Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown | |
|---|---|
 Brown as Deputy Johnny McKay in the television series Lawman (1959) | |
| Born | Pierre Lind de Lappe October 5, 1935 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 2016 (aged 80) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1957–2005 |
| Spouses | Sandy Edmundson
(m. 1964; div. 1971)Liliane Alice Yvette Safargy
(m. 1971; div. 1974)Mary Kathleen Gauba
(m. 1986; div. 1999)Kerstin Kern (m. 2008–2016) |
| Children | 3 |
Pierre Lind de Lappe (October 5, 1935 – March 21, 2016[1]), known professionally as Peter Brown, was an American actor who portrayed Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop in the 1958 to 1962 ABC-Warner Brothers western television series Lawman and Texas Ranger Chad Cooper on NBC's Laredo from 1965 to 1967.[2]
Early life
Brown was born in New York City. His mother, Mina Reaume, was a stage and radio actress, playing the "Dragon Lady" on the Terry and the Pirates radio serial. He had an older brother, Phillip, and two younger half brothers, Paul and Michael. Peter took the name Brown from his stepfather, Albert Brown.[citation needed]
During his United States Army service in Alaska with the 2nd Infantry Division, Brown became involved in writing, directing and acting in plays to entertain the other troops. Upon his discharge, Brown studied Drama at the University of California, Los Angeles and soon was appearing in plays and on NBC Matinee Theatre.
He supported himself by working in a gasoline station on the Sunset Strip. One night a man paid for his purchase with a credit card reading "Jack L. Warner". Brown asked the customer whether he was one of the Warner Brothers, the man replied "I'm the last one left".[3] The next day Brown was offered a screen test at the studio.[citation needed]
Career
As a contract player for Warner Brothers, Brown appeared in the films Red Nightmare and Darby's Rangers. Though his role in Onionhead was cut from the completed film, the producer Julius Schermer hired him for Deputy Johnny McKay in Lawman, an important part that lasted from 1958 to 1962. Brown was the last surviving member of the series. Brown also appeared in the 1962 film, Merrill's Marauders.
Brown appeared in dozens of other television shows and did several crossovers with other western series as Johnny McKay, including Maverick, in the 1961 episode "Hadley's Hunters," featuring Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, along with a host of characters from other Warner Brothers. westerns, including Cheyenne (Clint Walker), Bronco (Ty Hardin), and Sugarfoot (Will Hutchins). In 1957 Brown appeared as Clay Conover in Cheyenne in the episode titled "Top Hand." In 1958 he appeared as Billy Younger in Cheyenne in the episode titled "Ghost of the Cimarron." In the Cheyenne episode "Renegades" (1958), Brown at twenty-two was cast as 17-year-old Jed Wayne, who enlists in the United States Army after his father is killed in an attack by Comanche renegades. Olive Sturgess played Kathy Donovan, who takes an interest in young Wayne and is the daughter of the fort commander, Colonel Ralph Donovan (Bartlett Robinson), who distrusts the Indians. The episode also focuses on the spirit and endurance of Wayne's mortally lame horse and the wisdom of the Comanche chief, Little Elk (Steve Darrell).
Brown twice guest-starred in another ABC/WB western, Colt .45, with Wayde Preston. He appeared as Dave with Andrew Duggan and Bob Steele, who were cast as Jim Rexford and Sergeant Granger respectively in "The Peacemaker" or "Judgment Day", the series premiere in 1957. Thereafter that same season, he was cast as Jimmy Benedict opposite Charles Bronson as the outlaw Danny Arnold in the episode "Young Gun". In the story line, Benedict, who wants to make a name for himself, challenges Arnold to a gunfight.[4]
After his contract with Warner Brothers lapsed, Brown made two films for Walt Disney Studios, including Summer Magic with Hayley Mills and Burl Ives. He appeared in other television series too, such as Redigo, starring Richard Egan as a New Mexico rancher. He contracted to Universal Pictures for the 1965 NBC western television series Laredo, set on the Mexican border in and about Laredo, Texas.
Brown appeared in the pilot for Police Woman, starring Angie Dickinson. Brown appeared in several exploitation films such as Foxy Brown, Chrome and Hot Leather, and Act of Vengeance.
Soap operas
Brown also appeared on several soap operas. On Days of Our Lives, he played Dr. Greg Peters from 1972-1979 who was involved in a romance with Amanda Howard (Mary Frann). He was Laurie Brooks' attorney, Robert Laurence, on The Young and the Restless (1981-1982) when she was on trial for the murder of her former mother-in-law, Vanessa Prentiss. He would return briefly to "Y&R" in between soap stints in the late 1980s.
Brown replaced John Shearin as Roger Forbes on Loving during its early days, but was written out after only a couple of months. From 1986-1987, he played Charles Sanders, former ambassador to Mendorra, on One Life to Live The character had a heart attack and died on the evening of his wedding to Lee Halpern. He subsequently played Blake Hayes on The Bold and the Beautiful, the ex-husband of Dr. Taylor Hamilton Hayes.
Personal life
Brown was married five times. His wives were:
- Diane Jergens, an actress; they wed on 6 August 1958 and divorced in June 1960.
- Sandy Edmundson, a fashion model; they wed on 26 May 1964 and divorced in March 1971.
- Liliane Alice Yvette Safargy, a fashion model; they wed on 14 November 1971 and divorced in September 1974.
- Mary Kathleen Gauba, a tennis player; they wed on 29 November 1986 and divorced in 1999.
- Kerstin Kern; they wed on 6 September 2008 and the marriage lasted until his death in 2016.
Brown had three children as follows:
- Matthew (born 1965) by his second wife Sandy Edmundson.
- Joshua (born 1977), by Amber Karlson, with whom Brown lived from 1974 until 1979.
- Christi (born 1961), by Merle Pertile.[5]
Brown's brother, Phil, worked as an NBC Television West Coast operations coordinator in Burbank, California.
Brown died on March 21, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona, from complications of Parkinson's disease, aged 80.[6]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Story of Esther Costello | Boy | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Sayonara | 2nd MP | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1957 | Freedom and You | Bill Martin | Edited to half an hour and rereleased in 1962 as Red Nightmare |
| 1958 | Darby's Rangers | Pvt. / Cpl. Rollo Burns | |
| 1958 | Too Much, Too Soon | Young Nightcl | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Marjorie Morningstar | Alec | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Violent Road | Marine Corporal | Uncredited |
| 1958 | No Time for Sergeants | Radio Disc Jockey | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1958 | Onionhead | Clark | (scenes deleted) |
| 1959 | Westbound | Army Sentry Outside Tent | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1959 | The Young Philadelphians | Airline Ticket Agent / Elevator Operator | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1959 | The FBI Story | FBI Agent at Hearting | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1962 | Merrill's Marauders | Bullseye | |
| 1963 | Summer Magic | Tom Hamilton | |
| 1964 | A Tiger Walks | Vern Goodman | |
| 1964 | Ride the Wild Surf | Chase Colton | |
| 1964 | Kitten with a Whip | Ron | |
| 1968 | Three Guns for Texas | Texas Ranger Chad Cooper | Episodes of Laredo TV series made into a feature film |
| 1969 | Backtrack | Texas Ranger Chad Cooper | Episodes of Laredo TV series made into a feature film |
| 1970 | Attack at Dawn | Abie | Israeli film |
| 1971 | Chrome and Hot Leather | Al | |
| 1971 | Teenage Tease | ||
| 1972 | Piranha, Piranha | Jim Pendrake | |
| 1973 | Gentle Savage | - | Executive producer |
| 1974 | Foxy Brown | Stevie Elias | |
| 1974 | Memory of Us | Winston | |
| 1974 | Act of Vengeance | Jack | |
| 1975 | Sunburst | The Professor | |
| 1976 | Sparkle | - | Executive producer |
| 1982 | The Concrete Jungle | Danny | |
| 1986 | The Aurora Encounter | Sheriff | |
| 1986 | The Messenger | Harris | |
| 1990 | Deathstone | Admiral | |
| 1995 | Fists of Iron | Max | |
| 1997 | Asylum | Dr. Frank Meyers | |
| 1999 | Wasteland Justice | Wilkerson | |
| 2001 | The Wedding Planner | Justice | |
| 2004 | Y.M.I. | Glenn | |
| 2004 | Land of the Free? | Sen. Jacobs | |
| 2004 | Hollywood, It's a Dog's Life | Hank O'Hara | |
| 2005 | Three Bad Men | Tom Noland | |
| 2005 | Hell to Pay | Johnny Behan | (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Colt .45 | Jimmy Benedict / Dave | 2 episodes |
| 1957–1960 | Maverick | Deputy Johnny McKay / Rip Fallon in the episode: "Stage West"/ Chris Semple | 3 episodes |
| 1957–1962 | Cheyenne | Ross Andrews-Pocketful Of Stars ... Billy Younger [Ep:"Ghost of the Cimarron"]
Jed Wayne [Ep: Renegades] Clay Conover - [Ep: Top Hand] (4 episodes) | |
| 1958–1959 | Sugarfoot | Deputy Johnny McKay / Davey Reeder | 2 episodes |
| 1958–1962 | Lawman | Deputy Johnny McKay | 156 episodes |
| 1962 | Hawaiian Eye | Teo | Episode: "Lalama Lady" |
| 1962 | 77 Sunset Strip | Trace Morgan / Timmy Ellison | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | The Gallant Men | Lt. Hodges | Episode: "The Bridge" |
| 1963 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Det. Philip Reardon / Ed | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Redigo | Johnny Porter | Episode: "The Blooded Bull" |
| 1963–1964 | Wagon Train | Ben Campbell / Aaron Balfour / Benedict O'Brien | 3 episodes |
| 1964 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Chris Forrester / Lieutenant Ben Hollister | 2 episodes |
| 1964–1967 | The Virginian | Tom Conlan / Chad Cooper / Craig Ryan | 3 episodes |
| 1965–1967 | Laredo | Chad Cooper | 56 episodes, three of which are a credit only. Credited as Chad Cooper/Prince Lazlo in "A Prince of a Ranger" (1966) |
| 1967 | The Danny Thomas Hour | Eddie Kimble | Episode: "The Enemy" |
| 1969 | The Best Years | Dempster | Made-for-television movie |
| 1969 | Mod Squad | Lou Franklin | Episode: "The Debt" |
| 1970 | Hunters Are for Killing | Raymond Pera | Made-for-television movie |
| 1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Scott Norton | Episode: "War Games" |
| 1971 | My Three Sons | Mike Turley | Episode: "The Love God" |
| 1971 | Dan August | Fred Bowers | Episode: "The Manufactured Man" |
| 1971 | Mission: Impossible | Johnny Brown | Episode: "Blind" |
| 1971 | O'Hara, U.S. Treasury | S.A. Bart Herron | Episode: "Operation: Spread" |
| 1972 | Medical Center | Dr. Musante | Episode: "Deadlock" |
| 1972 | The Bob Newhart Show | Stan Conners | Episode: "Tennis, Emily?" |
| 1972–1978 | Days of Our Lives | Dr. Greg Peters | 10 episodes |
| 1973 | The Magician | Ray Weaver | Episode: "The Vanishing Lady" |
| 1974 | Police Story | Chuck / Lloyd | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Mike Ross | Episode: "The Covenant" |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Episode: "Dead Men Talk", Episode: "Murder on Ice" | |
| 1975 | Police Woman | Paul Monarch | Episode: "Above and Beyond" |
| 1977 | The Streets of San Francisco | Officer Brady | Episode: "One Last Trick" |
| 1977 | Quincy M.E. | Bondine - College Football Coast | Episode: "Main Man" |
| 1978 | Wonder Woman | Inspector Tim Bolt | Episode: "Hot Wheels" |
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Mark Correll | Episode: "Angels Ahoy" |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Richie | Episode: "The Pageant" |
| 1978 | The Eddie Capra Mysteries | Episode: "Breakout to Murder" | |
| 1978 | Flying High | Richard | Episode: "Brides and Grooms" |
| 1979 | Salvage 1 | Bill Kelly | Episode: "Salvage" (pilot) |
| 1979 | Project U.F.O. | Steve Rollins | Episode: "Sighting 4026: The Atlantic Queen Incident" |
| 1979 | California Fever | Woods | Episode: "Beach Wars" |
| 1980 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Floyd Baker | Episode: "Officer Daisy Duke" |
| 1980 | Top of the Hill | McCain | Made-for-television movie |
| 1980 | The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything | Bodyguard | Made-for-television movie |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Patrick O'Herlihy | Episode: "Elizabeth's Baby/The Artist and the Lady" |
| 1981 | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Hijacker Thompson | Episode: "Airsick - 1981" |
| 1982 | Dallas | Tom Flintoff | Episode: "Denial" |
| 1982 | Magnum, P.I. | Robert Brighton | Episode: "Heal Thyself" |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart | Ray Martin / Dr. Scott | Episode: "As the Hart Turns" |
| 1983 | Loving | Roger Forbes | |
| 1983 | T.J. Hooker | Lt. Drummer | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Manimal | Carl McGhan | Episode: "High Stakes" |
| 1984 | Whiz Kids | Androv | Episode: "Father's Day" |
| 1984 | Cover Up | Mark Reynolds | Pilot episode |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy | Episode: "San Francisco Caper" | |
| 1984 | Riptide | Fred Cushing | Episode: "Peter Pan Is Alive and Well" |
| 1984–1986 | Simon & Simon | Manny Crobett / FBI Agent Frank Kenniman | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Crazy Like a Fox | Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part" | |
| 1985 | Knight Rider | Episode: "Knight Behind Bars" | |
| 1986 | Airwolf | Herb Waldron | Episode: "Little Wolf" |
| 1986 | The A-Team | Episode: "The Theory of Revolution" | |
| 1986–1987 | One Life to Live | Charles Sanders, III | Featured Role |
| 1988 | Ohara | Austin Snyder | Episode: "Last Year's Model" |
| 1988 | Aaron's Way | Coach Grady | Episode: "New Patterns" |
| 1988 | 1st & Ten: The Championship | Mal Hutchins | Episode: "Caught in the Draft" |
| 1989 | Hunter | Fuller | Episode: "Partners" |
| 1989 | Generations | Doctor | 4 episodes |
| 1989–1991 | The Young and the Restless | Robert Laurence | 6 episodes |
| 1990 | Baywatch | Bucky | Episode: "Shark Derby" |
| 1991–1992 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Blake Hayes | 30 episodes |
| 1992 | Wings | Dr. Lasker | Episode: "Noses Off" |
| 1994 | One West Waikiki | Mr. Dineheart | Episode: "Along Came a Spider" |
| 1997 | Babylon 5 | Minister | Episode: "Intersections in Real Time" |
| 2000 | JAG | Bill Layton | Episode: "Real Deal SEAL" |
| 2001 | Disney's California Adventure TV Special | Made-for-television movie |
Notes
- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (March 25, 2016). "Peter Brown, Star in TV Westerns and Soap Opera, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ^ Thomas, Bob (February 8, 1959). "Peter Brown Major Reason 'Lawman' Show Popular". Ocala Star-Banner. p. 11. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
- ^ "Peter Brown Biography". Official Peter Brown Fan Site. Archived from the original on 2007-08-20.
- ^ "Colt .45". ctva.biz. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- ^ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company. p. 70. ISBN 978-1476662503.
- ^ ""Summer Magic" Star Peter Brown Passes Away at 80". Laughing Place. March 22, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
References
- Brown, Peter; Stuart, Alexx (2014). The Fastest Gun in Hollywood: The Life Story of Peter Brown. Wild Horse Press. ASIN B00HRHANJ2.
