recalling how Capra once reshot a scene simply because he loved it so much and wanted to see them perform it again. This role earned Falk his second consecutive Academy Award nomination.

Throughout the remainder of the 1960s, Falk primarily took on supporting roles in films and guest appearances on television. Notable film roles included one of the cab drivers in the star-studded 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Guy Gisborne in the Rat Pack musical comedy Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), where he also sang, and Maximilian Meen in the spoof The Great Race (1965) alongside Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

3.3. Early Television Career

Falk's television career began in 1957, during the period known as the "Golden Age of Television," with appearances in dramatic anthology programs like Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, and Kraft Television Theater. He also appeared in crime dramas such as New York Confidential, Naked City, The Untouchables, Have Gun-Will Travel, The Islanders, and Decoy.

In the early 1960s, Falk often portrayed unsavory characters on television. He starred as a paranoid, Castro-type revolutionary in The Twilight Zone episode "The Mirror," who, intoxicated with power, begins seeing would-be assassins in a mirror. He also appeared in two of Alfred Hitchcock's television series: as a gangster terrified of death in a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and as a homicidal evangelist in 1962's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

In 1961, Falk received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the episode "Cold Turkey" of James Whitmore's series The Law and Mr. Jones. He then won his first Emmy Award in 1962 for "The Price of Tomatoes," a drama featured on The Dick Powell Show. Notably, Falk became the first actor to be nominated for both an Academy Award and an Emmy Award in the same year, achieving this feat twice: in 1961 for Murder, Inc. and The Law and Mr. Jones, and again in 1962 for Pocketful of Miracles and The Dick Powell Show, winning the latter.

In 1963, Falk and Tommy Sands guest-starred in "The Gus Morgan Story" on Wagon Train, playing brothers who disagreed on a railroad route. Falk's first lead role in a television series came with CBS's The Trials of O'Brien, which ran from 1965 to 1966. In its 22 episodes, Falk played Daniel O'Brien, a Shakespeare-quoting lawyer who defended clients while solving mysteries. In 1966, he also co-starred in a television production of Brigadoon with Robert Goulet.

In 1971, Falk assisted Pierre Cossette in producing the first Grammy Awards show on television, with Cossette later crediting Falk for "saving my ass."

4.1. Character and Series Overview

Peter Falk is best known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Columbo, described as "everyone's favorite rumpled television detective." The character, created by William Link and Richard Levinson, first appeared in the 1968 TV movie Prescription: Murder. Columbo's distinctive appearance included a shabby raincoat (which was Falk's own), high-topped shoes, and a disheveled demeanor. His mannerisms often involved a deceptively absent-minded approach, fumbling through pockets, asking to borrow pencils, and getting distracted by irrelevant details, all designed to keep suspects off-balance and elicit genuine reactions from his fellow actors. His most famous catchphrase was "Just one more thing," which originated when Link and Levinson needed to extend a scene in the original play and simply had Columbo return after his exit.

The Columbo series employed a unique inverted detective story format, typically revealing the murderer at the beginning of the episode and then showing how the Los Angeles homicide detective meticulously solved the crime. Falk described Columbo as an "ass-backwards Sherlock Holmes," noting Holmes's long neck versus Columbo's lack thereof, and Holmes's pipe versus Columbo's habit of chewing six cigars a day. Television critic Ben Falk suggested the character was "apparently inspired by Dostoyevsky's dogged police inspector, Porfiry Petrovich, in the novel Crime and Punishment." Falk himself saw a correlation between his own personality and Columbo's, stating, "I'm a Virgo Jew, and that means I have an obsessive thoroughness. It's not enough to get most of the details; it's necessary to get them all. I've been accused of perfectionism."

The series achieved enduring global popularity, with Falk expressing "general amazement" at its reach, recalling how children in remote African villages would recognize him and shout, "Columbo, Columbo!" The show also featured Columbo's Basset Hound named Dog, which Falk initially resisted as "another gimmick" but later embraced, believing Dog "was exactly the type of dog that Columbo would own." Dog made his first appearance in the 1972 episode "Étude In Black." The children's song "This Old Man" became the show's unofficial signature tune, introduced in the 1973 episode "Any Old Port in a Storm," with Columbo often heard humming or whistling it. Falk admitted he simply enjoyed the melody, and it naturally became part of the character.

4.2. Awards and Critical Reception

Peter Falk received immense critical acclaim and numerous awards for his portrayal of Lieutenant Columbo. He won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Columbo in 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1990. Additionally, he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama in 1973 for the role.

The series itself garnered significant recognition. In 1997, TV Guide ranked the Columbo episode "Murder by the Book" at No. 16 on its '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list. Two years later, the magazine ranked Lieutenant Columbo as No. 7 on its '50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time' list, solidifying his status as an iconic figure in television history.

4.3. Production Notes and Impact

Falk's personal involvement in shaping the character of Columbo and his creative contributions extended beyond acting. He provided his own wardrobe for the character, including the high-topped shoes and the famous shabby raincoat, which first appeared in Prescription: Murder. Falk frequently used ad-libbing to enhance his performance and keep his fellow actors on their toes, believing it helped make their confused and impatient reactions to Columbo's eccentricities more genuine.

The series had a significant impact on television storytelling. The first episode of Columbo as a regular series in 1971 was directed by a then 24-year-old Steven Spielberg, in one of his earliest directing jobs. Falk recognized Spielberg's talent early on, telling producers, "This guy is too good for Columbo." Spielberg, for his part, later stated, "I learned more about acting from him at that early stage of my career than I had from anyone else."

While Falk primarily starred as Columbo, the character had been previously played by Bert Freed in a 1960 television episode of The Chevy Mystery Show ("Enough Rope") and by Thomas Mitchell on Broadway. Mitchell's death led to Falk taking on the role, which he reprised in the 1970 pilot Ransom for a Dead Man. Columbo aired regularly on NBC as part of the NBC Mystery Movie from 1971 to 1978, with episodes typically running 90 or 120 minutes. The show then returned on ABC as a series of less frequent TV movies from 1989 until 2003.

Falk directed only one episode of the series, "Blueprint for Murder" in 1971, though it is rumored he and John Cassavetes were largely responsible for the direction of "Étude in Black" in 1972. Falk's favorite Columbo episodes included "Any Old Port in a Storm," "Forgotten Lady," "Now You See Him," and "Identity Crisis." The show's immense popularity translated into substantial earnings for Falk, with rumors suggesting he earned 300.00 K USD per episode when he returned for Season 6 in 1976, which reportedly doubled to 600.00 K USD per episode when the series made its comeback in 1989. The success of Columbo also led co-creator William Link to write a series of short stories, The Columbo Collection, which included a drawing by Falk of himself as Columbo.

A few years before his death, Falk expressed interest in reprising the role one last time, selecting a script titled "Columbo: Hear No Evil" (later renamed "Columbo's Last Case"). However, ABC declined the project, and efforts to shop it to foreign production companies were halted by Falk's diagnosis with dementia in late 2007.

5.1. Collaborations with John Cassavetes

Peter Falk maintained a close personal and artistic friendship with independent filmmaker John Cassavetes. This collaboration resulted in some of Falk's most critically acclaimed performances. He starred in Cassavetes' films Husbands (1970), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), and made a cameo appearance at the end of Opening Night. Cassavetes, in turn, guest-starred in the Columbo episode "Étude in Black" in 1972. Falk also co-starred with Cassavetes in Elaine May's film Mikey and Nicky (1976).

Falk often spoke about his experiences working with Cassavetes, particularly his unconventional directing strategies. Cassavetes was known for shooting actors when they were unaware the camera was rolling and for not strictly adhering to "Stop. Cut. Start again." Falk recalled, "John would walk in the middle of a scene and talk, and though you didn't realize it, the camera kept going. So I never knew what the hell he was doing. But he ultimately made me, and I think every actor, less self-conscious, less aware of the camera than anybody I've ever worked with." These collaborations allowed Falk to explore more serious and nuanced dramatic roles, contrasting with his more comedic or detective-oriented work.

5.2. Other Film Appearances

Falk continued to work prolifically in film throughout his career. In 1978, he appeared in William Friedkin's film The Brink's Job, with Friedkin praising Falk's "great range from comedy to drama. He could break your heart or he could make you laugh." Falk also starred as an ex-CIA officer of questionable sanity in the comedy The In-Laws. Director Arthur Hiller noted that the film originated from Alan Arkin and Peter Falk's desire to work together, and it became one of his most commented-on films. Critic Roger Ebert highlighted the strong chemistry between Falk and Arkin, describing Falk's "deadpan lecturer mode, slowly and patiently explaining things that sound like utter nonsense."

Other notable film appearances include:

• The Great Muppet Caper (1981) as a tramp.
• The Princess Bride (1987) as the beloved Grandfather/Narrator, a role that showcased his warm, storytelling side.
• Murder by Death (1976) and The Cheap Detective (1978), where he played comedic detective roles.
• Vibes (1988), a supernatural comedy.
• Made (2001), a crime comedy.
• Wings of Desire (1987) and its 1993 sequel, Faraway, So Close!, directed by Wim Wenders. In these German-language films, Falk played a semi-fictionalized version of himself, a famous American actor who was once an angel but chose to become human to experience life fully. He described the role as "the craziest thing that I've ever been offered" and earned critical acclaim for his supporting performance. In Wings of Desire, there is a scene where Falk sketches extras, and in Faraway, So Close!, he is shown opening an exhibition of his paintings, humorously self-deprecating his art.
• The Thing About My Folks (2005), a family comedy-drama. Roger Ebert, while not impressed with other aspects of the film, praised Falk, writing: "...We discover once again what a warm and engaging actor Peter Falk is. I can't recommend the movie, but I can be grateful that I saw it, for Falk."
• Next (2007) with Nicolas Cage.
• American Cowslip (2009), his final film role.

5.3. Other Television Appearances

Beyond Columbo, Falk had a prolific television career, starring in numerous series and made-for-television movies. His first lead in a television series was in CBS's The Trials of O'Brien (1965-1966), where he played a Shakespeare-quoting lawyer. He also co-starred in a television production of Brigadoon in 1966.

In 1978, Falk appeared on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, portraying his Columbo character to "roast" Frank Sinatra. Later in his career, he starred in a trilogy of holiday television movies: A Town Without Christmas (2001), Finding John Christmas (2003), and When Angels Come to Town (2004), in which he played Max, a quirky guardian angel who used disguises and subterfuge to guide his charges. He also appeared in The Lost World (2001) and Wilder Days (2003), where he began to take on roles as a stubborn yet human patriarch in family dramas.

Falk also had a connection to Japanese television, appearing in commercials for Suntory Royal whiskey ("Peter's Bar" series) and Toyota Corolla cars in the 1990s, where he often used his "Just one more thing" catchphrase, though his voice was dubbed in Japanese by 石田太郎_{Taro Ishida}^Japanese.

6.1. Marriage and Family

Falk married his college sweetheart, Alyce Mayo, on April 17, 1960. The couple adopted two daughters, Catherine and Jackie. Catherine Falk later became a private investigator. Peter Falk and Alyce Mayo divorced in 1976. On December 7, 1977, he married actress Shera Danese, whom he had met on the set of Columbo. Danese guest-starred in more episodes of the Columbo series than any other actress. Falk did not have any biological children. His niece, Samantha Falk, is also an actress.

6.2. Artistic Pursuits and Hobbies

Beyond his acting career, Peter Falk was an accomplished visual artist. He took classes at the Art Students League of New York for many years and was known for his drawings, particularly still life and portraits, though he also explored modern art with bold, abstract pieces. In October 2006, he had an exhibition of his drawings at the Butler Institute of American Art. He also had several exhibitions of his sketches in Japan. His artwork was sometimes featured in his films, and his official website allowed fans to view and purchase his pieces.

Falk was also a dedicated chess enthusiast. He was a spectator at the American Open in Santa Monica, California, in November 1972, and at the U.S. Open in Pasadena, California, in August 1983.

His autobiography, Just One More Thing, was published in 2006.

7.1. Health Deterioration and Conservatorship

In December 2008, it was publicly reported that Peter Falk had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. During a two-day conservatorship trial in Los Angeles in June 2009, Dr. Stephen Read, one of Falk's personal physicians, testified that Falk's condition had rapidly deteriorated into dementia following a series of dental operations in 2007. Dr. Read noted that it was unclear whether the worsening of his condition was a direct result of the anesthesia or another reaction to the procedures. Following the trial, Falk's second wife, Shera Danese Falk, was appointed as his conservator. Reports from this period indicated that Falk's memory had declined to the point where he no longer remembered his iconic role as Columbo.

7.2. "Peter Falk's Law"

The circumstances surrounding Peter Falk's conservatorship and the alleged restrictions on family visitation led to a significant legislative effort. According to his daughter, Catherine Falk, Shera Danese Falk, as conservator, allegedly prevented some of Falk's family members from visiting him, failed to notify them of major changes in his condition, and did not inform them of his death or funeral arrangements.

In response to these issues, Catherine Falk advocated for and encouraged the passage of legislation colloquially known as "Peter Falk's Law." This new law, enacted in New York State in 2015, aims to protect the visitation and communication rights of adult children with their incapacitated parents. It provides guidelines that guardians or conservators must follow regarding family visitation rights and notification of significant medical and end-of-life developments. New York State Senator John DeFrancisco, in introducing the measure, stated, "For every wrong there should be a remedy. This bill gives a remedy to children of elderly and infirm parents who have been cut off from receiving information about their parents. It also gives them an avenue through the courts to obtain visitation rights with the parents." As of 2020, more than fifteen states in the United States had enacted similar laws, reflecting a growing concern for familial bonds and legal protections for incapacitated individuals and their families.

8.1. Death Process and Cause

On the evening of June 23, 2011, Peter Falk died peacefully at his longtime home on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. He was 83 years old. The official causes of death were pneumonia and complications from Alzheimer's disease. His daughters publicly stated that they would remember his "wisdom and humor." Falk was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. His epitaph reads: "I'm not here, I'm home with Shera."

8.2. Tributes and Legacy

Falk's passing was met with numerous tributes from colleagues, directors, and friends across the entertainment industry. Celebrities such as Jonah Hill and Stephen Fry expressed their condolences. Director Steven Spielberg, who directed an early Columbo episode, stated, "I learned more about acting from him at that early stage of my career than I had from anyone else." Director Rob Reiner praised Falk as "a completely unique actor," highlighting his work with Alan Arkin in The In-Laws as "one of the most brilliant comedy pairings we've seen on screen."

Peter Falk's significant contributions to acting and his lasting impact were further recognized posthumously. In 2013, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a recognition that had been decided in 1991 but not formally installed until after his death. His portrayal of Lieutenant Columbo remains one of the most iconic characters in television history, beloved by audiences worldwide and influencing detective genres for decades.

9.1. Major Film and Television Awards

9.2. Other Awards and Honors

10.1. Film

10.2. Television

10.3. Theatre