Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life (Hardcover)

by Peter Falk (Author)
Key Phrases: peter falk, john cassavetes, New York, Los Angeles, Alan Arkin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In Just One More Thing Falk takes us on an acting journey that begins not in Hollywood but in Hartford, where he worked as a management analyst for the Connecticut State Budget Bureau. His time there was no more successful than an earlier attempt to find work with the Central Intelligence Agency. At loose ends, Falk 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 theater to the next, a theatrical agent advised him not to expect much work in motion pictures because of his glass eye. Surgeons had removed his right eye, along with a malignant tumor, when he was three years old.

But in 1958, the actor made the jump to Hollywood, where he landed his first movie, Murder Incorporated, and was nominated for an Oscar. Falk became a favorite among moviegoers, yet it was through television that he reached his widest audience as Lt. Columbo, winning four Emmys for the role.

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

About the Author
Peter Falk has appeared in over forty-one motion pictures, numerous plays, and many television programs, most notably Columbo He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786717955
• ISBN-13: 978-0786717958
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #439,655 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Falk, at his best, September 25, 2006

By	Walter-Joerg Langbein "Langbein: 2012/Endzeit... (Germany) - See all my reviews

This book deserves more than five stars: it is Peter Falk at his best... the great actor can entertain in many roles.. as actor, as artist, as author. He has a lot of interesting stories to tell. And he does it in a brilliant way. He brings us a lot of interesting stories - about his life and work. No doubt, Peter Falk is one of the greatest!

Walter J. Langbein

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life as funny as his work..., October 20, 2006

By	C. J. Reno "bibliophile" (Bowie, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Peter Falk has written the ultimate autobiography, although Mr. Falk himself insists that it isn't an autobiography. The book is written in short chunks, each a hilarious anecdote from his life, which would make it very easy to put down between stories--except that it is so much fun that you can't put it down.

Visit pre-Castro Cuba, Tito's Yugoslavia, and Cold War Russia, all through the eyes of the detective in the rumpled raincoat.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Vignettes from an Interesting Life, February 14, 2007

By	Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

The book reads like Columbo wrote it. It has anecdotes with unexpected punchlines. The understatement is deceptively intelligent. There are signature illustrations that show talent in the visual arts. Falk has traveled widely and has had many unique adventures.

As an actor Falk likes to develop his character along with writers and directors. He tells us how he re-writes lines and finds ad libs that work. He's rejected jobs because the character wasn't real, and he gets enthusiastic about scripts with a well constructed character. He names the talented actors and directors he's enjoyed working with and writes some interesting vignettes about Brando (never heard this before!), Dunaway, DiLaurentis and others. Columbo, as we iconize him, is Falk's creation from the crumpled coat to the battered Peugot.

The reader will enjoy this time with Falk, but won't learn much about him personally. His childhood is represented by a few high school tales. He talks fondly of two wives, the first one just vanishes from the text. You learn he has 2 daughters through a photo.

But we learn that Falk is an adventurer, with a positive attitude who makes long term friends. The book does not purport to be an autobiography, merely a set of stories, and in this, it meets its goal.