Peter Falk, 1927-2011

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

huskerdont

“I can’t see you, but I know you’re here. I can feel it. I’m a friend. CompaÃ±ero.”
- ackpht
  
  +1 One of my favorite films.
  
  Recently watched the Columbo episode where he comes into a restaurant with a doughnut he bought outside. The no-nonsense young waitress (Jamie Lee Curtis!) confronts him: “Did you buy that here?” Columbo sheepishly surrenders the doughnut. Then she demands his order.
  
  “I’ll have a doughnut.”
  - Anonymous
    
    Doughnut scene:
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6jyyTmgrFc
    
    So funny.
RobertBigelow

One of the great character actors, I remember him as an infantry sergeant in “Castle Keep” and the lovable “Columbo” that celebrated the nerd in all of us.
Comrade7

just watched the first episode of Columbo: “Prescription: Murder”

Fantastic stuff and it’s interesting to note how the character was pretty much fully developed from the get-go…

sniff…
Matt Cornell

My favorite Peter Falk moment:

http://youtu.be/YE3eiZ_kbVE
IamInnocent

The only man who could make my dad watch TV and that means something.
planettom

A Falk movie I recommend is the 1995 ROOMMATES where he plays a grandfather who moves in with his grandson, D.B. Sweeney. Directed by Peter Yates (BREAKING AWAY), who died in January.
WizarDru

Most memorable interview I ever heard with him was back in the 90s, iirc. It was on NPR and Terry Gross asked him if he resented being associated so strong with a character and potentially type-cast.

His response? “Well, you know….being Columbo? IT AIN’T EXACTLY CANCER.”

Lately I’ve been watching Columbo over Netflix; they don’t have every episode due to some odd legal restrictions, but they have most of them on streaming. And they’re GREAT. Falk’s performance is so well delivered…it’s not hard to see how he became so popular at it.
Anonymous

“Serpentine!”
chgoliz

Who else could do “The In-Laws” and “Wings of Desire” with equal restraint?
Samurai Gratz

Absolutely devastated to hear this. Peter Falk was such a class act in everything he did, Columbo best of all. If you’re picking an episode to watch this weekend, you can’t go wrong with “Any Old Port in a Storm,” “Now You See Him…” or my personal favorite, “The Conspirators,” with Clive Revill.

What a terrible, terrible loss.
- Dr Wadd
  
  I’ve been slowly rewatching every episode, Any Port is the next one due.
  
  I’d also add By Dawn’s Early Light to your list of best episodes.
RedBloc

For his Columbo and his Princess Bride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuevpFTS_po&feature=player_embedded
Anonymous

damn……. :( my first detectiv kit waz a colombo kit cufs and a revolver with plastic balls :( damn….rip colombo
ncarp

He also delivered the best “as you wish” in _The Princess Bride_.
franko

“…As you wish”, Murder By Death, and Columbo. that is all. #RESPECT
Hell’s Donut House

Everyone here must rent John Cassavetes’ “Husbands” or “A Woman Under The Influence” immediately for Falk performances of a lifetime. Devastating.
John Hudgens

“Push the button, Max!”
I always loved him in Blake Edwards’ “The Great Race” as Professor Fate’s hapless assistant Max…

He will be missed, but more importantly, he will be remembered forever…
catgrin

Crying as I write this.
Growing up I watched Columbo with my great grandmother, grandmother and my mother.
He tied our generations together with his gentle humor and knowing smirk.

Rest in peace sir, you are loved.
facetedjewel

Tess Skeffington: Twain picked up Sam in a gay bar.
Sam Diamond: I was workin’ a case!!!
Tess Skeffington: Oh, Sam- every night for six months?!
Anonymous

Just one more thing…
GeekMan

Damn. I had just one more question…

Rest in peace, sir.
SMurph

Well, crap. First Gene Colan and now Peter Falk…not turning out to be a good Friday.
Anonymous

Good night, sir. Thank you for a lot of memories. We will not forget you.
gwailo_joe

well snap…RIP you grizzled old pro.
millie fink

Dang, that’s very sad.

My fave performance by far, with Gena Rowlands. Cassevetes got the best out of him–

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0HAcH5FPSc
knoxblox

A damn good actor and a good man.

Out of all his great performances, I think I have a soft spot in my heart for his work in Wings of Desire.
phosphorious

Terrible news. I just watched “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.”

His best role is in “Big Trouble.” The Cassevetes one. Hysterical.
DJBudSonic

Try ‘Vibes’ with Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper.
endymion

He was great in many things…

But I’ll always remember him for “The In-Laws”.
- solstone
  
  I have always loved The In-Laws as well.
  
  Serpentine! Serpentine!
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN1WxSITwWw
  
  A number of years ago I used to get in trouble at a job that I had at the time because I lived close enough that I could go home at lunch. Problem started when I realized that Columbo reruns were on during my lunch hour. Many times I would get caught up in the episode and watch until the end, making myself late in returning to work…
facetedjewel

Tess Skeffington: If you ask me, Sam, this is a wild goose chase.
Sam Diamond: Nobody asked you, baby.
Tess Skeffington: Yes, they did. You asked me. You asked me back there if Iâ€”
Sam Diamond: That was then. This is now. And nobody knows what tomorrow will be. That’s the way things are, whether we like it or not.

——————————————————————————–
- Dr Wadd
  
  It was only last weekend I watched Murder by Death again, such a top film.
  
  I shall have to watch a couple of episodes of Columbo over the weekend in tribute, perhaps The Princess Bride as well.
Ugly Canuck

Oh how sad to see time pass sometimes!

Mr Falk really was very good , wasn’t he?

http://www.criterion.com/films/200-wings-of-desire

..but my real (guilty) fave is that wrestling flick with the chicks…oh yeah. All the Marbles!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081964/

Fine work! RIP, Mr Falk.
benher

I still remember him from that old Twighlight Zone – I think it was the one where he plays the Castroesque leader who keeps seeing his would-be assassins in the mirror.

Still keep the complete Columbo on DVD!
A.Lwin

Awww man, I thought he would live forever. Rest in Peace Peter Falk, your legacy, Colombo will always live on.
futnuh

While I am saddened, no doubt the Albanians are celebrating …
Yamara

Now he is an angel.

Godspeed, dude.
- TheSpaghettiman
  
  Again.
RikF

We’ve lost the master of the ‘one more thing’. Very sad to hear of his passing, though he was apparently in the grip of many age-related illnesses for a number of years.
mikerbaker

Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The End.