The crumpled raincoat-wearing ‘Columbo’ remains one of the most famous and beloved television detectives of the modern era, a character whose knack for solving complex murders never failed to leave audiences utterly captivated. Just when it seemed certain the criminal mastermind would escape justice, the cigar-smoking super sleuth would invariably return, squinting, with the simple, disarming request for “just one more thing”—that one nagging detail that sealed the culprit’s fate.
The original Columbo series dominated prime-time television throughout the 1970s and enjoyed a successful revival that ran intermittently from the late 1980s right up until 2003. Historically, TV detectives were often portrayed as being a cut above the criminal masterminds they pursued, possessing superior sophistication and class. Columbo ingeniously turned that stereotype on its head, presenting a shrewd but scruffy blue-collar homicide detective who consistently outwitted the most influential and wealthy figures in Hollywood and beyond. This much-loved detective, who became a household name around the globe, earned actor Peter Falk a remarkable four Emmy Awards for his definitive work on the show.
Yet, behind the global success and widespread fame of the character, there was a deeply complex man. According to authors Richard Lertzman and William Birnes, who penned the biography Beyond Columbo, the book offers an in-depth look at a life that often clashed with the mild-mannered detective he played: “He drank and smoked incessantly, loved boozing with his friends, and was an inveterate womanizer. He was a negligent husband and an absentee father.”
The Signature Squint and the Rise to Stardom
Born in New York in 1927, Falk faced a significant challenge early in life. At just three years old, his right eye had to be surgically removed due to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer. He wore a prosthetic eye for the majority of his life, an artificial feature that contributed to the famous signature squint that defined his presence. Despite this physical hurdle, he was an active boy, excelling in team sports like baseball and basketball.
Falk often recalled the moment he realized his artificial eye could be an asset for humor. In a 1997 interview with Cigar Aficionado, he recounted a memorable high school moment: “I remember once in high school the umpire called me out at third base when I was sure I was safe. I got so mad I took out my glass eye, handed it to him and said, ‘Try this.’ I got such a laugh you wouldn’t believe.”
Falk secured his major career breakthrough in 1960 in Murder, Inc., an American gangster movie where his intense performance as the vicious killer Abe Reles earned him an Academy Award nomination. The following year, he starred alongside screen legend Bette Davis in Pocketful of Miracles, earning him another prestigious Academy Award nomination. With an eventual salary of roughly $250,000 per episode of Columbo, Falk became one of the highest-paid actors in television during that era, solidifying his status as one of the most iconic stars of his generation.
An Unsuccessful Family Life and Bitter Conflict
Despite his professional successes, Falk’s family life was characterized by turbulence. In 1960, the actor married his college sweetheart, Alyce Mayo. The couple first met while studying at Syracuse University, but they dated for 12 years before finally tying the knot. Alyce Mayo, a designer by profession, reportedly attempted to overlook her husband’s extensive infidelities, but the strain proved too much, and after 16 years, she initiated their separation.
Together, Falk and Alyce adopted two daughters, Catherine and Jackie. While Jackie Falk largely moved away from the spotlight, Catherine, who became a private investigator, had an extremely rocky and public relationship with her father, even filing a lawsuit against him when he allegedly stopped paying her college expenses.
“I think that most people feel that I am this money-grubbing daughter, that I’m just going after my dad to get money,” Catherine told Inside Edition in 2011, defending her position.
The relationship with her father became even more complicated following his second marriage to actress Shera Danese. “My father was married to a woman that made it really difficult for my father to feel free. We weren’t allowed to go to his house,” Catherine claimed, setting the stage for a bitter, years-long conflict with her stepmother.
The Tragic Final Chapter
Sadly, the New York-born actor with the trademark squint passed away in June 2011 at his Beverly Hills home, at the age of 83. His death was officially attributed to pneumonia, with complications arising from a severe battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
According to his physician, Dr. Stephen Read, the actor’s dementia and apparent Alzheimer’s disease worsened significantly after hip surgery in 2008. In his final years, the cruelty of the disease was absolute: Falk no longer remembered having played the world-famous detective ‘Columbo.’
Tributes poured in from across the industry, with legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg paying his respects by saying: “I learned more about acting from him at that early stage of my career than I had from anyone else.”
His daughters publicly stated they would remember his “wisdom and humor.” However, according to Catherine, she was denied the chance to say a final goodbye. Speaking to Inside Edition, Falk’s oldest daughter heartbreakingly claimed that she was kept away from her father during his final years and only found out about his passing hours after the fact. She publicly accused his new wife, Shera Danese, of orchestrating this separation. Shera, via her attorney, Troy Martin, issued a terse reply to the ongoing conflict: “Peter’s final resting place is only about Peter, not Catherine, his estranged adopted daughter.”
The loss of such a unique talent to the cruel ravages of Alzheimer’s disease was a poignant end for a star who entertained millions with his brilliant portrayal of the haphazard, yet ultimately brilliant, detective.
