In memory: Peter Falk (1927-2011)

I really never know what to say when I write one of these celebrity obituaries: I'm terrified of coming across as false. And of... talking about myself.

I heard yesterday that Peter Falk, the actor famous for playing Columbo in the long-running and consistantly-impressive TV detective series, and who did an outstanding job with the character, has died, aged 83. I'm not very familiar with the rest of Falk's work, but he really was very good in Columbo and a great acting performance ought to be honoured.

The actor had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the years before his death. This was news to me too, and I'm very sad to hear it.

He was fantastic in The Great Race, too.

Here's a clip of Falk, being very good on television.

In memory: Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

"I'm the locksmith. And... I'm a locksmith."

-

I remember when Peter Graves died, I thought, 'maybe I should do obituarites on the blog' and I thought of Leslie Nielsen, his co-star in one of the best comedy films ever made, 'Airplane!'
I remember suddenly being hit by the mortality of the cast of the movie I had grown up on and studied, and wondering how I'd ever do justice to an actor as funny as Nielsen in an online obit. Very sad memory today.

He was an actor who truly mastered deadpan delivery, like Buster Keaton but sterner and with a sexy voice. He made very fine straight heroes and villains in his other movies, for the record.

Here's one of his best moments.

****

Knight here. Don't mean to hijack Buch's post, but I just wanted to toss in a bit of my own grief.

My first "Nielsen Experience" was during a little movie called The Poseidon Adventure. If you've never seen it, the film has been hailed as one of the greatest disaster films of all time. It's about a cruise ship out in the Atlantic that is struck by a rogue wave and capsizes. Mister Nielsen played the captain of that cruise ship, in one of the most serious roles you'll ever see him play. His reactions completely sold me on the horror of that situation, which is why it's so funny that he would eventually become, to me, one of the greatest comedy actors ever filmed.

Airplane is a masterpiece, in no small part because of Nielsen's contribution to it. As Buch pointed out, his complete deadpan delivery is masterful. The bit where the stewardess asks him if he's a doctor and he responds with a serious "That's right" with a stethoscope in his ears...I still crack up at that.

And he never really lost that ability to make you laugh no matter what role he played, and he was doing what he did best all the way up to his death. His performances made me laugh like no others have, and his good humor made me a fan for life.

So, I just wanted to tell you, "Thank You, Mister Nielsen," we're all counting on you.

In memory: Norman Wisdom (1915-2010)

I only just heard that the comic actor Norman Wisdom has died. I thought it would be nice to put up a very brief tribute here.

Everyone knows I love comedy, espescially comedy from my home land. But as it happens I'm not an aficionado of Wisdom's. I do, however, always laugh within a few minutes whenever I stumble across any footage of him, or see him on telly. He was an amazing slapstick performer, a rather good actor and writer, and he made very, very funny faces.

He had been suffering from deteriorating health for some time before his death on the 4th of October. His funeral is scheduled for the 22nd. He will be missed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Mp4HC09S0