Arthur Peterson Jr. (November 18, 1912 – October 31, 1996) was an American actor. He played character and supporting roles on stage, television, and feature films. On television, he played the Major in the TV series ''

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'' (1977–1981).

Early life

Born and raised in

Mandan, North Dakota Mandan is a city on the eastern border of Morton County and the eighth-largest city in North Dakota. Founded in 1879 on the west side of the upper Missouri River, it was designated in 1881 as the county seat of Morton County. The population w ...

, Peterson first obtained a degree in theater from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

before becoming a professional actor with the first Federal Theatre Project. Peterson made his media debut in 1937 with the central role on the radio serial ''

The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

''. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Peterson fought within

General Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

's Third Army.

Acting career

In the era of old-time radio, Peterson portrayed Wilton Comstock on ''

Bachelor's Children ''Bachelor's Children'' is a domestic daytime drama broadcast that originated on Chicago's WGN in 1935–36, continuing on CBS and NBC until September 27, 1946. It followed the daily travails of two friends, Dr. Bob Graham and Sam Ryder, and the ...

'', Bill Baxter on ''The Baxters'', Judge Parsons on ''The Tom Mix Ralston Straightshooters'', and John Ruthledge on '' Guiding Light''. In 1949, Peterson appeared in the ABC network's first

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

, ''That's O'Toole''. In 1960, he appeared in the episode “The Peace Officer” (S6E6) in the TV Western '' Gunsmoke'', as well as in 1961 as “Sam Frazer” in “A Man A Day” and in 1966 as a “Drunk” in “Champion of the World”. Peterson's stage work included appearances in such plays as ''Inherit the Wind''. His film career has been sporadic, including such titles as ''

The Young Animals ''The Young Animals'', also known as ''Born Wild'', is a 1968 drama film directed by Maury Dexter. It was the second in a four-picture deal he did with AIP and was filmed at Tucson, Arizona. Plot WASP Bruce (David Macklin) and his gang beat up ...

'' (AKA ''Born Wild'') (1968) and the television movie ''

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'' (1977). Peterson was guest artist at George Mason University, where he taught classes in acting and developed original materials such as The Monster, The Bride and Stephen based on the writings of

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

. He also co-authored with June August, a one-man show titled "Robert Frost: Fire and Ice", based on the life and works of the famous poet. After the premiere of the one-man show at the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

Interim Theatre, Peterson spent 1981 to 1991 touring the United States with the Robert Frost piece, which alternated with a Pasadena Playhouse production of "The Gin Game," performed with his wife Norma, (a play previously performed on Broadway by

Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe ...

and her husband

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor and writer. Early life Cronyn, one of five children, was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, Sr., was a businessman and ...

). During Arthur's residency at George Mason, he met David Arrow, who was instrumental in bringing "Robert Frost: Fire and Ice" off-Broadway, where it played during the summer of 1984. Peterson also recorded the piece for AudioBooks. When the long run ended for these plays, Peterson retired from acting. He died on October 31, 1996, of Alzheimer's disease in the Amberwood Convalescent Hospital in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

18 days before his 84th birthday.

Personal life

Peterson was married to Norma Ransom, an actress whom he met when the two were students at the University of Minnesota.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1912 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from Alzheimer's disease People from Mandan, North Dakota University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts alumni {{US-theat-actor-1910s-stub