PETER FALK - JUST ONE MORE THING?

I am sure that you have heard in the news recently, about the tragic death of character actor, Peter Falk. What a bloody stinking piece of news that was, huh? I remember growing up and watching Peter week after week on the Colombo television series - every Saturday morning it was.  I'd park my butt in-front of the old goggle box, and just wait for him to catch the killer.





It was a fairly formulaic program in retrospect. A celebrity guest-star would kill someone at the beginning of the show -  Colombo would turn up - trail the guest-star till the end of the show - and then unveil him / her before the end credits roll.

Now why did I like this show if it was so formulaic, huh? As lets face it, the suspense angle was gone from the start - as you knew Colombo would get the crook by the end of it! Well, simple really - I liked the show because of Peter. He had that personable way about him and his character, which was just captivating to watch. You know the type of stuff: complaining about his wife - his dodgy looking car - his scruffy appearance - and the forgetful nature of his being, all of these things making me warm up to Peter - as he reminded me of avuncular figure - looking over me if I ever needed help.

Granted, I know that Peter was not Columbo - he was an actor  - a good actor of Russian / Polish ancestry - with an ex-wife - a current-wife - two kids - and cancer in the eye (thus the tick). He starred on stage - screen (both big and small) - and was even an avid chess player and artist too. Shame that he is gone now - a right bloody shame. But he was suffering from dementia - and I am sure that nobody would ever want to see him suffer. Personally speaking, I would like to remember Peter for how he lived - as Columbo - as an actor - as a after-dinner speaker. Here, have a look at this 1977 clip from the Frank Sinatra roast...

Bless you Peter - sorry for writing about you in the past tense mate - it does not sit well with me either. Now you will never be forgotten, you will always be remembered as that doddery police detective whom everybody loves. And people do love you Peter mate - always will - but... just one more thing?

How did you do it? How did you effortlessly make people warm up to you by presenting a common figure on screen? Or was that it? Was you being the common man, what we all wanted to see? And we always will...