Friday, June 24, 2011
The Passing of Peter Falk (1927-2011)
We here at In the Mouth of Dorkness are saddened by the loss of the great character actor, Peter Falk. Obviously, his most memorable role is as the iconic Detective Columbo, but he worked pretty steadily from the 50s up until just a couple years ago. People of my generation will also know him as The Grandfather in The Princess Bride who awakens young Fred Savage to the wonders of books.
Just recently, I saw him in the German film Wings of Desire, where he played a surreal version of himself. As often happened with Falk, I was immediately impressed with him and wanted to see more. I especially liked that he got a chance to show off his drawing skills in the film (something he was really into).
He certainly left his mark on both cinema and television. And he will be missed.
“Oh, there's just one more thing…”
If you haven't seen them yet, you should seek out the films Falk starred in for John Cassavettes - A Woman Under the Influence and Husbands. Brilliant films, and "Woman" is amazing for the disturbing portrayal given by Falk. Not at all the Columbo we knew and loved.
ReplyDelete-chris
Consider them NetFlixed. I've actually watched pretty much nothing from Cassavettes as a director. I keep meaning to change that, and this is my chance.
ReplyDelete-Matt