Push The Button, Max

[filkertom]

Again, great sadness. Peter Falk, a superb character actor who was featured in some our favorite movies, has passed away at the age of 84.

He's best known, of course, as Lt. Columbo. But would TV's Frank have ever pushed the button for Dr. Clayton Forrester without Professor Fate's henchman Max pushing it first? Would The Princess Bride be half so poignant without Grandpa reading the story to Fred Savage? Without him, would we only have A Mad, Mad, Mad World?

Thanks for the excellence, sir, and rest well.

Comments

[fair-witness.livejournal.com]

I've been braced for this day.

Poor, dear, wonderful man. If Wim Wnders is right and there really are angels out there, I hope they're like him. Battered trenchcoat and all.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Yes...so much this.

[vulpine137.livejournal.com]

Sadness :(

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

He was such a great driver, it's incomprehensible that they took his license away.

[qnofhrt.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid his charm was lost on me but my other half probably liked him enough for both of us.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Much sadness.

I remember him from The Princess Bride and A Mad, Mad, Mad World.

[arensb.livejournal.com]

The world would be poorer without Murder By Death and The Cheap Detective as well.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Is it bad of me to hope they bury him in a trenchcoat?

My best memories of him are from Murder by Death and The Cheap Detective. He was so good at being perfectly serious and at the same time letting us know it's humor.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Just one more question, sir, before I go: Would "serpentine" be half as funny without him?

Rest well, sir. Tonight, we learn the true meaning of the word "inconceivable" in your honor.

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

I was going to post just "Serpentine! Serpentine!".

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Given the format Tom used in the OP, I couldn't resist the Columbo styling, though.

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

I always enjoyed Columbo because, unlike other "whodunnits", we knew who the murderer was (and even how they did it), and all of the mystery (and the fun) came from seeing how Lt. Columbo would catch them.

[sdelmonte]

Count me among those who knew him best for his movies, being a huge fan of The Princess Bride and a fan of The In-Laws.

But yes, Columbo. "Oh, and just one more thing..."

[trav13369.livejournal.com]

one of my guilty pleasure movies of Peter Falk's is "Vibes" with Jeff Goldblum, Cyndi Lauper, and Julian Sands from "Warlock". Falk played Harry Buscofusco, a con man who enlists two psychics (played by Goldblum and Lauper) to find treasure in the Andes. Funny stuff, will have to snag it via Netflix....

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

It is good to know that I'm not the only one who remembers that partcular movie. Falk was great as Harry but I think I'll always remember him best and fondly as the Grandfather in The Princess Bride and Columbo.

[joshuwain.livejournal.com]

"Vibes" was so much fun and largely due to Falk. Yeah, that one was a keeper!

[melchar.livejournal.com]

I liked him as Columbo - loved him best as Max. "The Great Leslie escaped with a small chicken?"

[wildcard9.livejournal.com]

It has been so long since I saw The Great Race that I forgot he played Max in it. But I do remember the part!! I think that is a fine eulogy for an actor, you fondly remember the part they played long after seeing them in it.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Y'know, it's funny, but... I just can't let myself be sad when someone who dedicated so much of their lives to making people laugh dies.

It seems... Disrespectful, somehow... Like they wouldn't WANT us to be sad, y'know?

[hitchkitty.livejournal.com]

At which I have to invoke this credo:
"A little song. A little dance. A little seltzer down the pants."

[virtualvirtue.livejournal.com]

I loved him in Murder By Death and I haven't watched The Cheap Detective yet.

Columbo was a thing of wonder. We'd watch it on A&E when they'd show that and Murder She Wrote and some of the other CBS mysteries in the mornings in the summer when I was a teen. Kept us out of trouble when it was a foul rainy day or just until we got the rest of the day started. It *was* more fun knowing who dun it and watching him unravel it.

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

Don't shoot me! I'm a dentist!

[saganth.livejournal.com]

My most favorite comedy film is The Cheap Detective. Long live Sam Peckinpaugh. Falk did such a great impression of Bogart. I remember some of my favorite lines of his:

"I'm using rented bullets for my gun. We all got problems."

"Don't call me 'darling' in front of the police with a dead husband."

"Being a private eye may not be much, but we do have a code of honor. It's all right to fool around with your partner's wife, but once he's dead it makes it all so dirty. That's the way it is, angel. You marry yourself a nice guy, have a couple of swell kids. Once you're all set up and happy, maybe we can fool around again."

"Just once I'd like to see somebody die *regular* on this case!"

"Oh, hello, Georgia. I just had you on my mind."

RIP Mr. Falk.

[danceswithlife]

On Columbo the guest star bad guys were amazing: Johnny Cash as a murderer? That was so cool. And Patrick McGoohan three times, I think. There was always this moment in a show when he let the bad guy know that he knows more than they do. The momentary intense, intelligent look on his face before he reverts to his buffoon act. I know there are episodes I've never seen. Someday I will buy the whole series on DVD.

I've been meaning to re-watch The Princess Bride. Now I will do it in his honor.