Gil Peterson
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Gil Peterson is an American former actor and singer best known for such films and television series as The Cool Ones and The F.B.I..
Early life and education
[edit]Peterson was born to H. W. and Mable Peterson in Winona, Mississippi. His older brother, Donald, would later become a NASA astronaut.[1] Peterson played football at both Winona High School and Mississippi State in the position of halfback and left-footed punter, graduating from the university in 1958 as a physical education major.[2][3] During college vacations, Peterson sang in night clubs in the south, and had a screen test in his senior year.[4] He served for several months with the United States Air Force Reserve.[5]
Career
[edit]Peterson moved to Los Angeles, and worked in the physical education department of the school system while pursuing a performing career.[6] Peterson began as a singer with the DownBeats. In 1962, he recorded a single, "Baby, Baby All the Time" with "Nobody's Fool on the B-side, released by the Karle Company, and recorded an album with Bobby Troup, about which Peterson joked, "It sold seven copies. My folks bought six and I bought one." He recorded two other albums which were also not successes.[5][3]
He performed in summer stock theater and studied acting with James Best. After making a number of commercials, his first television role was on Combat!.[5] Peterson appeared in Never Too Young, Paradise Bay, Run for Your Life, and The Young Marrieds.[4]
In 1966, Peterson was cast as the lead in The Cool Ones.[4] Turner Classic Movies notes that The Cool Ones was not favorably reviewed on its release, but quotes a modern reviewer: "Some bad movies are more entertaining than their much better cousins, and The Cool Ones falls squarely into that category."[7] After The Cool Ones, Peterson was offered a five-year, five-film deal by Jack L. Warner.[8]
Peterson appeared on Death Valley Days in 1967.[9] Other roles included 12 O'Clock High, The FBI, and Valley of the Dolls.[5] In 1974, Peterson appeared on Emergency!.[10]
Peterson established JaXon Productions, a film corporation in Mississippi, in 1969, intending to change his career from acting and singing to producing.[11]
By 1989, Peterson had retired from acting and moved to Winchester, Oregon.[1]
Personal life
[edit]After first moving to California, Peterson married a model from Sacramento, who died of cancer.[4] Peterson is a licensed flight instructor and owned an aviation business in California.[11]
Partial filmography
[edit]- The Brain Machine (1977) as Dr. Elton Morris
- Valley of the Dolls (1967) (uncredited)[5]
- The Cool Ones (1967) as Cliff Donner
References
[edit]- ^ a b Cearnal, Sidney (November 23, 1989). "H. W. "Pete" Peterson, Army veteran". The Clarion-Ledger. p. 2B.
- ^ "Local Boy Makes Good". The Greenwood Commonwealth. December 12, 1969. p. 1, 10.
- ^ a b ""Singing Halfback" Has New Recording". The Greenwood Commonwealth. August 7, 1962. p. 2.
- ^ a b c d Jennings, Robert (August 21, 1966). "Former Bulldog is Among 'The Cool Ones'". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e "Don and Gil Peterson are grateful for home support". The Winona Times. August 24, 1967. pp. 1, 7.
- ^ "Gil Peterson Is TV Star Safeguarded By Education". Asheville Citizen-Times. August 21, 1966. p. 54.
- ^ Stafford, Jeff (July 10, 2023). "The Cool Ones". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ Muir, Florabel (September 2, 1966). "Looking at Hollywood". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. 15.
- ^ "In The Spotlight". The Charlotte Observer. July 1, 1967. p. 16.
- ^ "Gil Peterson on "Emergency"". The Winona Times. February 14, 1974. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Winona plans for Mississippi movies". The Conservative. Carrollton, Mississippi. December 4, 1969. pp. 1, 3.
External links
[edit]- Gil Peterson at IMDb