Biography
Peter Michael Falka name is excellent familiar to fans of the American series "Colombo", in which the actor for 24 years performed the role of an insightful detective from the Los Angeles Police Investigation Department. Having lived a long and striking life, he left behind the colossal kinonastie - on the account of Peter Falk 109 films and TV shows.Childhood and youth
The actor was born on September 16, 1927 in New York, and grew up in Osining, the city, known thanks to the prison in him, a particularly strict Sing Cing regime. His parents Maiden Hokgauz and Michael Falk were Jews. From them, Peter inherited Russian, Hungarian, Czech and Polish roots. In the US, the Falk family immigrated in the early 1890s - Mother and Father Michael, Ida and Louis, moved from the Russian Empire. Peter's parents worked in a haberdashery store and did not experience difficulties even at the time of the Great Depression.
The first difficulties in the biography of the young Peter Falke occurred when he was only three years old: a teacher from kindergarten paid attention to that when the boy needs to look at something, he turns his head. Parents looked at the Son to the doctor. It turned out that the right eye struck the malignant tumor of the reinoboblastoma. It was impossible to cure her, and a small peiter removed the eyes. He began to wear a glass prosthesis. In an interview with the magazine Cigar Aficionado, Falk told:
"Perfect to wake up and discover in three years that you have only one eye. I remember how we stood with a mother of a shower of haberdasheys and chose a bandage. True, when I grew a little, I made a glass. In hot weather, he hurts solid torment. "The prosthesis became a kind of weapon against others. In the senior school of Ossiniga Peter Falk played baseball and basketball. During the next game, the boy was removed from the field, as he counted, unfairly. Then he took out his glass eye and threw them in the arbitrator with a cry "Try it!".
In school years, Falk first turned out to be on stage. At 12, during a holiday in the summer Jewish camp of Camp High Point, he played in the operetta Pirates Penzas Arthur Sullivan and William Gilbert. By the way, Peter's teacher in this camp was Ross Martin, at that time a novice actor and radio host. Later, they played together in the film "Large Racing" and in one of the "Colombo" series.
Peter's life Falc after school passed in constant wandering. So, in 1945 he entered the Hamilton College. At one desk with him, veterans who returned from the war were sitting, and the girls were not at all. They continued to help in hospitals in wounded soldiers. After a month of study, Falk tried to enter the service in the US Armed Forces, where he was denied due to the lack of an eye. As a result, he got a cook for a ship, where, as a later, the actor says in an interview, "no one worries, you are blind or not."
After a year and a half, in 1947, Falk returned from navigation and translated from College to the New York Research University The New School. In 1951, he received a bachelor's degree in literature and political science. Then he went to Yugoslavia, where for six months she worked on the railway.
In 1953, having studied the economy in Syracza University, Peter received a master's degree in humanitarian science degree in public administration. For two years, he worked as an analyst at the profession, at the same time engaged in the acting courses in New York.
And in the neighboring Westport, actor's lessons gave the French actress Eva Le Gallin. Despite the fact that the road at one end occupied two hours, Peter visited classes. Because of the loaded traffic, the beginning actor was constantly late, and ultimately Madame Galjnn threatened the Falilla deduction. A young man had to admire that he makes a long trip from New York daily and did not always time go on time. Plus he is an unprofessional actor.
"She sternly looked at me and chuckled:" You will be a professional. " This was enough, "said Peter in his interview.The next day, he filed an application for dismissal from an analytical firm.
Films
In 1956, at the age of 29, Peter Falk came to his future profession. Eva Gallene wrote a letter of recommendation to one of the theater agencies of New York, where he was told that he would not fall on the stage, nor on the TV because of his ailment: from the moment the Falk got acquired the habit of narrowing one eye. Nevertheless, he gives a small free role of Sganarel in Don Juan's "Don Juan". Then Peter becomes an artist Broadway, playing minor roles in detectives and melodramas.
In 1957, the actor first appears on television. For its role in the short film The Prince of Tomatoes in the transfer of The Dick Powell Show, he received the Emmy Prize.
The actor is starring in secondary roles. For the role of the murderer in the Milkudget Gangster film "The Killing Corporation" in 1961, he was put forward to the Oscar Award in the nomination "The best men's role of the second plan". He lose. A year later, he again missed this reward for the film "Handiculous Miracles." But he was presented with the "award of the best debutant" in the "Golden Globe".
The most memorable role of Peter Falk, thanks to which he learned about him the whole world, Lieutenant Colombo became the series of the same name. Initially, the actor stubbornly refused to this image, because he did not imagine how every week it can appear on the screen and do not bother the audience with their own stories. But the simplicity and intimacy of a detective to ordinary people in the end was bribed Falk.
"People still ask me: why did this show so successful? Still, thirty years are not a joke. I think because of the character of Colombo. People like people like them. And at the same time, people like heroes. The police lieutenant connects both "," said American.Indeed, Colombo - the hero, close to Sherlock Holmes, and yet neither a drop on it is not similar. Lieutenant is more grounded: he carries the old raincoat, falling asleep suspects with the form of naive questions and complains of his wife. Colombo more humane character, simple, but no less insightful and observant.
With the TV series "Colombo", Peter Falk spent 24 years. During this time, it was possible to remove 69 episodes. Series "Colombo: Murder Plan" and "Colombo: Etude in Black" Actor has seated independently. This project brought the Americans five awards - four "Emmy" and one "Golden Globe".
Personal life
With his first wife, Alice Mayo Peter Falk met while studying at the University of Syracuse. They played the wedding on April 17, 1960. They have two children - the adoptive daughters of Catherine and Jackie. In 1976, Peter and Alice divorced, but remained in friendly relations.
On December 7, 1977, Falk marries actress Shird Deniz. Together with his spouse, she played in several episodes "Colombo."
Death
In 2008, Peter Falke's health deteriorated significantly. In April, Paparazzi captured it in the photo - the collected, unclearly dressed, walking through the streets of Beverly Hills. In December, rumors about the senile dementia of the actor are confirmed, and he is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
After the lawsuit on guardianship over the incapable Falc, one of the doctors said that the first signs of Dementia appeared in 2007, after a number of dental operations.
Over time, the famous actor became worse, he forgot his role in Colombo and did not recognize his daughters.
He died in the evening on June 23, 2011, in his house in Beverly Hills, on 84 years of life. The certificate indicates that the cause of death was pneumonia and the progressive disease of Alzheimer.
The funeral was held at the Westwood Cemetery in the family circle. The grave was installed on the gravestone with engraving "I am not here. I am at home with shio. "
Filmography
- 1959 - "Bloody brood"
- 1960 - "Corporation" Murder "
- 1961 - "Handicraft of Miracles"
- 1962 - "Pressure Point"
- 1963 - "Balcony"
- 1965 - "Great Racing"
- 1968 - "Battle of Anzio"
- 1968-2003 - "Colombo"
- 1970 - "Husband"
- 1985 - "Big trouble"
- 1986 - "Happy New Year" »
- 1989 - "Bun"
- 1995 - "Neighbors on the room"
- 2000 - "Boat"
- 2007 - "Three days to Vegas"