Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford was a British-born actor, filmmaker, socialite, and entertainer who spent most of his adult life in the United States of America. He was a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1940s and the 1950s and later joined the famous informal group of entertainers called the Rat Pack. Born in a military family, Lawford was raised in France and did not receive a formal education. Instead, he was home-schooled by his governesses and tutors. He demonstrated a deep interest in art and literature, prompting his mother to formulate his education around that. In 1931, at the age of seven, Lawford made his acting debut in the British comedy film ‘Poor Old Bill’. He suffered a serious accident at the age of 14, which caused irreversible nerve damage in his right arm. Because of this, he could not enlist in the British military when the World War II broke out. He then decided to pursue his passion of acting. Most roles he landed in the early phase of his career were uncredited appearances but after leading men such as Clark Gable and James Stewart went to serve in the war, Lawford emerged as a new romantic lead. In 1953, he made his small-screen debut in Ronald Reagan’s anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’. In 1959, Frank Sinatra invited him to join the Rat Pack. In 1963, he began his career behind the camera. Imbued with a true passion for the craft, Lawford continued to work until his death in 1984. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his television work in 1960.
Lawford was born Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen on September 7, 1923, in London, England. His parents were Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KBE (1865–1953) and May Sommerville Bunny (1883–1972); he was their only child. At the time of his birth, both his parents were married to other people. His mother’s husband was Capt Dr Ernest Vaughn Aylen, who served under Sydney, while his father’s wife was a woman named Muriel Williams.
At the time his mother became pregnant with him, she and her husband were living separately. She later told Aylen everything and a double divorce ensued. In September 1924, Sydney and May got married after they were legally cleared to do so.
Lawford had relations in the British aristocracy and grew up in relative affluence. He was raised in France. He could not attend a regular school as his family was always travelling. Instead, his parents chose to get him home-schooled. Governesses and private tutors were hired to provide him with a sound education. He also took tennis and ballet lessons.
According to his mother, he displayed a love for fairy tales and English and French literature from an early age. He was also taught Spanish, German, music, and dramatic arts. His mother categorically omitted subjects such as Latin and mathematics from his curriculum as she felt that “he was unfitted for any career except art”.
Peter Lawford was seven years old, when he was cast in his first film, ‘Poor Old Bill’. He starred in one more film as a child, the 1931 crime drama ‘A Gentleman of Paris.’
When he was 14 years old, Lawford was involved in an accident that caused severe injuries to his right arm. He lost the use of the lower arm and hand because of irreversible nerve damage. In time, he would learn how to hide it. At the advent of the World War II, his parents wanted him to enlist in the British military. His injury, however, prevented him from doing so. Lawford decided to become an actor instead.
He already had some experience in the industry, having appeared in two films as a child actor. After his accident, he returned to the film industry with Sam Wood’s directorial venture ‘Lord Jeff’ in 1938. This was his first American film.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. reached out to Peter Lawford at the beginning of the World War II with a contract offer but it did not work out initially. His first important role was in ‘A Yank at Eton’, a comedy-drama film released in 1942. Lawford played a character named Ronnie Kenvil.
Subsequently, he portrayed uncredited roles in a series of films. He was cast as a pilot in ‘Mrs. Miniver’ (1942) and ‘Eagle Squadron’ (1942); a soldier in ‘random Harvest’ (1942), ‘Immortal Sergeant’ (1943), ‘Pilot No. 5’ (1943), and ‘Sahara (1943); and a sailor in ‘Sherlock Holmes Faces Death’ (1943).
He eventually signed a long-term contract with MGM in June 1943. The inaugural role he played under this was of a young soldier during the World War II in ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ (1944). He was cast as David Stone in the 1945 cinematic rendition of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
He appeared in ‘Son of Lassie’ in 1945 which made Lawford a Hollywood star. At the height of his popularity, he was receiving thousands of fan letters every week. By 1946, he has become the new romantic lead at MGM as Gable and Stewart were serving in the war at the time.
He starred in ‘Cluny Brown’ (1946), ‘Two Sisters from Boston’ (1946), and ‘My Brother Talks to Horses’ (1947). His first work with Frank Sinatra was the 1947 musical ‘It Happened in Brooklyn’. Lawford garnered rave reviews for his performance.
He continued to work for MGM well into the 1950s, playing supporting roles in films such as ‘On an Island with You’ (1948), ‘Easter Parade’ (1948), ‘Little Women’ (1949), ‘Royal Wedding’ (1951) and ‘You for Me’ (1952). His last film with MGM was ‘Rogue’s March’, which was released in 1953.
After he was released by MGM, the first film he worked in was ‘It Should Happen to you’, in which he shared screen space with Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon. Lawford had developed a friendship with Sinatra in the intermediate years and was asked by the renowned singer to join the Rat Pack in 1959. Furthermore, Sinatra cast him in his film ‘Never So Few’. In 1960, he played Jimmy Foster opposite Sinatra’s Danny Ocean in the heist film ‘Ocean’s Eleven’.
Lawford’s TV debut came about in 1953, in Ronald Reagan’s anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’. From 1957 to 1959, he played Nick Charles in NBC’s mystery series ‘The Thin Man’. Also starring Phyllis Kirk, it was the first television series produced by MGM.
Lawford and his manager, Milt Ebbins, set up Chrislaw Productions in 1961 and released their first film ‘Johnny Cool’ in 1963. They went on to make three more films: ‘Billie’ (1965), ‘Salt and Pepper’ (1968), and ‘One More Time’ (1970).
In 1965, he guest-starred as General Alexander William Doniphan in NBC’s historical anthology series ‘Profiles in Courage’. He was cast as the titular character in the 1971 telefilm ‘Ellery Queen: Don’t Look Behind You’. Lawford played multiple characters in ABC’s ‘Fantasy Island’ between 1977 and 1982. He also served as the narrator of NBC’s ‘Highcliffe Manor. Lawford’s last TV role was in an episode of ‘The Jeffersons’ in 1981.
Lawford was active as an actor till the very end. The final film he worked on was ‘Where Is Parsifal?’ which was either released in 1983 or 1984.
| Born | in London, England, UK |
| Died | in Los Angeles, California, USA |
BEST FILM
15.Exodus
Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint
Released: 1960
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Exodus is a 1960 epic 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..
14.Cluny Brown
Jennifer Jones, Charles Boyer
Released: 1946
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
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..
13
Skidoo
Mickey Rooney, Carol Channing
Released: 1968
Directed by: Otto Preminger
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..
12.The Longest Day
Sean Connery, John Wayne
Released: 1962
Directed by: Darryl F. Zanuck, Ken Annakin, Bernhard Wicki, Andrew Marton, Gerd Oswald
The Longest Day is a 1962 film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about D-Day, the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, during WWII. The film was…
11.Sergeants 3
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin
Released: 1962
Directed by: John Sturges
Sergeants 3 is a 1962 remake of Gunga Din set in the American West, directed by John Sturges and featuring Rat Pack icons Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and..
10.It Should Happen to You
Jack Lemmon, Judy Holliday
Released: 1954
Directed by: George Cukor
It Should Happen to You is a romantic comedy film starring Judy Holliday and Peter Lawford, and notable as the first major screen appearance of Jack Lemmon, who was then an aspiring
9.Harlow
Angela Lansbury, Ginger Rogers
Released: 1965
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Harlow is a 1965 American biographical film directed by Gordon Douglas about the life of film star Jean Harlow. It stars Carroll Baker in the title role, and Raf Vallone, Red Buttons, Angela..
8.Advise & Consent
Frank Sinatra, Betty White
Released: 1962
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Advise & Consent is a 1962 American motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Allen Drury, published in 1959. The movie was adapted for the screen b..
7.It Happened in Brooklyn
Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson
Released: 1947
Directed by: Richard Whorf
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..
6.Son of Lassie
Peter Lawford, June Lockhart
Released: 1945
Directed by: S. Sylvan Simon
Son of Lassie is a 1945 Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Pal. A sequel to..
5.That’s Entertainment!
Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli
Released: 1974
Directed by: Jack Haley, Jr.
That’s Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That’s Dancing!.
4.Easter Parade
Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland
Released: 1948
Directed by: Charles Walters
Easter Parade is a 1948 American musical film starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and Peter Lawford, featuring music by Irving Berlin, including some of Astaire and Garland’s best-known..
3.Royal Wedding
Fred Astaire, Keenan Wynn
Released: 1951
Directed by: Stanley Donen
Royal Wedding is a 1951 MGM musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. The film was directed by Stanley Donen; it..
2.Good News
June Allyson, Mel Tormé
Released: 1947
Directed by: Charles Walters
Good News is a 1947 American MGM musical film based on the 1927 stage production of the same name. It starred June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Mel Tormé, and Joan McCracken. The..
And in the first place
Little Women
Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh
Released: 1949
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
Little Women is a 1949 American feature film. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s novel of the same name, it was filmed in Technicolor and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay was written by…
