Career Peter Lawford

1 career

1.1 films
1.2 mgm career
1.3 post-mgm
1.4 television

career
films

in picture of dorian gray (1945)

prior second world war, lawford had gained contract position metro-goldwyn-mayer studios.

lawford s first film role had been @ age 7 in film poor old bill. in 1938, made hollywood debut in minor part in film lord jeff. first role in major film production in yank @ eton (1942), starring mickey rooney, in lawford played snobbish bully. had uncredited roles pilot in mrs. miniver (1942) , sailor in sherlock holmes faces death (1943).

mgm career

in june 1943, mgm signed lawford long-term contract. first role under white cliffs of dover (1944), in played young soldier during second world war. mgm gave him important role in picture of dorian gray (1945). lawford s first leading role came in son of lassie (1945), , later won modern screen magazine readers poll popular actor in hollywood of 1946. fan mail jumped thousands of letters week.

in royal wedding (1951)

with actors such clark gable , james stewart away @ war, lawford recognised new romantic lead on mgm lot. lawford s busiest year actor 1946, when 2 of films opened within days of each other: cluny brown , 2 sisters boston. made first comedy film year, brother talks horses (released in 1947). appeared frank sinatra first time in musical happened in brooklyn (1947). lawford received rave reviews work in film, while sinatra s lukewarm.

lawford later admitted terrifying experience of career first musical number performed in musical news (1947). using american accent role, won acclaim performer. on next few years, given supporting roles in mgm films, including on island (1948), easter parade (1948), little women (1949), royal wedding (1951) , me (1952).

post-mgm

eva marie saint, paul newman , peter lawford in exodus (1960)

lawford s first film after metro released him , several other players contracts comedy should happen you, wherein starred alongside judy holliday , jack lemmon. in 1959, sinatra invited lawford join rat pack , got him role in never few. casino caper ocean s 11 (1960) project lawford first brought sinatra s attention. other films included acclaimed israeli-set drama exodus (1960); longest day (1962), war film star-studded cast; , political drama advise & consent (1962) (in played united states senator). reunited rat pack western adventure sergeants 3.

in 1961, lawford , manager milt ebbins formed chrislaw productions, named after peter s son christopher, , produced 1963 action film johnny cool starring henry silva , elizabeth montgomery. went on produce 1965 patty duke film billie 2 films sammy davis, jr., salt , pepper , 1 more time. returned mgm kill masters (1972), reunited him several former mgm contract players. last role montague chippendale in parsifal? (1983).

television

members of rat pack , l-r: frank sinatra, dean martin, sammy davis jr., lawford, , joey bishop

lawford made television debut in 1953 in guest-starring role on ronald reagan s anthology series general electric theater. in 1954, starred newspaper advice-to-the-lovelorn columnist named bill hastings in short-lived nbc series dear phoebe marcia henderson , charles lane.

from 1957 1959, lawford co-starred phyllis kirk in thin man, nbc series mgm based on novel dashiell hammett. had recurring role on doris day show 1971 1973 love interest day s character.

lawford guest-starred on various television series, including doris day show, martha raye show, schlitz playhouse of stars, bob hope presents chrysler theatre, alfred hitchcock presents, wild wild west, virginian, bewitched, patty duke show, love boat, fantasy island , bob cummings show.

aside guest spots, guest-starred on variety shows, such judy garland show , rowan & martin s laugh-in, , game shows, such s line?, password , pyramid.