Remembering when Columbo investigated West Palm Beach
There was no rumpled raincoat. No half-chewed cigar. No mussed hair.
L t . C o l u mb o wo r e a v e r y respectable pin-striped suit.
But it was the same Peter Falk who drew a crowd of onlookers to the West Palm Beach train station in June 1985, where the classic TV actor was filming a scene for the movie “Happy New Year.”
In the film, Falk didn’t play a cop but a crook who cases Worth Avenue for one last big score before getting out of the robbery game. But complications ensue when the jewel thief falls for an antique seller on the avenue.
“It is a straight drama, a love story adventure amidst a jewelry store robbery,” movie publicist Pete Emmet told the Post at the time.
Falk filmed a train arrival and departure scene at the Amtrak station with Australian actress Wendy Hughes, who played the antiques dealer and love interest. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen, whose credits include “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid.” There were about 100 crew members and extras, the Post reported.
The train station was supposed to be just one of several Palm Beach locations, but Palm Beach, as usual, put the kibosh on filming on Worth Avenue. The film crew recreated it in Fort Lauderdale, according to a Post story.
It’s not the only time the Tama-
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