obituaries
Obituaries from page 57
'Just One More Thing'
A
ctor Peter Falk, a four-time
Emmy winner as the rumpled
TV detective on Columbo who
also won acclaim as an actor in indie
films by John Cassavetes and others, died
at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., on
June 23 at 84.
Falk's portrayal of Lt. Frank Columbo
was lauded by critics both during the
series' heyday in the 1970s (it ran period-
ically in the form of made-for-TV movies
until 2003) and in the wake of his death.
"He invested the shabby, preoccupied
detective with so much credibility that
the show became one of the most suc-
cessful detective series in the United
States," one critic wrote.
"Few actors were as linked to one role
for so long as Mr. Falk, whose cockeyed
glare from a glass right eye and slightly
disheveled appearance hid a compelling
intelligence he brought to the part:' wrote
another.
Falk received the ultimate pop-culture
encomium of the day in 1973 when
Time magazine put him on its cover.
Describing what are now iconic Columbo
traits — the rumpled coat, stub of a
cigar and slow turn before leaving an
interview with a suspect to say "Just one
more thing:' Time said, "Such antics have
made Columbo conceivably the most
influential, probably the best and cer-
tainly the most endearing cop on TV."
Falk's nearly 50-year career in films,
stage and TV pre- and post-dated
Columbo. He received a best supporting
actor nomination in 1960 for his role as
Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, the vicious real-
life gangster, in the film Murder, Inc.,
about the largely Jewish New York gang.
New York Times film critic of the day,
Bosley Crowther, dismissed the movie as
an average gangster film," but singled
out Falk's "amusingly vicious perfor-
mance.
In 1968, Falk played another Jewish
ne'er-do-well in the World War II flick
Anzio. Critics vary on the film itself, but
Falk's performance as Cpl. Jack Rabinoff,
"
based on a real Jewish soldier who ran a
brothel in occupied Italy, also stood out.
Falk himself apparently had a lot of say
in creating the character. Producer Dino _
De Laurentiis sought to keep Falk in the
film and gave him billing above the title,
and Falk himself eventually wrote the
character's lines.
In later years, along with the occa-
sional Columbo TV film, Falk acted in a
number of films as an overtly or covertly
Jewish character, including The Princess
Bride, a 1996 TV remake of The Sunshine
Boys; Checking Out, as a famed Jewish
stage actor who gathers his whole family
to say goodbye before he commits sui-
cide; and as the voice of flatulent gang-
ster shark Don Feinberg in the animated
Shark Tale.
Falk's road to Hollywood prominence
was different from most. He grew up in
Ossining, N.Y., in the shadow of Sing
Sing prison. His right eye was removed
at age 3 because of cancer, and his glass
eye provided him with a unique perspec-
tive and look. The glass eye kept him out
of the military during World War II, but
he served in the Merchant Marine. Falk's
first role was as Rocky the bartender in a
1956 production of Eugene O'Neill's The
Iceman Cometh.
After publishing his autobiography Just
One More Thing, Falk underwent serious
dental surgery and slipped into dementia
and Alzheimer's disease. He was a ward
of his daughter when he died. I I
EASIER AND CLOSER FOR YOU
a
Because The Ira Kaufman Chapel has been in the same place
for so many years, we are asked if we plan to stay.
The answer: "We're focused on improving, not moving."
""
•
While we are closer to the "Old Neighborhood" the facts
show we are more convenient for the entire community.
We did the math. Looking at the 10 most commonly used
Jewish cemeteries in the Metro area, we are twice as close
than another chapel often described as "convenient." On
average, we are just six miles away.
Our Chapel is also easily accessible from all major freeways,
with ample parking, as well as five entrances and exits.
Understanding that location is important, we maintain one
that continues to meet this community's needs.
THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL
Bringing 'rogetht r Family, Faith & Community
18325 W. 9 Mile Rd Southfield, MI 48075 • 248.569.0020 • IraKaufman.com
58 June 30 . 2011
Obituaries
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