PETER Falk, the stage and movie actor who became identified as the squinty, rumpled detective in Columbo, which spanned 30 years of prime-time television, has died at the age of 83.

Falk died on Thursday night at his Beverly Hills home, according to a statement released by family friend Larry Larson.

In a court document filed in December 2008, Falk's daughter Catherine Falk said her father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Columbo began its history in 1971 as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, appearing every third week. Columbo became by far the most popular of the three mysteries, the others being McCloud and McMillan and Wife.