Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen (7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984), better known as
Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.
He was a member of the "
Rat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
", and brother-in-law to US President
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a
celebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
than for his acting. In his earlier professional years (late 1930s through the 1950s) he had a strong presence in popular culture and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films.
Early life
Born in London in 1923, he was the out-of-wedlock child of Sir
Sydney Turing Barlow LawfordLieutenant-General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KCB was a British Army officer, and the father of movie star Peter Lawford.-Biography:...
and May Somerville Bunny. At the time of Lawford's birth, May was married to Captain Ernest Vaughn Aylen. After her son's birth, she confessed to Aylen that the child was not his, and he promptly divorced her, causing scandal. Sydney Lawford and May Bunny wed in September 1924, when their son was one year old. Around 1930, aged 7, Peter Lawford made his acting debut in the English film Poor Old Bill. Lawford spent his early childhood in
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and owing to his family's travels, was never formally educated.
At the age of 14, Lawford severely injured his right arm in an accident when it went through a glass door. The injury greatly compromised the use of his lower arm and hand with irreversible nerve damage, which he later learned to hide. The injury was considered damaging enough to keep him from entering
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but proved a great boon to his career.
Films
Prior to
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Lawford had gained a contract position with the MGM studios. Once he signed with MGM, his mother insisted that studio head
Louis B. MayerLouis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
pay her a salary as her son's personal assistant, which Mayer declined. Lady Lawford responded by claiming her son was "a bummer" and needed to be "supervised". When Lawford learned of his mother's actions their relationship was reportedly never the same.
MGM career
Lawford's first movie role was at age seven in the film Poor Old Bill (1930). In 1938, he made his Hollywood debut in a minor part in the film Lord Jeff. His first role in a major film production was in
A Yank At EtonA Yank at Eton is an American comedy/drama film. It was the 1942 sequel to the 1938 A Yank at Oxford. All of it was filmed in the United States and none of it at Eton...
(1942), where he played a snobbish bully opposite
Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
. The picture was a smash hit, and Lawford's performance was widely praised. Lawford made uncredited appearances as an RAF
pilotAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in
Mrs. MiniverMrs. Miniver is a 1942 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and Teresa Wright. Based on the fictional English housewife created by Jan Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns, the film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture,...
(1942) and as a sailor in
Sherlock Holmes Faces DeathSherlock Holmes Faces Death is the sixth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films. Made in 1943, it incorporates elements of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual".-Plot:Dr...
(1943).
He won acclaim for his performance in
The White Cliffs Of DoverThe White Cliffs of Dover is a 1944 film made by Loew's and MGM. It was directed by Clarence Brown and produced by Clarence Brown and Sidney Franklin. The screenplay was by Claudine West, Jan Lustig and George Froeschel, based on the Alice Duer Miller poem titled The White Cliffs with additional...
(1944), in which he played a young soldier during World War II. MGM gave him another important role in
The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray is an American horror-drama film based on Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel of the same name. Released in March 1945 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film is directed by Albert Lewin and stars George Sanders as Lord Henry Wotton and Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray...
(1945). Peter Lawford's first leading role came in
Son of LassieSon of Lassie is a 1945 feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Lassie...
(1945) and he later won a Modern Screen magazine readers' poll as the most popular actor in Hollywood of 1946. His fan mail jumped to thousands of letters a week. Lawford had become a major star.
With actors such as
Clark GableWilliam Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and
James StewartJames Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
away at war, Lawford was recognized as the romantic lead on the MGM lot. Lawford's busiest year as an actor was 1946, when two of his films opened within days of each other: Cluny Brown and Two Sisters From Boston. He also made his first comedy that same year: My Brother Talks To Horses (released in 1947). He appeared with
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
for the first time in the musical
It Happened in BrooklynIt Happened in Brooklyn is a 1947 MGM musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Whorf and starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, and Jimmy Durante and featuring Gloria Grahame and Marcy McGuire...
(1947). Lawford received rave reviews for his work in the film, while Sinatra's were lukewarm.
Lawford later admitted that the most terrifying experience of his career was the first musical number he performed (the Jitterbug). In the musical
Good NewsGood News is the title of two American MGM musical films based on the 1927 stage production of the same name.The first, released in 1930, was directed by Nick Grinde. The cast included Bessie Love, Cliff Edwards and Penny Singleton. The film was shot in black-and-white, although the finale was in...
(1947), using an American accent, he won acclaim as a performer. He was given other supporting roles in MGM films over the next few years, including
On an Island with YouOn an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont....
(1948), Easter Parade (1948),
Little WomenLittle Women directed by Mervyn LeRoy is based on Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Sally Benson, Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, and Andrew Solt...
(1949) and Royal Wedding (1951).
Post-MGM
The actor's first film after Metro released him and several other players from their contracts was the comedy
It Should Happen to YouIt Should Happen to You is a romantic comedy film starring Judy Holliday, notable as the first screen appearance of Jack Lemmon, who was then an aspiring young actor. The film was directed by George Cukor and filmed on location in New York City...
, where he starred alongside
Judy HollidayJudy Holliday was an American actress.Holliday began her career as part of a night-club act, before working in Broadway plays and musicals...
and
Jack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
. In 1959, Frank Sinatra invited the Englishman to join "The Rat Pack" and also got him a role in
Never So FewNever So Few 1959 CinemaScope war film directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones and Steve McQueen with uncredited roles by renowned Asian actors Mako, George Takei and James Hong. The script was loosely based on an actual OSS...
. The casino caper
Ocean’s ElevenOcean's 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop....
(1960) was a project Lawford first brought to Sinatra's attention. It became the first film to feature all five main "Rat Pack" members: Lawford, Sinatra,
Dean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
,
Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, and
Joey BishopJoey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin...
. Later films included
The Longest DayThe Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962), and a role as a
United States SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in Advise & Consent (1962).
In 1961, Lawford and his manager Milt Ebbins formed Chrislaw Productions, which was named after his son Christopher Lawford and produced the 1963 action film,
Johnny Cool, starring
Henry Silva and
Elizabeth MontgomeryElizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
. He went on to produce the 1965
Patty DukeAnna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
film, Billie, as well as two films with Sammy Davis, Jr., Salt and Pepper and
One More TimeOne More Time is a comedy film, directed by Jerry Lewis and starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford. It was filmed in 1969 and released in May, 1970 by United Artists. It is a sequel to the 1968 film Salt and Pepper.-Synopsis:...
.
He appeared in They Only Kill Their Masters (1972), which reunited him with several former MGM contract players. His last role was as Montague Chippendale in the comedy Where's Parsifal (1983).
Television
Lawford made his television debut in 1953 in a guest starring role on Ronald W. Reagan's anthology series,
General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
. In 1954, he starred as a newspaper advice-to-the-lovelorn columnist named Bill Hastings in the short-lived NBC series
Dear PhoebeDear Phoebe is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1954 to April 1955. The series stars Peter Lawford, and was created and produced by Alex Gottlieb.-Synopsis:...
with Marcia Henderson and
Charles LaneCharles Gerstle Levison , better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You , Mr...
. From 1957 to 1959, Lawford co-starred with
Phyllis Kirk-Early life and career:Born Phyllis Kirkegaard in Syracuse, New York , she contracted polio as a child which resulted in health problems for the rest of her life. As a teen, she moved to New York City to study acting and changed her last name to "Kirk"...
in
The Thin ManThe Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:...
, an NBC series based on
the novelThe Thin Man is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in Redbook. Although he never wrote a sequel, the book became the basis for a successful six-part film series which also began in 1934 with The Thin Man and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy...
by Dashiel Hammett. He had a recurring role on
The Doris Day ShowThe Doris Day Show is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 1968 until September 1973. In addition to showcasing Doris Day, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run...
from 1971–73, as the love interest to
Day'sDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
character. He guest starred on various television series including
The Martha Raye ShowThe Martha Raye Show is an hour-long comedy/variety show which aired live on NBC from January 23, 1954, to May 29, 1956. The series was hosted by the late Martha Raye, a Montana native, who often called herself "The Big Mouth." Her boyfriend on the program and a foil for her humor was portrayed by...
,
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of Stars, is a weekly CBS anthology television series, was telecast on Friday nights from 1951 until 1959. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by Schlitz beer...
,
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an anthology television series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967...
,
Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
,
The Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
,
The VirginianThe Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
,
BewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
,
The Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
,
Fantasy IslandFantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
and
The Bob Cummings ShowThe Bob Cummings Show is an American sitcom starring Robert "Bob" Cummings which was produced from January 2, 1955 to September 15, 1959, and originally sponsored by R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarettes...
. Besides guest spots, he also guest-starred on variety shows such as
The Judy Garland ShowThe Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...
and
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InRowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
, and game shows
What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
, Password, and
PyramidPyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
.
Personal life
His first marriage, in 1954, was to
Patricia KennedyPatricia "Pat" Kennedy Lawford was an American socialite and the sixth of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald, sister to President John F. Kennedy, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M...
, sister of then-US Senator
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. They had four children: their son, actor and author
Christopher Kennedy LawfordChristopher Kennedy Lawford is an American author, actor and activist and member of the prominent Kennedy family.-Life and career:...
born 1955, their daughters Sydney Maleia Kennedy Lawford, Victoria Francis Lawford born 1958, and Robin Elizabeth Lawford born 1961.
Lawford officially became an American citizen on April 23, 1960; he had prepared for this in time to vote for his brother-in-law in the upcoming presidential election. Lawford, along with other members of the "
Rat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
", helped campaign for Kennedy and the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Sinatra famously dubbed him "Brother-in-Lawford" at this time. Lawford and Patricia Kennedy divorced in February 1966.
Lawford married his second wife, Mary Rowan, the daughter of comedian Dan Rowan, in October 1971 when she was one day shy of twenty-two years old; Lawford was forty-eight. Rowan and Lawford separated two years later and divorced in January 1975. In June 1976, he married aspiring actress Deborah Gould, twenty-five, whom he had known for only three weeks. Lawford and Gould separated two months after marrying and divorced in 1977. During his separation from Gould, Lawford met seventeen-year-old Patricia Seaton, who would later become his fourth and final wife in July 1984, months before his death.
Death
Lawford died at
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterOriginally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles on
Christmas EveChristmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
1984, aged 61, from
cardiac arrestCardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. He had suffered from kidney and liver failure after years of substance abuse. His body was cremated, and his ashes were interred at
Westwood Village Memorial Park CemeteryThe Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
. Owing to a dispute between his widow and the cemetery, Lawford's ashes were removed and scattered in the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
off the coast of California by his widow, Patricia Seaton Lawford, who invited the National Enquirer tabloid to photograph the event. A plaque bearing Lawford's name was erected at Westwood Village Memorial Park.
For his contribution to the television industry, Peter Lawford has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
located at 6920 Hollywood Blvd.
Selected filmography
Film
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1930 |
Poor Old Bill |
Horace |
|
| 1931 |
A Gentleman of Paris A Gentleman of Paris is a 1931 crime drama film directed by Sinclair Hill, based on the story "His Honour, the Judge" by Niranjan Pal.- Cast :* Arthur Wontner as Judge Le Fevre* Vanda Gréville as Paulette Gerrard* Hugh Williams as Gaston Gerrard...
|
Child |
Uncredited |
| 1938 |
Lord Jeff Lord Jeff is a 1938 film starring Freddie Bartholomew as a spoiled orphan who gets mixed up with some crooks, but gets set straight by a stint in a school.-Plot:...
|
Benny Potter |
|
| 1942 |
Mrs. Miniver Mrs. Miniver is a fictional character created by Jan Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns for The Times, later adapted into a movie of the same name.-Origin:...
|
Pilot |
Uncredited |
| 1942 |
Random Harvest |
Soldier |
Uncredited |
| 1942 |
A Yank At Eton A Yank at Eton is an American comedy/drama film. It was the 1942 sequel to the 1938 A Yank at Oxford. All of it was filmed in the United States and none of it at Eton...
|
Ronnie Kenvil |
|
| 1943 |
Above SuspicionAbove Suspicion is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer spy drama film starring Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray as newlyweds who spy on the Nazis for the British Secret Service during their honeymoon, along with Basil Rathbone as a Nazi who pursues them. The screenplay by Keith Winter, Melville Baker, and...
|
Student |
Uncredited |
| 1943 |
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Sherlock Holmes Faces Death is the sixth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films. Made in 1943, it incorporates elements of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual".-Plot:Dr...
|
Sailor |
Uncredited |
| 1943 |
Sahara |
British soldier |
Uncredited |
| 1944 |
The White Cliffs of Dover |
John Ashwood the Second as a Young Man |
|
| 1944 |
|
Anthony de Canterville |
|
| 1944 |
Mrs. Parkington Mrs. Parkington is a 1944 drama film. It tells the story of a woman's life, told in flashbacks, from hotel maid to society matron. The movie was adapted by Polly James and Robert Thoeren from the novel by Louis Bromfield...
|
Lord Thornley |
|
| 1945 |
|
David Stone |
|
| 1945 |
Son of Lassie Son of Lassie is a 1945 feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Lassie...
|
Joe Carraclough |
|
| 1946 |
Cluny Brown Cluny Brown is a 1946 film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed and produced by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay was written by Samuel Hoffenstein and Elizabeth Reinhardt, based on a novel by Margery Sharp. The music score is by Cyril J. Mockridge. The film stars Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones...
|
Andrew Carmel |
|
| 1946 |
Two Sisters from Boston Two Sisters from Boston is a 1946 musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster. Starring Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Lauritz Melchior, Jimmy Durante and Peter Lawford....
|
Lawrence Tyburn Patterson, Jr. |
|
| 1947 |
My Brother Talks to Horses |
John S. Penrose |
|
| 1947 |
Good News Good News is the title of two American MGM musical films based on the 1927 stage production of the same name.The first, released in 1930, was directed by Nick Grinde. The cast included Bessie Love, Cliff Edwards and Penny Singleton. The film was shot in black-and-white, although the finale was in...
|
Tommy Marlowe |
|
| 1947 |
It Happened in Brooklyn It Happened in Brooklyn is a 1947 MGM musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Whorf and starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, and Jimmy Durante and featuring Gloria Grahame and Marcy McGuire...
|
Jamie Shellgrove |
|
| 1948 |
Easter Parade |
Jonathan Harrow III |
|
| 1948 |
Julia Misbehaves Julia Misbehaves is a 1948 romantic comedy film. It stars Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon as a married couple who are soon separated by his snobbish family. They meet again many years later, when the daughter he has raised, played by Elizabeth Taylor, invites her mother to her wedding...
|
Ritchie Lorgan |
|
| 1948 |
On an Island with You On an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont....
|
Lawrence Kingsley |
|
| 1949 |
|
Major John "Twingo" McPhimister |
|
| 1949 |
Little Women Little Women directed by Mervyn LeRoy is based on Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Sally Benson, Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, and Andrew Solt...
|
Theodore "Laurie" Laurence |
|
| 1950 |
Please Believe Me Please Believe Me is a 1950 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Walker, Mark Stevens and Peter Lawford.-Plot:...
|
Jeremy Taylor |
|
| 1951 |
Royal WeddingRoyal Wedding is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy film known for Fred Astaire's dance performance on a ceiling and another with a coat rack. The story is set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and stars Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah...
|
Lord John Brindale |
Alternative title: Wedding Bells |
| 1952 |
The Hour of 13 |
Nicholas Revel |
|
| 1953 |
Rogue's March |
Capt. Dion Lenbridge/Pvt. Harry Simms |
|
| 1954 |
It Should Happen to You It Should Happen to You is a romantic comedy film starring Judy Holliday, notable as the first screen appearance of Jack Lemmon, who was then an aspiring young actor. The film was directed by George Cukor and filmed on location in New York City...
|
Evan Adams III |
|
| 1959 |
Never So Few Never So Few 1959 CinemaScope war film directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones and Steve McQueen with uncredited roles by renowned Asian actors Mako, George Takei and James Hong. The script was loosely based on an actual OSS...
|
Capt. Grey Travis |
Alternative title: Campaign Burma |
| 1960 |
Exodus Exodus is a 1960 epic war film made by Alpha and Carlyle Productions and distributed by United Artists. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the film was based on the 1958 novel Exodus, by Leon Uris. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo, which represented the breaking of the Hollywood...
|
Major Caldwell |
|
| 1960 |
Ocean's ElevenOcean's 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop....
|
Jimmy Foster |
|
| 1962 |
Sergeants 3 |
Sgt. Larry Barrett |
|
| 1962 |
Advise and ConsentAdvise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
|
Senator Lafe Smith |
|
| 1962 |
|
Lord LovatBrigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
|
|
| 1964 |
Dead Ringer Dead Ringer, also known as Who is Buried in my Grave? is a 1964 thriller film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by Paul Henreid and produced by William H. Wright from a screenplay by Oscar Millard and Albert Beich from the story La Otra by Rian James...
|
Tony Collins |
Alternative title: Dead Image |
| 1965 |
HarlowHarlow is a biographical film about the life of film star Jean Harlow. It stars Carroll Baker in the title role. It was released in 1965 by Paramount Pictures, shortly after another film with the same title and subject...
|
Paul BernPaul Bern was a German-born American film director, screenwriter and producer for MGM.-Early life and career:...
|
|
| 1966 |
|
Steve Marks |
|
| 1968 |
Skidoo Skidoo is an American comedy film directed by Otto Preminger, starring Jackie Gleason and Carol Channing, written by Doran William Cannon and released by Paramount Pictures on December 19, 1968...
|
The Senator |
|
| 1968 |
Salt and Pepper |
Christopher Pepper |
|
| 1969 |
The April Fools The April Fools is a 1969 romantic comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve. It was directed by Stuart Rosenberg.-Plot:Howard Brubaker is married to Phyllis, who doesn't love him. Catherine is the stunning wife of an equally uncaring husband, Howard's philandering boss Ted Gunther...
|
Ted Gunther |
|
| 1969 |
Hook, Line & Sinker Hook, Line & Sinker is a 1969 American film. It was filmed from April 1-June 20, 1968. It was released on June 6, 1969 by Columbia Pictures. This film was also Lewis' last for Columbia.-Plot:...
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Dr. Scott Carter |
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| 1970 |
One More Time One More Time is a comedy film, directed by Jerry Lewis and starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford. It was filmed in 1969 and released in May, 1970 by United Artists. It is a sequel to the 1968 film Salt and Pepper.-Synopsis:...
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Christopher Pepper/Lord Sydney Pepper |
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| 1972 |
They Only Kill Their Masters They Only Kill Their Masters is a 1972 mystery movie starring James Garner and Katharine Ross, with a supporting cast featuring Hal Holbrook, June Allyson, Tom Ewell, Peter Lawford, Edmond O'Brien, and Arthur O'Connell...
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Campbell |
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| 1975 |
Rosebud Rosebud is a 1975 motion picture directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Peter O'Toole, Richard Attenborough, and Peter Lawford. Originally the film was set to star Robert Mitchum, but he left after disagreements with Preminger...
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Lord Carter |
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| 1979 |
Angels Revenge Angels Revenge is a 1979 American film directed by Greydon Clark and distributed by Arista Films. It is also known as Angels' Brigade and Seven from Heaven....
|
Burke |
Alternative title: Angels' Brigade
Seven from Heaven |
| 1979 |
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women |
Gordon Duvall |
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| 1981 |
Body and Soul Body and Soul is a 1981 film, written by and starring Leon Isaac Kennedy, and co-starring his then-wife Jayne Kennedy. Directed by George Bowers, it is a remake of the 1947 film, a story of corruption, violence and temptation between a boxer and a knockout....
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Big Man |
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| 1983 |
Where Is Parsifal? Where is Parsifal? is a 1983 British comedy film directed by Henri Helman. It was released in France on April 13, 1988. The cast includes Tony Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Erik Estrada, and Orson Welles. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival...
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Montague Chippendale |
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Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1954 to 1955 |
Dear Phoebe Dear Phoebe is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1954 to April 1955. The series stars Peter Lawford, and was created and produced by Alex Gottlieb.-Synopsis:...
|
Bill Hastings |
32 episodes |
| 1955 |
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre Fireside Theater is an American anthology drama series that ran from on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Stories were low budget and often based on public domain stories or written by freelance writers such as Rod Serling. While it was panned...
|
Stephen |
Episode: "Stephen and Publius Cyrus" |
| 1956 |
Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
|
Willis Wayde |
Episode: "Sincerely, Willis Wade" |
| 1957 |
Producers' ShowcaseProducers' Showcase is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth Monday at 8 p.m. ET for three seasons, beginning October...
|
Lord Brinstead |
Episode: "Ruggles of Red Gap" |
| 1957 to 1959 |
The Thin Man The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:...
|
Nick Charles |
72 episodes |
| 1958 |
The Bob Cummings Show The Bob Cummings Show is an American sitcom starring Robert "Bob" Cummings which was produced from January 2, 1955 to September 15, 1959, and originally sponsored by R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarettes...
|
Himself |
Episode: "Bob Judges a Beauty Pageant" |
| 1959 |
Goodyear Theatre Goodyear Theatre is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC from 1957 to 1960 for a total of 55 episodes. The live show was derected by Don Taylor, Arthur Hiller and James Sheldon...
|
Major John Marshall |
Episode: "Point of Impact" |
| 1966 |
Run for Your LifeRun for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer...
|
Larry Carter |
Episode: "Carnival Ends at Midnight" |
| 1967 |
I Spy |
Hackaby |
Episode: "Get Thee to a Nunnery" |
| 1971 to 1973 |
|
Dr. Peter Lawrence |
8 episodes |
| 1978 |
Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
|
Kenneth Kirk |
Episode: "Frozen Assets" |
| 1979 |
SupertrainSupertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode.-Overview:...
|
Quentin Fuller |
Episode: "A Very Formal Heist" |
| 1981 |
|
Museum Guide (Voice) |
Episode: "The House That George Built" |
External links