while Columbo loved his chewed cigar and Basset hound, Falk pursued far more scandalous vices. “He drank and smoked incessantly, loved boozing with his friends and was an inveterate womaniser,” says Lertzman. “He was a negligent husband and an absentee father. Yet he became one of the most iconic stars of his generation.” Falk romanced college sweetheart Alyce Mayo for 12 years before marrying in 1960, then relentlessly cheated on her. “He was an incorrigible philanderer,” says Lertzman. “On every film set he was pursuing other women. Alyce turned a blind eye to his infidelities but it hurt and finally she had enough.” They divorced in 1976 and the next year Falk married his longtime mistress, actress Shera Danese, 22 years his junior. “He made life a living hell for TV and film directors, arguing over every line and every camera angle,” says Birnes. “He became notorious for delaying filming and sending budgets soaring. “Many studios would not approve a project that had Peter attached to it. He had burned so many bridges that he became persona non grata to many producers.” His secretary Janet Saunders-Raein admits: “He really was sometimes his own worst enemy.” As Falk deteriorated second wife Shera battled his adopted daughter Catherine over control of the actor’s care and fortune. Catherine claimed that she and her sister Jackie had been barred from seeing their father for months, as Shera allegedly slammed the door on them when they visited.