To millions, he will always be the rumpled detective, Columbo, but Peter Falk was much more than that.
Falk had also appeared in films such as "Pocketful of Miracles", "All the Marbles", and "Robin & the 7 Hoods", the latter with Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis, Jr., among others. Falk passed away earlier today at the age of 83, having long since retired from acting.
To show that he could play his iconic alter-ego for laughs, Falk would appear as Columbo on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, especially when the guest of honor was his good friend, Sinatra, as shown in this clip:
Columbo became enough of an icon such that when Telly Savalas was the honoree on the Celebrity Roast, radio & cartoon legend Casey Kasem, dressed up as Columbo, did a skit portraying Savalas' #1 fan. I have that clip over at my other blog, Saturday Morning Archives. Now, I'm not entirely certain if this was because Falk was unavailable, or it was something else altogether. Regrettably, that mystery may never be solved.
Rest in peace, Peter.
I rather liked him in his role as grandfather/narrator of "The Princess Bride".
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how I've never seen "Princess Bride" in full, I can't comment.
ReplyDeleteI have seen him with Sinatra in Robin & the 7 Hoods, though. That was a classic.