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Peter Lawford

Peter Sydney Lawford (September 7, 1923 - December 24, 1984) was a Hollywood actor and member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack," more noted for his off-screen activities than for his acting.

Born in London, the son of actor Sidney Lawford and his (eventual) wife, Mary Aylen, née Somerville, he spent his early childhood in France, and began acting as a child. In childhood he severely injured his arm. Doctors were able to save the arm, but the injury bothered him for many years. The arm injury kept him from being drafted into the armed forces for the Second World War. Prior to the war, Lawford had a gained a contract position with the MGM studios.

Lawford became an American citizen in 1960, in time to vote for his brother-in-law John F. Kennedy. Lawford, along with the other members of the Rat Pack helped to campaign for Kennedy and the Democratic party.

He married four times. He married his first wife, Patricia Kennedy, sister to President John F. Kennedy, in 1954. They had four children, including actor Christopher Lawford. They divorced in 1966. He married his scond wife, Mary Rowan, daughter of Dan Rowan, in 1971. They divorced in 1975. He married his third wife, Deborah Gould in 1976. They divorced in 1977. His fourth wife, whom he married in 1984, was Patricia Seaton.

He and his brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy are reported to have visited Marilyn Monroe on the day she died, although this is not known for sure.

Lawford was close to Frank Sinatra for a number of years. However Sinatra had threatened him with bodily harm when he learned that Lawford had lunch with Ava Gardner. Lawford's friends managed to convince Sinatra that nothing was going on between Gardner and Lawford. But Sinatra refused to speak with Lawford for a number of years. The two were later reconciled, but Sinatra later permanently broke off the friendship. Sinatra's feelings were such that once when he learned that Peter Lawford was in the audience he was about to perform in front of that he refused to come out until Lawford and his wife were removed from the audience.

Later in life, Lawford had fallen into drug and alcohol abuse. Such abuse, plus strained relationships with others, and financial difficulties caused a great deal of strain on his already fragile health. Lawford was reduced to doing television guest shots on such shows as Fantasy Island, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Profiles In Courage, The Wild Wild West, I Spy, The Name Of The Game, The Jeffersons, The Virginian and Hawaii Five O. He also had a recurring role on The Doris Day Show. Lawford died in Los Angeles in 1984 of liver and kidney disease. He was cremated on Christmas Day of 1984, and was then originally buried in L.A. at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. His original burial location was near that of Marilyn Monroe. Because of a dispute between the family and the cemetery his remains were removed and then scattered in the Pacific.

Films

  • The White Cliffs of Dover - 1944
  • The Canterville Ghost - 1944
  • Mrs. Parkington - 1944
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray - 1945 (his father also appeared in this film)
  • Son of Lassie - 1945
  • Good News - 1947
  • Easter Parade - 1948
  • Little Women - 1949
  • Royal Wedding - 1951
  • Exodus - 1960
  • Ocean's Eleven - 1960 (appearing with other members of the "Rat Pack")
  • Advise and Consent - 1962
  • The Longest Day - 1962
  • Salt and Pepper - 1968 (costarring fellow "Rat Pack" member Sammy Davis, Jr.)
  • Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell - 1969
  • Angels Revenge - 1979

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Because of a dispute between the family and the cemetery his remains were removed and then scattered in the Pacific. He died in Studio City, California from lung cancer. His original burial location was near that of Marilyn Monroe. He also received recognition as a photographer and published five books of photographs. at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. McDowall was also a president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that presents the Oscar. He was cremated on Christmas Day of 1984, and was then originally buried in L.A. He played a recurring character villain, "The Bookworm", in the camp 1960s TV series Batman and had an acclaimed recurring role as the The Mad Hatter in Batman: The Animated Series.

Lawford died in Los Angeles in 1984 of liver and kidney disease. He also appeared on stage and television. He also had a recurring role on The Doris Day Show. Other film appearances included The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Lawford was reduced to doing television guest shots on such shows as Fantasy Island, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Profiles In Courage, The Wild Wild West, I Spy, The Name Of The Game, The Jeffersons, The Virginian and Hawaii Five O. McDowall was one of the few child actors to continue his career successfully into adulthood, but it was usually in character roles, notably in four of the five original Planet of the Apes movies (1968-1973). Such abuse, plus strained relationships with others, and financial difficulties caused a great deal of strain on his already fragile health. It was as "Huw" in How Green Was My Valley (1941) that he made his name, and he appeared in many other films as a child actor, including The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and some of the Lassie series, where he appeared opposite the young Elizabeth Taylor.

Later in life, Lawford had fallen into drug and alcohol abuse. He was born in London to a family enthusiastic about the theatre, and made his first film appearance at the age of ten. Sinatra's feelings were such that once when he learned that Peter Lawford was in the audience he was about to perform in front of that he refused to come out until Lawford and his wife were removed from the audience. Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (sometimes written MacDowall) (September 17, 1928-October 3, 1998) was a British actor. The two were later reconciled, but Sinatra later permanently broke off the friendship. But Sinatra refused to speak with Lawford for a number of years.

Lawford's friends managed to convince Sinatra that nothing was going on between Gardner and Lawford. However Sinatra had threatened him with bodily harm when he learned that Lawford had lunch with Ava Gardner. Lawford was close to Frank Sinatra for a number of years. Kennedy are reported to have visited Marilyn Monroe on the day she died, although this is not known for sure.

He and his brother-in-law Robert F. His fourth wife, whom he married in 1984, was Patricia Seaton. They divorced in 1977. He married his third wife, Deborah Gould in 1976.

They divorced in 1975. He married his scond wife, Mary Rowan, daughter of Dan Rowan, in 1971. They divorced in 1966. They had four children, including actor Christopher Lawford.

Kennedy, in 1954. He married his first wife, Patricia Kennedy, sister to President John F. He married four times. Lawford, along with the other members of the Rat Pack helped to campaign for Kennedy and the Democratic party.

Kennedy. Lawford became an American citizen in 1960, in time to vote for his brother-in-law John F. Prior to the war, Lawford had a gained a contract position with the MGM studios. The arm injury kept him from being drafted into the armed forces for the Second World War.

In childhood he severely injured his arm. Doctors were able to save the arm, but the injury bothered him for many years. Born in London, the son of actor Sidney Lawford and his (eventual) wife, Mary Aylen, née Somerville, he spent his early childhood in France, and began acting as a child. Peter Sydney Lawford (September 7, 1923 - December 24, 1984) was a Hollywood actor and member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack," more noted for his off-screen activities than for his acting. Angels Revenge - 1979.

Campbell - 1969. Buona Sera, Mrs. Salt and Pepper - 1968 (costarring fellow "Rat Pack" member Sammy Davis, Jr.). The Longest Day - 1962.

Advise and Consent - 1962. Ocean's Eleven - 1960 (appearing with other members of the "Rat Pack"). Exodus - 1960. Royal Wedding - 1951.

Little Women - 1949. Easter Parade - 1948. Good News - 1947. Son of Lassie - 1945.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - 1945 (his father also appeared in this film). Parkington - 1944. Mrs. The Canterville Ghost - 1944.

The White Cliffs of Dover - 1944.