Peter Palmer (actor)
Peter Palmer | |
|---|---|
 Palmer as Li'l Abner and Edie Adams as Daisy Mae, 1956. | |
| Born | Peter Webster Palmer September 20, 1931 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 2021 (aged 90) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–1990s |
| Spouse(s) |
Jackie Palmer
(m. 1954; div. 1964) |
| Children | 6 |
Peter Webster Palmer (September 20, 1931 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Li'l Abner, alongside Edie Adams, both on Broadway and on film.
Life and career
Peter Webster Palmer was offered scholarships to a number of universities; he chose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study voice under Bruce Foote. He was the first music major to letter in football at the university. While at Illinois his team won the Big Ten championships in 1951 and 1953 and the Rose Bowl in 1952. Palmer sang the national anthem at every home game in 1953 before taking the field.
In 1956, Palmer was cast in the title role of the musical Li'l Abner, for which he won a Theatre World Award.[1] Having won a singing contest while in the U.S. Army, he was rewarded with an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where he sang “Granada.”. The producers of the musical, Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, happened to spot him on the Sullivan show and sought out to hire him immediately.[2] In 1959, he was cast in the same role in the movie version. His Li'l Abner role brought him a guest appearance on The Ford Show (starring Tennessee Ernie Ford). In 1967, Palmer had a recurring role as Sergeant James Bustard, a former Confederate States of America soldier in the short-lived series Custer.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Palmer appeared on numerous television episodes, including small parts on Dallas, M*A*S*H (S7Ep13) and Emergency! (S5Ep12). He appeared on Broadway with Carol Channing in Lorelei in 1974. In 1977, he had a regular role as part of the cast on the short-lived sitcom The Kallikaks, playing Oscar Heinz.[3]
Personal life
In 1954, Palmer married his first wife, Jackie; they had five children, and were divorced in 1964.[4] In 1966, Palmer was married to 1964 Miss Dominion of Canada and actress Aniko Farrell;[5] they had one child, a daughter, Farrell Beth. The couple loved theatre and spent much of their time at the Masque Community Theatre in Temple Terrace, Florida, where they resided until Aniko's death in 2011.[6]
Palmer died on September 21, 2021, the day after his 90th birthday.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Li'l Abner | Li'l Abner Yokum | |
| 1988 | Deep Space | Pike | |
| 1988 | A Time of Destiny | Policeman | |
| 1990 | Edward Scissorhands | Editor |
References
- ^ Theatre World Awards Recipients, theatreworldawards.org; accessed January 15, 2017.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (September 22, 2021). "Peter Palmer, Star of 'Li'l Abner' on Broadway and the Big Screen, Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Peter Palmer at IMDb
- ^ "Dogpatch Image Stalks Palmer", Milwaukee Journal, July 18, 1975.
- ^ California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985
- ^ "Mary Lou Aniko Farrell Palmer obituary". Tampa Bay Times. October 23, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "Peter Palmer, Star of 'Li'l Abner' on Broadway and the Big Screen, Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter. September 22, 2021.
External links
- Peter Palmer at IMDb
- Peter Palmer at the Internet Broadway Database
- Peter Palmer: If I Had My Druthers... — interview at BroadwayWorld.com
- Peter Palmer discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1931 births
- 2021 deaths
- Male actors from Milwaukee
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male television actors
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign School of Music alumni
- Theatre World Award winners
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American male singers