TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

Just One More Thing


RRP: £11.99
Our Price: £4.83 (subject to change)

Editorial
Synopsis

The Academy Award-nominated actor best known for his work on the television show "Columbo" humorously relates stories from his past, covering his early attempts at employment, the loss of his right eye, and his Hollywood and Broadway achievements.

Editorial
From the Publisher

The reluctant actor who was nominated for two Oscars and who immortalised Lieutenant Columbo around the world shares his hilarious and often touching stories – in his own inimitable voice.
Editorial
From the Inside Flap

The reluctant actor who was nominated for two Oscars and who immortalised Lieutenant Columbo around the world shares his hilarious and often touching stories – in his own inimitable voice.

Peter Falk takes us on an acting journey that begins not in Hollywood but in Hartford, where he worked as an efficiency expert for the state of Connecticut. The first day on the job he couldn't find the office – it was in the State Capitol – and ended up in the post office. His time there was no more successful than his attempt to find work as a spy with the Central Intelligence Agency: after high school he had gone to sea as a cook in the Merchant Marines, and the union he was required to join was later labelled as Communist-dominated. That didn't settle well with the CIA – spy career over.

At a loose end, he turned to an old college interest: acting. He came to prominence as an actor in 1956 in the highly successful off-Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh with Jason Robards. Although he worked continuously for the next three years, bouncing from one off-Broadway theatre to the next, a theatrical agent advised him not to expect much work in motion pictures because of his glass eye. However, a talent scout for Columbia Pictures saw star quality in Falk, describing him as a second John Garfield. Unfortunately, Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia Pictures, dismissed this opinion: ‘For the same price, I can get an actor with two eyes.’

But in 1958, Hollywood, in the guise of Twentieth Century Fox, came to New York to make a movie – Murder Inc. They brought the stars with them but hired local New York actors to play the mobsters. Falk landed a juicy role for which he received rave reviews and, incredibly, for his first film he was nominated for an Academy Award. For his second, Pocketful of Miracles starring Bette Davis, he was nominated again. He wore the same overcoat in both movies. It was his personal coat. He likes to say that he and the coat were undefeated. Two for two.

Falk went on to become a favourite among filmgoers, yet it was through television that he reached his widest audience as Lt. Columbo, winning four Emmys for the role. Talking of Falk's personal coats … Columbo's raincoat came out of his bedroom closet. He bought it years before he became an actor. He's been quoted as saying, ‘I wanted to wear something people would remember. Bottom line, it's the world's most famous raincoat.’

Just One More Thing is pure Peter Falk, and reads as if he's sitting next to you, chuckling as he recalls his remarkable past.

Editorial
From the Back Cover

‘I went in for an eye test – you know, the one where you read the letters of the alphabet on a chart that’s hanging on the wall. The guy conducting the test looked like he’d been doing this for a lot of years. To put it mildly, he was not too interested. He mumbled hello, indicated a chair. I sat down and he said, "We’ll start with the left eye." So I covered the right eye and read the chart with my left, and he wrote down the numbers. He then said, "Now we’ll do the right eye." I said, "The right eye is glass." He said, "Well, do the best you can."’
Editorial
About the Author

Peter Falk has appeared in over forty-one motion pictures, numerous plays, and many television programs, most notably Columbo. Falk continues to act in feature films, including the soon-to-be released Retirement and The Book of Joe. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.


Entertaining anecdotes from a movie stars life
Review date: 2008-05-13 Rating: 8 out of 10

Peter Falk turns out to have a talent for writing in much the same way he talks.. in wry commentary, with no small amount of wit.
He sets out his stall early on - he has no intention of telling you his life story, but instead wants to write a book that you can pick up for 10 minutes before bed, or in the bath, and enjoy a few entertaining stories. Nonetheless, in doing so (and in no particular order), we do learn much about his life, just little about what he thinks about the important events in his life - only some of what he enjoyed or found funny in it.
The end result leaves you much with the feeling of having sat down and had a chat with the man over a beer, swapping stories of people and places. Subjects covered range from his admiration and friendship with John Cassavetes, his role of Columbo (of course) and some of his leading ladies, to his wife, his early travels and quite a few of his favourite ad libs from other stars. Basically it feels like it is whatever came into his head on the day he sat down at the typewriter.
As such, this is a quiet success.. he uses much space on the page with different fonts and sizes of font to break up the text and make his point, so that there actually is very little reading in the book. There are plenty of photos and drawings (we find out he has a passion for sketching and drawing).
Entertaining as a light frothy read, although if you want more on his inner thoughts and life story, or an exposé of Hollywood, best look elsewhere. As a work of literature this may not rate highly, but for its intended audience (the folk who want that 10 minute read in the bath or before bed) it fits the bill nicely.


Similar Products

Reviews


Peter Falk doesn't quite tell all
Review date: 2007-07-02 Rating: 8 out of 10

Peter Falk has written an amusing collection of anecdotes from his long and ineresting life. Although this is not an autobiography, there is much fascinating information about his life here, and mostof the stories are very amusing.

I particularly liked the story about how he was persuaded to appear on Roumanian television in the early 1970s, to convince the people of Roumania that the government was not witholding episodes of 'Columbo' from them (since they were only getting six episodes a year, they were convinced they were being deprived of other episodes). And it's fun to read why he didn't appear in 'The Godfather'. And I was pleased to learn that the ancient raincoat he wears in Columbo is his very own, and still hangs in his closet.

You may wish that this book went into more detail about his life, but there is plenty to amuse you in this book, so forget about the missing details, and just enjoy it.

Good for a light, snappy anecdotes
Review date: 2007-05-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

First, before reading the following you need to know I am a BIG Peter Falk/Columbo fan.

If you want an in-depth biography of Peter Falk this is NOT it!

As Peter Falk admits very early on it is a book of short anecdotes from his life and acting career, more often than not just lasting a couple of pages (with well-spaced lines). However, it is rare that a book (fiction or non-fiction) makes me laugh out loud, but the stories within did exactly that. There are also lots of photos throughout.

Yes, there is a decent section on Columbo (no you don't find out Columbo or his wife's first names), but I still think more could have been written.

Do not buy this book if you want something to read over weeks. If you sit down and read it you'll get through this book within a couple of days.

Product Details/Specifications


Authors:
Peter Falk

Recording label: Carroll & Graf Publishing
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishing
EAN: 9780786719396
Binding: Paperback
Dewey decimal number: 791.43
ISBN: 0786719397
Number of items: 1
Number of pages: 304
Publication date: 2007-10-09
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Published)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional