COLUMBO legend PETER FALK dies at 83 after a lengthy bout with Alzheimer’s disease.
Falk, the beloved star of the long running detective series,has died at his Bverly Hills home, hs daughter Catherine confirmed. As The ENQUIRER first reported he had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's.
Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 6, 1927, in New York City and grew up in Ossining, N.Y.
At age 3, because of cancer, Falk had one eye removed.
"When something like that happens early," Falk told AP, "you learn to live with it. It became the joke of the neighborhood.
“If the umpire ruled me out on a bad call, I'd take the fake eye out and hand it to him."
Falk garnered two Oscar noms for "Murder, Inc." in 1960 and "Pocketful of Miracles” in 1961) and collected five Emmys – 4 for his work as Lt. Columbo.
An Off-Bway appearance in Eugene O’Neil’s "The Iceman Cometh" led to other Bway hits including Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" in 1971.
Falk made his film debut in 1958 with "Wind Across the Everglades"and established himself as a talented character actor with his performance as the vicious killer Abe Reles in "Murder, Inc."
Among his other movies: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Robin and the Seven Hoods," "The Great Race," "Luv," "Castle Keep," "The Cheap Detective," "The Brinks Job," "The In-Laws," AND "The Princess Bride."
Falk also worked with long time pal John Casevettes in a series of art house indies including the semi-improvisational films "Husbands" and "A Woman Under the Influence."
He also appeared in Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire."
Falk was also talented artist having studying at the Art Students League of New York.
The ENQUIRER first reported Falk’s health problems after a bizarre incident when he ran through the streets, seemingly unaware of who he was and what he was doing.
That incident later led to an ugly custody battle over the care of the TV legend between his wife and daughter. In 2009, a court put him under a conservatorship.
“Uh…wait-a- minute… just ONE more question…”
