Sad news for fans of TV detectives last week. Columbo, a.k.a. Peter Falk, passed away. While he was best known, and rightly so for his role as Columbo, the sly detective in the rumpled trenchcoat, it's probably easy to forget that he was also a talented movie actor. He even had a couple of Oscar nominations under his belt, to go along with his plethora of Emmy's. And who knew he had such a gift for comedy? So I thought it would be fun to do a breakdown of my all-time favorite Peter Falk movies.
1. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - This one is my pick for the funniest movie of all time. If not, the funniest, it at least had the greatest collection of comics all in one place. A bunch of motorists witness a tragic car accident, and remains alive long enough to tell them all about a stash of loot, hidden under a "Big Dub-yuh". He kicks the bucket, literally, and 3 hours of hilarity ensues.
2. Murder By Death - A spoof of famous literary detectives, Falk plays a Sam Spade-type, one of a handful of classic detectives invited to Truman Capote's home to solve his own murder. Funny, funny, funny.
3. The Princess Bride - Falk plays the Grandpa who comes to read a story to his sick grandson, Fred Savage. Tender, and funny, and one of the most quotable movies ever.
4. Robin and the Seven Hoods - Falk plays Guy of Gisborne, in this funny take on the Robin Hood legend, set in 1920's Chicago, and headlines by the Rat Pack.
5. Pocketful of Miracles - A remake of the classic "Lady for a Day", starring Bette Davis and Glenn Ford, Falk received an Oscar nomination for his role as Glenn Ford's clueless gangster sidekick. A sweet and funny movie.
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