Peter Falk Dead: 'Columbo' Star Dies At 83

06/24/11 02:43 PM ET

LOS ANGELES – Peter Falk, the stage and movie actor who became identified as the squinty, rumpled detective in "Columbo," which spanned 30 years in prime-time television and established one of the most iconic characters in movie police work, has died. He was 83.

Falk died Thursday in his Beverly Hills home, according to a statement released Friday by family friend Larry Larson.
In a court document filed in December 2008, Falk's daughter Catherine Falk said her father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

"Columbo" began its history in 1971 as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, appearing every third week. The show became by far the most popular of the three mysteries, the others being "McCloud" and "McMillan and Wife."
Falk was reportedly paid $250,000 a movie and could have made much more if he had accepted an offer to convert "Columbo" into a weekly series. He declined, reasoning that carrying a weekly detective series would be too great a burden.

Columbo �\ he never had a first name �\ presented a contrast to other TV detectives. "He looks like a flood victim," Falk once said. "You feel sorry for him. He appears to be seeing nothing, but he's seeing everything. Underneath his dishevelment, a good mind is at work."

NBC canceled the three series in 1977. In 1989 ABC offered "Columbo" in a two-hour format usually appearing once or twice a season. The movies continued into the 21st century. "Columbo" appeared in 26 foreign countries and was a particular favorite in France and Iran.

Columbo's trademark was an ancient raincoat Falk had once bought for himself. After 25 years on television, the coat became so tattered it had to be replaced.

Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 16, 1927, in New York City and grew up in Ossining, N.Y., where his parents ran a clothing store. At 3 he had one eye removed because of cancer. "When something like that happens early," he said in a 1963 Associated Press interview, "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."

When Falk was starting as an actor in New York, an agent told him, "Of course, you won't be able to work in movies or TV because of your eye." Falk would later win two Oscar nominations ("Murder, Inc.," 1960; "Pocketful of Miracles," 1961) and collect five Emmys.

After serving as a cook in the merchant marine and receiving a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University, he worked as an efficiency expert for the budget bureau of the state of Connecticut. He also acted in amateur theater and was encouraged to become a professional by actress-teacher Eva La Gallienne.

An appearance in "The Iceman Cometh" off-Broadway led to other classical parts, notably as Joseph Stalin in "The Passion of Joseph D." In 1971 Falk scored a hit in Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."

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," "The Princess Bride."

Falk also appeared in a number of art house favorites, including the semi-improvisational films "Husbands" and "A Woman Under the Influence," directed by his friend John Cassavetes, and Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," in which he played himself. Falk became prominent in television movies, beginning with his first Emmy for "The Price of Tomatoes" in 1961. His four other Emmys were for "Columbo."

He was married to pianist Alyce Mayo in 1960; they had two daughters, Jackie and Catherine, and divorced in 1976. The following year he married actress Shera Danese. They filed for divorce twice and reconciled each time.

When not working, Falk spent time in the garage of his Beverly Hills home. He had converted it into a studio where he created charcoal drawings. He took up art in New York when he was in the Simon play and one day happened into the Art Students League.

He recalled: "I opened a door and there she was, a nude model, shoulders back, a light from above, buck-ass naked. The female body is awesome. Believe me, I signed up right away."

Falk is survived by his wife Shera and his two daughters.

Rip Columbo

RIP
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Actor Harada Yoshio dies at 71
Posted on July 19, 2011 by tokyograph

Image from: Sankei Sports

Veteran actor Harada Yoshio died of pneumonia at around 9:35am on Tuesday, July 19, at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 71 years old.

Harada joined the Gekidan Haiyuza theater troupe in the 1960s. He made his television debut in 1967 with �gTenka no Seinen,�h and one of his best known television dramas during his early career was the historical series �gJuichibanme no Shishi�h in 1968. On the big screen, his first film was �gFukushuu no Uta ga Kikoeru�h in 1968, and he soon began building his popularity through movies such as �gHangyaku no Melody�h in 1970.

Harada left the Gekidan Haiyuza in 1971. After that, he started playing major roles in a slew of big films, including �gRyouma Ansatsu,�h �gDotsuitarunen,�h �gZigeunerweisen,�h �gUtsukushii Natsu Kirishima,�h and many more. He also played supporting characters in countless television dramas. His most recent appearances included �gShinzanmono�h in 2010 and �gKoukousei Restaurant,�h which ended earlier this month.

�gOshika-mura Soudouki,�h which opened in theaters on July 16, was his final film. His last public appearance was at a press conference for the film that was held on July 11.

Source:
Sankei Sports

^ Actually, we have a Japanese Celebrity Obituary here: http://jdorama.com/viewtopic.4952.0.htm

Amy Winehouse Dead: Singer Found Dead At London Home

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her North London home, Sky News is reporting. The Daily Mail reports that police have confirmed the passing.

The Grammy-winning singer, best known for her hit song, "Rehab," died of a suspected drug overdose, Nick Buckley of the Sunday Mirror tweeted. She's battled drug addiction for years, having most recently checked back into rehabilitation in May.

Winehouse entered treatment in late 2007 for drug problems, including admitted heroin use.

Earlier in the day, Tim Gatt, a Sky News producer, tweeted a statement saying that she was withdrawing from all of her upcoming performances, writing, "Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances. Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen."

Winehouse has had previous near-death experiences, including one her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, described in detail back in 2009.

"I knelt over her as she kept on fitting. But then suddenly she just passed out and stopped breathing," he told The Sun (via NME). It was the most frightening thing I had ever seen. I felt sure I was watching her die right in front of me. I didn't know what to do or how to save her. I held her to me - and I thought she was dying in my arms. But somehow I managed to open her mouth and breathe air down her throat."

In January, 2010, she pled guilty to assaulting a theater stage manager.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/23/amy-winehouse-dead-singer_n_907753.html
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^ Not surprised.

RIP.

Super No. 1 wrote:

Amy Winehouse Dead: Singer Found Dead At London Home

My sister just told me about this, too. After the initial, short, shock, I can't say I'm surprised. Her drug addiction has been very public. Shame, she was a great talent. God bless her family and friends.
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Wanna trade? My Drama List (UPDATED: July, 2013)

NEW YORK (AP) �\ Cliff Robertson, the handsome movie actor who played John F. Kennedy in "PT-109," won an Oscar for "Charly" and was famously victimized in a 1977 Hollywood forgery scandal, died Saturday. He was 88.
His secretary of 53 years, Evelyn Christel, said he died in Stony Brook of natural causes a day after his 88th birthday.
Robertson never elevated into the top ranks of leading men, but he remained a popular actor from the mid-1950s into the following century. His later roles included kindly Uncle Ben in the "Spider-Man" movies.

LOS ANGELES -- Andy Whitfield, who played the title role in the hit cable series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," has died at age 39, according to representatives and family.

Whitfield died Sunday in Sydney, Australia, 18 months after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, manager Sam Maydew told the Associated Press.

"On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18 month battle with lymphoma cancer," Whitfield's wife Vashti said in a statement. "He passed peacefully surrounded by love. Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have help carry him to this point. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was."

Andy Whitfield – who was born in Wales and moved to Australia in 1999 – was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the legendary Thracian slave in "Spartacus," a role made famous by Kirk Douglas in the 1960 Stanley Kubrick film.
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bmwracer wrote:

^ Actually, we have a Japanese Celebrity Obituary here: http://jdorama.com/viewtopic.4952.0.htm

Jeez, that seems a little heavy-handed.
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- Douglas

Amy Winehouse's Autopsy: Coroner Says Singer Died From Too Much Alcohol

LONDON �\ Amy Winehouse drank herself to death. The soul diva who had Grammy-winning songs and fans around the world died with empty vodka bottles in her room and lethal amounts of alcohol in her blood – more than five times the British drunk driving limit, a British coroner ruled Wednesday.

Coroner Suzanne Greenaway gave a verdict of "death by misadventure," saying the singer died of accidental alcohol poisoning when she resumed drinking after weeks of abstinence.

"The unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels (of alcohol) was her sudden and unexpected death," Greenaway said.

The 27-year-old singer, who had fought a very public battle with drug and alcohol problems for years, was found dead in bed July 23 at her London home. An initial autopsy proved inconclusive, although it found no traces of illegal drugs in her system or signs of injury.

Pathologist Suhail Baithun told the inquest into the singer's death that blood and urine samples indicated Winehouse had consumed a "very large quantity of alcohol" prior to her death. The level of alcohol in her blood was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters, he said – a blood alcohol level of 0.4 percent.

The British and U.S. legal drunk-driving limit is 0.08 percent.

If she hadnt been drinking much before that Im not surprised that amount could kill her. Sad.
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^ terrible because she was still so young! But I suspected something like that.

M*A*S*H* star Harry Morgan dead at 96

Details here: http://tv.yahoo.com/news/m-h-star-harry-morgan-dies-96-170231110.html

As it says he was also in several great movies, "High Noon" and Ox-Bow Incident" to name two.

^ And the TV series Dragnet, with Jack Webb.

Soul Train's Don Cornelius dead from apparent suicide

Don Cornelius, the man who created Soul Train, was reportedly found dead Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home. Police sources tell TMZ.com that Cornelius appears to have taken his own life; sources say he died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 75.

Cornelius created "Soul Train" and hosted the show in national syndication from 1971 to 1993. It was the first real venue on American TV for soul music, and as the show's writer and producer, as well as host, Cornelius played a vital role in bringing stars like James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson to a wider audience. Some have described the show as "a black American Bandstand," though Cornelius was not a fan of that comparison. As the host, he was known for the catchphrase with which he closed each episode: "I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!"

"Soul Train," which ceased airing in 2006, also spun off the Soul Train Music Awards and the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Its most famous theme song, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)," by MFSB became a massive pop hit in 1974.


And for those of you that missed it, here's a clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgvgdGUX4MM

Check out that hair and those clothes!! Bet the Beastmaster used to dress like that once upon a time!!

^ Just read that online.

Condolences to his friends and family.

gaijinmark wrote:

Check out that hair and those clothes!! Bet the Beastmaster used to dress like that once upon a time!!

Never, thank god.

Did you notice how slim all the people on the show were?

Really dates it.

Glad I grew up with Twiggy as a role model rather than Paula Deen.
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Trade or Distro
It's all good!

Check out my drama trade list: http://www.freewebs.com/evendrama/

Eve wrote:

Did you notice how slim all the people on the show were?

Speaking of which, the other day I saw a re-run of "Family Affair". I remember that we used think Sebastian Cabot was fat. Now he just seems average.