How you could own the Columbo portrait from Murder, A Self Portrait

susan edwards says:

sunday is relaxing and columbo is on for quite a few episodes, the styles and hair and clothing is dreadful but when i was young we watched the programme religiously…today was the episode where columbo is painted….terrific…i would love one of the prints…it is surprising how much people enjoy watching the programme…

Trish Siprell says:

Also, I’ve never seen the man who plays Barsini in anything else. Has anyone? References welcomed! Thx!

jamescfeldman says:

I collect some memorabilia, but I’ve usually gone the economy route. About 16 years ago, I wrote to Peter Falk and sent him a photo, which he signed and sent back to me. And in the latter years of his life, he used to sell limited edition prints of his self-portraits as Columbo, which I wanted to buy but had let the opportunity slip by.

As for “Murder, A Self Portrait,” if Columbo had seen “The Godfather,” then he surely “should have known it was Barzini all along.”

PS: According to some, Peter Falk was in touch with director Francis Coppola to play the role of Tom Hagen in “The Godfather,” which ultimately went to Robert Duvall. However, I disagree with that conclusion. Based on Peter Falk’s autobiography, he said that when his agent sent him the script, he turned down “The Godfather” because he thought the role too small. Though his autobiography doesn’t mention the specific role he turned down, I believe it unlikely that the role was Tom Hagen since that was not a small role. Also, since I know quite a bit about “The Godfather,” one of the critical things that Coppola and his producers wanted to do was to cast the characters with ethnic authenticity to the extent feasible. So, given the shortage of lines for the character that Peter Falk was being considered for, and the fact that Falk was himself a Jew, I believe the role he turned down was actually Moe Green, a gangster with Jewish heritage. The role of Moe Green ultimately went to Alex Rocco, who plays this role perfectly. The other possibility was that Falk was considered for the role of Virgil Sollozzo, which ultimately went to Al Lettieri, who also played his role perfectly. Here’s Coppola’s handwritten note showing Peter Falk’s name listed but crossed-out. https://news.avclub.com/take-a-look-at-francis-ford-coppola-s-handwritten-poten-1798239542. Falk decision to pass on “The Godfather” was a great one for Columbo fans. Although Falk had already appeared in 1968’s “Prescription: Murder,” the real Columbo TV series didn’t start until after the casting decisions were made for “The Godfather” and the film was already in production. And except for “Prescription: Murder,” Falk was largely known for playing villains and especially gangsters (and was nominated for Oscars for two gangster roles). Switching to a “good guy” role was “the smart move,” to use another line from “The Godfather.” The entertainment industry has a nasty habit of typecasting actors and taking on Columbo full-time was a real change for him. (Al Pacino made a similar wise decision to play the cop in “Serpico” to break from his sudden fame as Micael Corleone in “The Godfather.) Thankfully, Falk turned down whatever role he was actually being considered for in “The Godfather.” His career might have taken a different path.