Lindy West was born an unremarkable female baby in Seattle, Washington. The former Stranger writer covered movies, movie stars, exclamation points, lady stuff, large frightening fish, and much, much more.... More by Lindy West
RIP, Peter Falk
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“Uhhhh…’scuse me sir, I know I took a lot of your time…but just one more thing.”
(Exasperated)”…YES Detective, what IS it…”
…and the killer’s goose was COOKED!
Aw. Another (the last?) of the TV detectives (Columbo, McCloud, Cannon, Barnaby Jones) I used to watch with my aunt before my family got a TV. I liked Columbo the best. I don’t think he boosted the sales of Peugeots much though.
Never really got into this guy. I’m probably too much of a whippersnapper.
Don’t forget Jim Rockford!
I AM an old fart.
@Rob , CHz He was brilliant in Cassavetes’ HUSBANDS. Gorgeous role about desperate, sweet, hilarious, at-sea . American masculinity.
@3 – Then what about the grandfather in The Princess Bride? Or are you telling me you’re too young for that, too?
(@4, Rockford Files was my favorite show in high school.)
Awwww. Sad day. He couldn’t live forever, of course, but I loved Columbo for many many years. One of the most interesting quirky TV detectives ever. He will be missed.
I’ll watch “A Woman Under the Influence” in his honor.
@7
Never thought The Princess Bride was all that great in the first place
He also weirdly played himself as a fallen angel in Wings of Desire.
“Pocketful of Miracles”! “Robin and the 7 Hoods”!
You served us well, Mr. Falk. Godspeed.
lukeiscool @ 9…
Falk played a pitch-perfect duet to Gena Rowland’s outrageously perfect performance,
The In-Laws. One of the most underrated comedies ever. He and Alan Arkin were wonderful.
“Serpentine!”
@14 yes yes a thousand times yes! “Serpentine!”
#14
Agreed…right up there with “A New Leaf”.
Aah, I’m going to cry! I adore him. He was so brilliant and beautiful in Wings of Desire, and I’m currently into the fifth season of the Columbo DVDs; they are so consistently good… I knew he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, so I was trying to prepare, but —
*crying*
I’m going to wander around the city in a trenchcoat today, in his honor.
@14 That joke never seems to get old for me. Even do it on the golf course some times.
@11- He was amazing as himself as an angel who played Columbo.
He will be missed.
I was not a big fan of most of the detective shows that were so hot for a time. McMillan & Wife and Columbo were the two exceptions because they were well written and because Peter Falk was so good in that role. Gonna watch The In-Laws this weekend to remember him by.
A one-minute slice of nostalgia for you all: the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie opening with the Henry Mancini theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaWuXHMrw…
He was great in Himmel ueber Berlin.
@ 4 – Yeah, Rockfish was the shizznit! Mr Garner is no spring chicken, either – I hope he’s feeling and doing well these days…
RIP Mr Falk. You will indeed be missed.
There was a scene in Wings of Desire where he was so compelling it almost made up taking up smoking. He was extolling simple pleasures in life, something like:
To smoke, and have coffee – and if you do it together, it’s fantastic.
Rest in peace.
I will also add “the brinks job” and “its a mad mad mad mad world” to the list.
Nothing beats Colombo though (and wings of desire)
@6 – He was also fantastic in A Woman Under the Influence, in case you haven’t seen it—recommended.
I only just saw Wings of Desire a few years ago, stumbling across it by chance and getting sucked in immediately—was really enjoying its odd, meditative first half when WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING HERE? He was good in that as well, but was probably the last actor I was expecting.
RIP dude.
Thank you, at @23. I watched that show every week (and groaned whenever it was McCloud).
Is that a theremin in the theme?
@29, I don’t think so–the glides are too smooth and the notes too accurate. Probably a synthesizer.
Funny, I wasn’t into McCloud at the time either, though Dennis Weaver was way green-and-granola long before it was cool, someone I now recognize I would have greatly enjoyed meeting. I was similarly indifferent to Rock Hudson in McMillan & Wife. I don’t think I ever saw an episode of Hec Ramsey.
Thanks to all who recommended all the movies with Peter Falk! Of those I had only seen Princess Bride; the others sound much better.