Falk, Peter 1927- (Peter Michael Falk)

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Falk, Peter 1927- (Peter Michael Falk)

PERSONAL:

Born September 16, 1927, in New York, NY; son of Michael (a clothing and dry goods store owner) and Madeline (a clothing and dry goods store owner, accountant, and buyer) Falk; married Alice Mayo (a pianist), April 17, 1960 (divorced, 1976); married Shera Lynn Danese (an actress and comic), December, 1977; children (first marriage): Catherine, Jackie. Education: Attended Hamilton College, Clinton, NY; New School for Social Research, New York, NY, B.A., 1951; Syracuse University, M.A., 1953.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Beverly Hills, CA.

CAREER:

Writer, actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and artist. Worked as a management analyst for the Connecticut State Budget Bureau.

Actor in films, including Wind across the Everglades, Warner Bros., 1958; The Bloody Brood, Key, 1959; Murder, Inc., Twentieth Century-Fox, 1960; The Secret of the Purple Reef, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1960; Pretty Boy Floyd, Continental, 1960; Pocketful of Miracles, United Artists, 1961; Pressure Point, United Artists, 1962; Beach Party, 1963; The Balcony, Continental, 1963; It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, United Artists, 1963; Robin and the Seven Hoods, Warner Bros., 1964; Italiani brava-gente (also known as Attack and Retreat), Embassy, 1965; The Great Race, Warner Bros., 1965; Penelope, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966; Luv, Columbia, 1967; Too Many Thieves, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968; Anzio, Columbia, 1968; Castle Keep, Columbia, 1969; Husbands, Columbia, 1970; Machine Gun McCain, Columbia, 1970; Operation Snafu, 1970; The Politics Film, 1972; A Woman under the Influence, Faces International, 1974; Mikey and Nicky, Paramount, 1976; Murder by Death, Columbia, 1976; Opening Night, Faces International, 1977; The Brink's Job, Universal, 1978; The Cheap Detective, Columbia, 1978; The In-Laws, Warner Bros., 1979; All the Marbles, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1981; The Great Muppet Caper, Universal, 1981; Big Trouble, Columbia, 1984; Wings of Desire, Road Movies, 1987; Happy New Year, Columbia, 1987; The Princess Bride, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1987; Vibes, Columbia, 1988; Cookie, Warner Bros., 1989; In The Spirit, Castle Hill, 1990; Tune in Tomorrow …, Cinecom, 1990; Motion and Emotion, 1990; The Player, Fine Line, 1992; Faraway, So Close, Tobis Filmkunst, 1993; Cops 'n' Roberts, 1995; Anything for John, 1995; Roommates, Buena Vista, 1995; Enemies of Laughter, Eternity Pictures, 2000; Lakeboat, Cowboy Booking International, 2000; Three Days of Rain, Cassian Elwes, 2000; Hubert's Brain, 2001; Made, Artisan Entertainment, 2001; Corky Romano, Buena Vista, 2001; Undisputed, Miramax, 2002; Shark Tale, DreamWorks Animation, 2004; The Thing about My Folks, Nuance Productions, 2005; Retirement, 2006; and Checking Out, Full Circle Studios, 2006.

Actor in original Colombo television series, 1971-78, and in numerous original motion pictures featuring the character of police lieutenant Colombo, including Columbo: Prescription Murder, NBC, 1968; Columbo: Ransom for a Dead Man, NBC, 1971; Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine, 1989; Columbo: Murder, Smoke & Shadows, 1989; Columbo: Sex andthe Married Detective, 1989; Columbo: Murder—A Self-Portrait, 1989; Columbo: Grand Deceptions, 1989; "Plates," B.L. Stryker: ABC Saturday Mystery, ABC, 1990; Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf, 1990; Columbo: Agenda for Murder, 1990; Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo, 1990; Columbo: Uneasy Lies the Crown, 1990; Columbo: Murder in Malibu, 1990; Columbo: Columbo Goes to College, 1990; Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star, 1991; Columbo: Caution! Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health, 1991; Columbo: Death Hits the Jackpot, 1991; Columbo: A Bird in the Hand, 1992; Columbo: No Time to Die, 1992; Columbo: It's All in the Game, 1993; Columbo: Butterfly in Shades of Grey, 1994; Columbo: Undercover, 1994; Columbo: Strange Bedfellows, 1995; Columbo: A Trace of Murder, 1997; Columbo: Ashes to Ashes, ABC, 1998; Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes, ABC, 1999; Columbo: The Man Who Murdered Himself, 2002; and Columbo Likes the Nightlife, ABC, 2003.

Actor in television films, including The Sacco-Venzetti Story, NBC, 1960; Cry Vengeance, NBC, 1961; The Million Dollar Incident, CBS, 1961; Brigadoon, ABC, 1966; A Hatful of Rain, ABC, 1968; A Step Out of Line, CBS, 1971; Griffin and Phoenix: A Love Story, ABC, 1976; Pronto, Showtime, 1996; The Sunshine Boys, CBS, 1997; Frank Capra's American Dream, 1997; Vig, Cinemax, 1998; A Storm in Summer, Showtime, 2000; A Town without Christmas, CBS, 2001; The Lost World, BBC Television and Arts and Entertainment Network, 2001; Wilder Days, TNT, 2003; Finding John Christmas, CBS, 2003; and When Angels Come to Town, CBS, 2004.

Actor in episodic television programs, including Rendezvous, ABC, 1952; Have Gun—Will Travel, CBS, 1957; "Return Visit," Robert Montgomery Presents, NBC, 1957; "The Mother Bit," Studio One, CBS, 1957; "Rudy," Studio One, CBS, 1957; "Lady Bug, Lady Bug," Naked City, ABC, 1958; "Blind Spot," Brenner, CBS, 1959; "The Power and the Glory," Play of the Week, syndicated, 1959; "The Comeback," Decoy, 1959; "The Emperor's Clothes," Play of the Week, syndicated, 1960; "A Death of Princes," Naked City, ABC, 1960; "Underworld Bank," The Untouchables, ABC, 1960; "Hostage Island," The Islanders, ABC, 1960; "The Poker Friend," Have Gun—Will Travel, CBS, 1960; "Kid Twist," Witness, CBS, 1960; "Cold Turkey," The Law and Mr. Jones, ABC, 1961; "The Double Adventure," The Aquanauts, CBS, 1961; "The Jeremiah Adventure," The Aquanauts, 1961; "Gratitude," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC, 1961; "A Very Cautious Boy," Naked City, ABC, 1961; "The Assassin," Barbara Stanwyck Theatre, NBC, 1961; "The Million Dollar Dump," Target: The Corruptors, ABC, 1961; "The Trouble Shooter," The Untouchables, ABC, 1961; "The Mirror," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1961; "Bonfire," The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, NBC, 1962; "Cross the Little Line," The New Breed, ABC, 1962; "The Price of Tomatoes," Dick Powell Show, NBC, 1962; "The Pigeon," The 87th Precinct, NBC, 1962; "Lament for a Dead Indian," Naked City, ABC, 1962; "A Sound of Hunting," DuPont Show of the Week, NBC, 1962; "Rage of Silence," Dick Powell Show, NBC, 1963; "The Balance and the Crucible," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1963; "The Gus Morgan Story," Wagon Train, ABC, 1963; "Four Kings," Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre, NBC, 1963; "Ambassador at Large," DuPont Show of the Week, NBC, 1964; "For Jimmy, the Best of Everything," Ben Casey, ABC, 1964; "Courage at 3:00 A.M.," Ben Casey, 1964; "Perilous Times," Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre, NBC, 1965; The Trials of O'Brien (star of series), CBS, 1965-66; "Dear Deductible," Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre, NBC, 1966; "A Sister from Napoli," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1971; "The Robbery at Diamond Dog Diner," Reading Rainbow, 1988; "Out of the Loop," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1992; "Peter Falk: Just One More Thing," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2000; From Where I Sit, CBS, 2000; Dinner for Five, IFC, 2001; "Hollywood: L.A. Special," Seitenblicke, 2002; "Wetten, dass …? aus Berlin," Wetten, dass …?, 2003; also appeared on Alcoa Theatre, Kraft Mystery Theatre, and Sunday Showcase, all on NBC; The Danny Kaye Show, Love of Life, Password, and Sports Spectacular, all on CBS; Dateline: Hollywood, The Edie Adams Show, This Proud Land, Wagon Train, and The Young Set, all on ABC; Hollywood Showcase and Stump the Stars, syndicated; Armstrong Circle Theatre; Omnibus; American Cinema, PBS; Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo; Dean Martin Celebrity Roast; The View, Late Night with David Letterman, and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

Actor in stage productions, including Don Juan (professional acting debut), Fourth Street Theatre, New York, NY, 1956; The Changeling, Barnard College, New York, NY, 1956; The Iceman Cometh, Circle in the Square, New York, NY, 1956; Saint Joan, Phoenix Theatre, New York, NY, 1956; Diary of a Scoundrel, Phoenix Theatre, 1956; The Lady's Not for Burning, Carnegie Hall Playhouse, New York, NY, 1957; PurpleDust, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York, NY, 1957; Bonds of Interest, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New York, NY, 1958; Comic Strip, Barbizon Plaza Theatre, New York, NY, 1958; The Passion of Josef D., Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, NY, 1964; The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY, 1971; The Disappearance of the Jews, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1983; Glengarry Glen Ross, national tour, 1985; Light Up the Sky, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1987; Mr. Peter's Connections, Signature Theater, New York, 1998; and Defiled, Geffen Playhouse, Hollywood, CA, 2000.

Director, executive producer, and coexecutive producer of television films, including director, Columbo: Blueprint for Murder, 1972; (uncredited) director, Columbo: Etude in Black, 1972; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Murder, Smoke & Shadows, 1989; executive producer, Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine, 1989; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective, 1989; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Grand Deceptions, 1989; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Murder, a Self Portrait, 1989; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf, 1990; executive producer and coproducer, Columbo: Uneasy Lies the Crown, 1990; executive producer and coproducer, Columbo: Murder in Malibu, 1990; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Agenda for Murder, 1990; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo, 1990; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Columbo Goes to College, 1990; coexecutive producer, Columbo: Caution! Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health, 1991; executive producer, Murder of a Rock Star, 1991; executive producer, Columbo: Death Hits the Jackpot, 1991; executive producer, Columbo: No Time to Die, 1992; executive producer, Columbo: A Bird in the Hand, 1992; executive producer, Columbo: It's All in the Game, 1993; producer, Columbo: Butterfly in Shades of Grey, 1994; executive producer, Columbo: Undercover, 1994; executive producer, Columbo: Strange Bedfellows, 1995; executive producer, Columbo: A Trace of Murder, 1997; executive producer and director, Columbo: Ashes to Ashes, ABC, 1998; executive producer, Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes, 2001; executive producer, Columbo: The Man Who Murdered Himself, 2002; and executive producer, Columbo Likes the Nightlife, ABC, 2003.

Author of screenplay for television movie Columbo: It's All in the Game, 1993. Military service: Served as a cook in the U.S. Merchant Marine, 1945-46.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Oscar Award nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, 1960, for Murder, Inc. and 1961, for A Pocketful of Miracles; Emmy Award nomination, 1960, for The Law and Mr. Jones, Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor, 1973, for NBC Mystery Movie and "Columbo" series, Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series, 1974, for NBC Mystery Movie and "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1977, for NBC Mystery Movie and "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1971, for NBC Mystery Movie and "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1991, for Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1994, for Columbo: It's All in the Game; Emmy Award, 1961, for "The Price of Tomatoes," Dick Powell Show, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1972, for NBC Mystery Movie and "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1975, for "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1976, for "Columbo" series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1990, for Columbo: Agenda for Murder, Daytime Emmy Award nomination, Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special, 2001, for A Storm in Summer; Golden Globe nomination, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1972, for "Columbo" series, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1974, for "Columbo" series, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1975, for "Columbo" series, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1976, for "Columbo" series, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1978, for "Columbo" series, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series—Drama, 1991, for "Columbo" series, Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV, 1992, for Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star, Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV, 1994, for Columbo: It's All in the Game; Golden Globe Award, Best TV Actor—Drama, 1973, for "Columbo" series; TP De Oro Award, Spain, Best Foreign Actor, 1978, for "Columbo" series Best Foreign Actor, 1975, for "Columbo" series; Golden Laurel Award, Top Male New Personality, 1962; Golden Apple Award, Male Star of the Year, 1972; Man of the Year Award, Hasty Pudding Theatricals, USA, 1974; Lifetime Achievement Award, Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, 2000; Lifetime Achievement Award, Method Fest Independent Film Festival, 2003; Lifetime Achievement Award, David di Donatello Awards, Italy, 2004; Lifetime Achievement Award, Florida Film Festival, 2005; Legend Award, Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA), 2006.

WRITINGS:

Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life (memoir), Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Renowned stage, film, and television actor Peter Falk began his five-decade professional acting career in a 1956 stage production of Don Juan. Since then, he has appeared in hundreds of motion pictures, television programs, and stage plays, to the enjoyment of generations of viewers. Born in New York, NY, in 1927 and raised in Ossining, NY, Falk showed early interest in performing, starting at age twelve in a summer camp production of the Pirates of Penzance. He once worked as a government official with the State of Connecticut, but even then he continued to act and perform with theater groups. In 1956, at the age of twenty-nine, Falk abandoned his government position and moved to New York, where he quickly became a working actor. Warned that his glass eye would hinder his prospects as an actor (his right eye had been removed at age three due to a malignant tumor), Falk persevered and became a successful and sought-after performer. He was nominated for an Oscar Award for his first two films, Murder, Inc. in 1960 and A Pocketful of Miracles in 1961. He also gained his first Emmy Award in 1961 for his work in the feature "The Price of Tomatoes" on the television program The Dick Powell Playhouse. His performing oeuvre quickly expanded to encompass all the major acting venues of stage, screen, and television. Among his notable roles have been the gruff but loving grandfather who narrated the story in the movie The Princess Bride. Falk is also an accomplished artist.

Falk is perhaps best known, however, for his recurring role as Lieutenant Columbo, the rumpled police inspector in the signature tattered trenchcoat, whose apparent bumbling manner conceals a brilliant investigative mind. Columbo's famous line "Just one more thing," uttered during interviews and investigations, usually signaled a particularly penetrating observation or a keenly incisive question for the subject of the interview. The character of Columbo originated in 1971 as one of the rotating features on the NBC Mystery Movie, sharing alternating weekly airtime with other popular mystery and police features such as McCloud and Macmillan and Wife. Since then, Columbo has appeared in more than seventy television films, and Falk has received four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the scruffy but tenacious detective.

In Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life, Falk provides a wide-ranging account of his personal and professional career, covering his youth and upbringing, his work with film icons such as John Cassavetes, and his lengthy stint as Lieutenant Columbo. A Kirkus Reviews reviewer noted that Falk's fame and personality are so well known that "it's impossible to read any of this whimsical autobiography's many bite-size chapters" without hearing his distinctive voice, but that provides the book's "principal source of charm" as Falk provides a "no-big-deal account of the various jobs and colleagues that have marked [his] haphazard path." Library Journal reviewer Barbara Kundanis called Falk's memoir "a light, easy read for all of you Falk fans and a unique item for performing arts collections."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, Volume 50, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Falk, Peter, Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life (memoir), Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2006.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 2000.

PERIODICALS

Daily Variety, January 31, 2005, Justin Chang, "Peter Falk," profile of Peter Falk, p. 6; November 14, 2005, Robert Hofler, "Family Cast Album: Playwrights and Actors Look Back at a Decade of Theater," p. A3.

Esquire, October, 2004, Stephen Garrett, "Q&A: Peter Falk," interview with Peter Falk, p. 88.

Hollywood Reporter, January 27, 2003, Cynthia Littleton, "Just One More Thing: Falk Stays in Character," profile of Peter Falk, p. 8; November 23, 2004, Steve Brennan, "‘Columbo’ Still Sits on Top of the World," profile of Peter Falk, p. 1.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2006, review of Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life, p. 818.

Library Journal, October 1, 2006, Barbara Kundanis, review of Just One More Thing, p. 75.

New York Times, November 29, 1990, G. Colling, "Falk's Career Strategy: Who Needs a Strategy?"

People, December 16, 1991, Tim Allis and Robin Mitchell, "A Wrinkle in Time," profile of Peter Falk, p. 105.

PR Newswire, May 9, 2006, "Peter Falk to Receive Legend Award at VSDA's Home Entertainment 2006."

Rolling Stone, March 9, 1989, Paul Simms, "Back in the Raincoat Again."

TV Guide, December 12, 1991, Michael Leahy, "Raincoat Man."

UPI Newstrack, March 5, 2006, "Falk Considering ‘Columbo’ Film."

Video Business, May 15, 2006, "VSDA Will Present Its Legend Award to Peter Falk," p. 35.