“A fresh thought in acting is when you know you are acting well.”
Peter Falk
Introduction
Slightly dishevelled with a much-worn raincoat and a constantly lit cigar is how we remember Peter Falk playing the part of Lieutenant Columbo—the LAPD cop who outfoxed every criminal he investigated. Placing them in a false sense of security and making them think that they had got away with the crime, knowing full well that they did it but taking the criminal on a merry dance before he finally reveals that they did it and giving a watertight case for their guilty verdict. Over ten seasons and 69 episodes with numerous specials and TV films, Falk made this character his trademark. A detective who always used a pause and a halting question to land his killer blows.
The Man Behind the Rain Mac
Peter Falk was a native New Yorker but was raised in Austin. Born in 1927, his parents worked in the family dry goods store. He dearly loved his father, Michael, and he described his mother, Madeline, as an “extraordinary woman” who would go to the Metropolitan Opera and go to both the afternoon and evening performances and compare them. She was devoted to opera and had great tastes that Peter’s father never understood. Born into a Jewish family, Peter had a tragic moment early on. At the age of three, the teacher noticed that Falk was cocking his head to one side. Medical tests showed that Peter had cancer in his eye, and they had no choice but to remove the eye to prevent the cancer from spreading. Until the age of six, he was sensitive to other children bullying him for his disability. However, after a while, the kids warmed to this kid with one eye.
Peter described his High School days as one of his happiest. He played sports. A straight-A student and President of his class, a half-arse athlete who turned to the stage at school. His calling came when a child got sick, so Peter was asked to replace him as president. Believe it or not, the part was a detective who appeared in the third act and solved the crime. A student who left Hamilton College and joined the Merchant Marines travelled to France to pick up some soldiers at the end of World War II. He was a third cook whose speciality was pork chops. That’s all he cooked.
However, a year on the sea was enough for Peter, so he returned to Hamilton College. Yet he wouldn’t be there for long as he returned to the Marines and signed up to go to Israel to join the attack on Egypt. The ship never sailed because the war ended, and he returned to Hamilton College to finish his studies. He then went to the University of Wisconsin but later transferred to The New School for Social Research in New York City. He studied Political Science and Literature but found that he could add credits to his degree by acting in plays. He accepted the offer and was offered a scholarship but declined, basing his decision on a fear of failure and starvation. He graduated and departed for Europe the next day. The reason is that he had a girlfriend there. He travelled to Paris briefly and then spent six months in Yugoslavia, where the Tito dictatorship ruled him. He then returned to enrol to do his Masters’ degree at Syracuse University. At Maxwell School, he received a Master of Public Administration degree. He wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of becoming a public administrator in a government department. He didn’t want to go working nine to five and briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a spy. He went to the CIA, and when interviewed, the person began to chuckle when reading his CV. Peter asked him why he was laughing. He explained that when Falk was in the Marines, he was a member of a Communist union, the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union. You also helped Tito build the railroad and attended the New School for Social Research. They automatically disqualify you from this job, and you won’t get a job in Washington.
He ended up in Hartford, working as an efficiency expert for the Department of the Budget. While there, he lied his way into an Eva Le Gallienne drama class, saying he was a professional actor. He was always late for classes as he had to drive from Hartford to Westport. One day, Eva questioned his lateness and asked what he had done in Hartford. He explained and admitted he wasn’t an actor. She said he should be and told him to sit down. He got up, drove back to his office and quit his job. A moment that turned him around. He didn’t believe anyone but believed Eva—a seismic epiphany.
A Columbia scout arranged a meeting with the Hollywood mogul Harry Cohen. At the meeting, Cohen expressed his concern about Falk’s deficiency. The meeting ended when Cohen explained that having one eye was a problem and that he could get another actor with two eyes for the same price.
The Turning Point
There comes a time in an actor’s career when you get a pivotal moment, and Peter’s was when he appeared in the 1960 film Murder, Inc., Playing the part of Abd Reles, a killer in a gang terrorised New York in the 1930s. It is a film based on a true story. Although the critics described the movie as “average”, Falk was singled out for his “amusingly vicious performance.” He would go on to star in films like The Secret of the Purple Reef, Pocketful of Miracles, Pressure Point, The Balcony, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Attack and Retreat, The Great Race, Penelope, Luv, Too Many Thieves, Anzio, Machine Gun McCain, Castle Keep, Murder by Death and his last film in 2009, American Cowslip.
Columbo
Many people only remember Peter as the star of Columbo. However, this was probably a walk in the park compared to all his other acting roles. His fresh thoughts came into action in this part. Just looking at the suspect’s skin, he could imagine the makeup of this fictitious character. That’s how he played it so well and for so long. Columbo played the fool, but he was a genius at heart. The battered car and appearance were a ruse for a man who appreciated the finer things in life and dearly loved his wife despite loving his job more than his home. He knew about fine wines and the arts. He could get into someone’s head and mangle their thoughts. A perfectionist who was a human sniffer dog who left no stone unturned and wasn’t happy until he reached a satisfactory outcome. A stroke of brilliance that few actors have repeated.
Marriage
Falk was married twice. His first wife was Alyce Mayo, who he married in 1960 and divorced in 1976. His second was the love of his life, the soul mate Shera Danese, who he married in 1977 and remained with Peter until he died in 2011. The pair were inseparable and met on the set of Mickey and Nicky. They were married for 33 years and remained deeply in love despite a significant age gap until the end. Shera is also an actress and appeared in Columbo. She nursed her husband during his battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. A devoted wife is mentioned on Falk’s headstone with the words “I’m not here. I’m home with Shera.”
