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'Columbo' star Peter Falk dies at 83

Peter Falk became synonymous with one of TV's most enduring franchises with his signature role as the disheveled and disarming Lt. Columbo.

But his long thesping career also encompassed John Cassavetes' intense indie dramas, the Broadway stage and Hollywood hits including "The Great Race," "The In-Laws" and "The Princess Bride."

Falk, who had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and dementia in recent years, died Thursday evening at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83.

Falk earned four Emmys for his role as the rumpled, cigar-smoking Los Angeles police detective who famously never disclosed his first name.

In the "Columbo" telepics that Universal Television produced for NBC and ABC from the early 1970s on and off through 2003, Lt. Columbo was always assigned high-profile homicide cases involving rich and powerful victims and perpetrators. He was always underestimated by conniving murderers, allowing the detective to piece together the evidence and make his move in the last act. The telepics, which ranged over the years from 90 minutes to two hours, became a worldwide phenomenon for U.

The series was known for its notable casting of guest stars, which included Ray Milland, Myrna Loy, Don Ameche, Janet Leigh, Anne Francis, Roddy McDowall, Jackie Cooper, Ida Lupino, Faye Dunaway and Lee Grant. "Columbo" segs also were a key training ground for up-and-coming writers and directors on the Universal lot, including Steven Spielberg, Stephen J. Cannell and Steven Bochco.

During "Columbo's" peak in the mid-1970s, Falk wielded major clout on the U lot. He assembled a company of supporting players and crew members, many of whom wound up working on the show for decades. Falk directed several segs of the series and often recruited his friends, including Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Patrick McGoohan and Nicholas Colasanto, to star in and helm episodes.

Cassavetes referred to Falk as theman "everybody falls in love with." Falk had starring roles in several pics directed by Cassavetes, including "Husbands" (1970) and "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974). Falk also found success onstage, particularly in Neil Simon's Tony-winning "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," and drew two Oscar nominations early in his career.

By the mid-1970s, Falk was earning $500,000 for each of the two-hour telepics.

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Early levels are simple affairs, familiarizing the player with the game's controls and mechanics by having them place a single bit of wood to channel the marble towards the finish line. Soon the player is fastening bits of wood together with nails. As the game progresses more and more pieces are introduced and it becomes less a matter of finding the solution and more about finding your solution.

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