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You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Movies / You don’t have to call me lieutenant

You don’t have to call me lieutenant

by DougJ|  June 24, 20115:36 pm| 52 Comments

This post is in: Movies

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I didn’t watch Columbo much, but I really dug The In Laws, especially this scene.

Peter Falk RIP.

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Reader Interactions

52Comments

  1. 1.

    stuckinred

    June 24, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    The Price of Tomatoes won him and Emmy. There was one copy on Amazon and it’s listed for $599! He was also great in Murder Inc.

  2. 2.

    abo gato

    June 24, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    Don’t forget the grand dad in The Princess Bride!

  3. 3.

    j low

    June 24, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    Wings of Desire. Woman Under the Influence. He was the best.

  4. 4.

    Hawes

    June 24, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    I remember “Serpentine, Shell!”

    “Oh, just one more thing…”

    “As you wish…”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kxYApOPnW8

  5. 5.

    srv

    June 24, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    Loved him and Arkin together.

  6. 6.

    Captain Goto

    June 24, 2011 at 5:52 pm

    Somehow I feel like I need a cigar…and I don’t even smoke.

    “Ahh–one more thing…”…

  7. 7.

    Hawes

    June 24, 2011 at 5:52 pm

    Here he is in Wings of Desire:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9sAqpA88yI

    For some reason there are some clips from The Saint in there.

  8. 8.

    Mike Kay (The Base)

    June 24, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    ALL-TIME-GREAT-COMEDY

    Especially the General Garcia character.

  9. 9.

    Angelia

    June 24, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    Just watched a video of “Columbo” with my boys, in rememberance.

  10. 10.

    Corner Stone

    June 24, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    “The Cheap Detective”
    Anyone?

    The dude was money.

  11. 11.

    ruemara

    June 24, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    I adored him in Columbo. As a kid, I loved mystery shows, the old reruns of things like Rockford and Columbo and M.A.S.H. Seriously, Dick Cheney is just standing around and you have to take Peter Falk?

  12. 12.

    Hawes

    June 24, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    Murder By Death

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CrSQ_aQfRI&feature=related

  13. 13.

    kth

    June 24, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    Not just Columbo, but all of those NBC Mystery Movies–McCloud, McMillan–were pretty good. But mainly the Times obit reminds me about Wings Of Desire, a truly wonderful film which all of you who haven’t already seen it should add to your Netflix queues right this very minute.

    /james lipton

  14. 14.

    Cat Lady

    June 24, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Husbands with John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, and Falk. My kind of men – dark and handsome, the Don Draper type.

    Which leads me to sort of OT – who would play Whitey in the Whitey Bulger story? I say Ed Harris, and Virginia Madsen as the moll.

  15. 15.

    Linnaeus

    June 24, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    My mom loved those late 60s through 1970s mystery shows, so when they went into syndication, I watched a lot of the reruns with her. Columbo was one of her favorites.

  16. 16.

    Joseph Nobles

    June 24, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    Dick Cheney doesn’t have an actual heartbeat anymore. Give God some credit for trying.

  17. 17.

    sweaver

    June 24, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    Man. Sad to see Peter go. Though he’s been suffering for some time with dementia, so it’s a death you can sort of be glad about for his family’s sake. I re-watched all of the Columbo episodes with my teen daughter several months ago, he was really great. RIP.

  18. 18.

    General Stuck

    June 24, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    loved Columbo, and watched it when I was able to sit still for more than 5 minutes at the time. Columbo was a space cadet cop, and since I was a space cadet hippy, we were broadcasting and receiving on the same frequency. I loved when he scratched his head in apparent bewilderment, followed by a Perry Mason Moment question that destroyed his adversary. RIP MR. Falk.

  19. 19.

    dollared

    June 24, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    In-Laws: I loved the picture of him and Jack Kennedy: “Well, at least we tried.”

    And young Peter Falk with the Rat Pack in Robin and the 7 Hoods.

  20. 20.

    UncertaintyVicePrincipal

    June 24, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a minute saying “Oh, there’s one thing I forgot….” before leaving again for real, I’m pretty sure.

    Here’s a drawing he did.

  21. 21.

    dollared

    June 24, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    And let me just say that I’m glad he didn’t wind up hanging around with aging golddiggers and then accidentally shooting one to death like Baretta did.

  22. 22.

    mark f

    June 24, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    From Made:

    Vince Vaughn: I don’t understand why you’re always picking on me, Max . . .

    Peter Falk: Because you LOST my FUCKIN’ CARPET CLEANING VAN, and I don’t like you. You cock sucker!

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    June 24, 2011 at 6:46 pm

    I used to watch Columbo with my dad, so there are fond memories there. Definitely count me in the McCloud, McMillan, etc crowd.

    Peter Falk, as you make your way to heaven, remember the serpentine approach. You don’t want the devil to be able to catch you on your way to heaven.

    OT, my day started with my usual early morning swim, and I saw this message in front of a church as I was driving home:

    Free to love.
    Free to serve.

    That’s all it said. My first though was “huh?” and then I caught the reerence. And this was not one of the well-known liberal churches, either. I took that as a very good sign!

  24. 24.

    stuckinred

    June 24, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    Academy Award nomination for Murder Inc.

    He also won an Emmy for the Price of Tomatoes. Check out the price of this VHS!

  25. 25.

    Boudica

    June 24, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    omg, I can still remember my mother in tears of laughter over that Serpentine scene. Thanks!

  26. 26.

    PurpleGirl

    June 24, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    Falk as the grandfather in The Princess Bride was so perfect… He was such a good actor.

  27. 27.

    Davis X. Machina

    June 24, 2011 at 7:11 pm

    Falk as the grandfather in The Princess Bride was so perfect… He was such a good actor.

    Something tells me there, at least, he wasn’t acting at all.

  28. 28.

    aliasofwestgate

    June 24, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    Yes, i remember his narration so vividly in The Princess Bride. I vaguely remember Columbo reruns but i wasn’t all that big on it. The Princess Bride though? Most Quotable film of my generation and then some. *grin* Also a favorite.

  29. 29.

    mellowjohn

    June 24, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    he was great in blake edwards’ “the great race” too.

  30. 30.

    bjacques

    June 24, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    The Columbo episode with Leonard Nimoy as a doctor who pushed his wife down the stairs.

    “What reason would I have for killing my wife?”

    Totally illogical.

  31. 31.

    Xenos

    June 24, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    Between ‘Princess Bride’ and ‘Wings of Desire’ there is not much to add here. Wonderful, wonderful. Columbo is still in syndication, both with in French and German, and as fresh as when it first came out.

    What a fallen world, now we no longer have Falk here with us…

    Xenos +5, soon to be 10

  32. 32.

    Svensker

    June 24, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    I loved the picture of him and Jack Kennedy: “Well, at least we tried.”

    Such a great movie. “The ocean? It’s over the ocean to Scranton?”

    “Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!”

  33. 33.

    tworivers

    June 24, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    I always found Columbo kind of stressful viewing – all the squirming the villains had to do once Columbo started putting the screws to them.

    That being said, Falk was great in it, and there are definitely some great episodes

    My two favorites are “Murder by the Book” (directed by a very young Steven Spielberg) and “The Most Crucial Game” (which stars Dean Stockwell when he was still cool).

    He’s also great in Princess Bride (I can’t imagine that movie with any other actor in that part) and Wings of Desire.

  34. 34.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    June 24, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    Such a lovely man. We’ll miss you Mr. Falk.

  35. 35.

    handsmile

    June 24, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    I’m proud and pleased to be among a group of mourners for whom Mr. Falk’s work with Wim Wenders and John Cassevetes represents the hallmark of this superbly gifted actor.

    Culturally indelible as Detective Columbo, his talent could summon as well his tender portrayal in “The Princess Bride.”

    Many thanks for the citations from fellow commenters here.

  36. 36.

    CaseyL

    June 24, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    I teared up when I heard. There goes yet another icon of my life.

    Anywaym, here’s a line from very early in his career:

    “Leslie ran off with a small chicken??!!”

    Know where that one’s from?

  37. 37.

    DonkeyKong

    June 24, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    It was. I saw things… They have tsetse flies down there the size of eagles.

  38. 38.

    Rihilism

    June 24, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    What is/was always wonderful about yelling “Serpentine!” in all manner of difficult situations was having someone recognize the reference and laugh along.

    You were a brilliant and entertaining actor, Mr. Falk. RIP.

  39. 39.

    michael hall

    June 24, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    “Mosquitos so big they would fly away with the village children clutched in their beaks.”

  40. 40.

    James E. Powell

    June 24, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    @ cat lady

    I say Ed Harris, and Virginia Madsen as the moll.

    Hard as I try I cannot top those two choices.

  41. 41.

    mellowjohn

    June 24, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    CaseyL:
    see my post at #29. it was blake edwards’ “the great race.” also starred jack lemmon, tony curtis, and natalie wood. one of the best pie fights ever put on film!

  42. 42.

    stuckinred

    June 24, 2011 at 9:09 pm

    Just watched Murder Inc. Now I know why I have always had a little different feeling about Falk than Columbo fans. Fucker taught Keitel how to be crazy!

  43. 43.

    fourmorewars

    June 24, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    His driving in reverse down the freeway, calmly looking back and waving at the other cars to go around, was where I lost it in The In-Laws. Chase scene, very close if I remember to the ‘serpentine’ scene…what made it extra hilarious was, just before he decides to back up down the freeway, while Arkin is freaking (or catatonic, he did eventually just go limp), Falk sizes things up and says ‘ooooookay,’ like everything’s under control.

  44. 44.

    Bobby Thomson

    June 24, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Murder by Death FTW. The In Laws was good (though Gene Siskel gave it a half a star, RIP. I still remember Roger trying to coax him into a thumbs up – that was back when they were on Sneak Previews on PBS.).

    The reason Columbo did the shtick with holding his head was to give Falk an excuse to look at the floor and see where his mark was. (One eye.)

  45. 45.

    Linda

    June 24, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    Wings of Desire–what a wonderful performance. I love movies that surprise me, and Peter Falk as himself (and a fallen angel) was one of the nicest surprises I ever saw.

    RIP, Peter.

    And, ruemara, I heartily agree.

  46. 46.

    J

    June 24, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    I loved the In Laws, as did my dad and the rest of the family (I notice a lot of fathers mentioned above). Someone mentions the Cassavetes’ film Husbands. It was terrific, with a terrific Peter Falk performance. But ‘A woman under the influence (with Gena Rowlands) shouldn’t be overlooked. I don’t think anyone who’s seen it is likely to forget the scene in which the Peter Falk character gives the children too much to drink.

  47. 47.

    Origuy

    June 24, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    I can’t think about Falk without thinking about Kevin Pollak’s impersonation of him. He explained to Johnny Carson how he moves only one eye when he did it, switching between crossing his eyes and looking to one side.
    A great loss.

  48. 48.

    zmullls

    June 24, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    We also watched a Columbo episode tonight, me and my boys. They really love the clever writing. We watched one of the Jack Cassidy ones, where he’s the magician.

    Our other favorite Peter Falk role was as Joyboy in Pocketful of Miracles, directed by Frank Capra, based on Damon Runyon stories. (His other Oscar nomination).

  49. 49.

    (another) Josh

    June 24, 2011 at 11:28 pm

    Any other fans of his performance in Tune in Tomorrow (movie of Vargas Llosa’s Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter)? “Life is a shitstorm. And when it’s raining shit, your best umbrella is art.”

  50. 50.

    Exurban Mom

    June 24, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    Coincidentally, my kid and I just watched The Princess Bride today. So sorry to hear this news, he will be missed.

  51. 51.

    Dollared

    June 25, 2011 at 12:12 am

    *sniff* You guys are making me want to call Alan Arkin and tell him I love him before something bad happens to him, too.

  52. 52.

    jcgrim

    June 25, 2011 at 9:21 am

    The In-Laws is one of my Top 10 favorite movies. Falk and Arkin are flawless together. Who can forget Falk’s cockamamie story about giant flies carrying off small children, General Garcia greeting the 2 with his lipsticked talking fist, and the execution squad singing show tunes?

    I’ll miss Peter Falk’s talent.

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