10/31/2008:
Flipping through the hundreds of channels available via our friendly cable or satellite provider, we often discover that there really isn’t anything new worth watching. News channels are depressing, reality TV shows are getting old, and professional wrestling is well, professional wrestling. And so, we perhaps look for a golden-oldie; a TV show from back when TV was truly entertaining, even though there were only three broadcast channels available; shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Untouchables,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Gunsmoke,” “Green Acres,” or “Bonanza.” If we’re exceptionally lucky as we watch these programs, we may be treated with a guest appearance by North Dakota native, Arthur Peterson.
Peterson’s work may not be widely recognized, but he played an essential role in the film industry; the supporting cast-member. Arthur Peterson was born on November 18, 1912 in Mandan, North Dakota. After high school he moved from the North Dakota plains to earn a bachelors degree in theatre from the University of Minnesota. In 1936 Peterson landed his first professional acting job, making regular appearances on the radio program “The Guiding Light” as Reverend Dr. John Ruthledge. Peterson’s acting career was interrupted by World War Two, where the radio-actor-turned-soldier fought with General Patton’s third regiment in the European Theatre.
Following his service in the Army, Arthur returned to acting, making the switch from radio to TV. In 1949 he appeared as Tinker O’Toole in ABC’s first situational comedy, “That’s O’Toole.” From there Peterson played a number of supporting and character roles on stage, television and full-length films; including work with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in “Yours, Mine and Ours,” Jimmy Stewart in “Call Northside 777” and Boris Karloff in “Targets.”
Peterson’s most memorable role was that of Major on the 1970’s TV spoof of soap operas called “Soap.” Following his time with “Soap,” Peterson worked with a few more television series, before moving to theatre. He spent the last ten years of his long acting career on stage, working in the Pasadena Playhouse production of “The Gin Game,” retiring in 1991. After fifty-five years entertaining audiences of multiple generations on radio, television, theatre, and cinema, Arthur Peterson passed away on this date, October 31, 1996 in Pasadena, California.
Source
"Arthur Peterson", The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0677011/ (accessed October 23, 2008).
Brennan, Sandra, "Arthur Peterson", New York Times http://movies.nytimes.com/person/56331/Arthur-Peterson/biography (accessed October 23, 2008).
George Mason University, "Guide to the Arthur Peterson Collection", George Mason University Libraries http://furbo.gmu.edu/sca/vifgm00068.xml#a23 (accessed October 23, 2008).
[podcast]http://www.prairiepublic.org/media/dakotadatebook/2008/Oct/31.mp3[/podcast]
Flipping through the hundreds of channels available via our friendly cable or satellite provider, we often discover that there really isn’t anything new worth watching. News channels are depressing, reality TV shows are getting old, and professional wrestling is well, professional wrestling. And so, we perhaps look for a golden-oldie; a TV show from back when TV was truly entertaining, even though there were only three broadcast channels available; shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Untouchables,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Gunsmoke,” “Green Acres,” or “Bonanza.” If we’re exceptionally lucky as we watch these programs, we may be treated with a guest appearance by North Dakota native, Arthur Peterson.
Peterson’s work may not be widely recognized, but he played an essential role in the film industry; the supporting cast-member. Arthur Peterson was born on November 18, 1912 in Mandan, North Dakota. After high school he moved from the North Dakota plains to earn a bachelors degree in theatre from the University of Minnesota. In 1936 Peterson landed his first professional acting job, making regular appearances on the radio program “The Guiding Light” as Reverend Dr. John Ruthledge. Peterson’s acting career was interrupted by World War Two, where the radio-actor-turned-soldier fought with General Patton’s third regiment in the European Theatre.
Following his service in the Army, Arthur returned to acting, making the switch from radio to TV. In 1949 he appeared as Tinker O’Toole in ABC’s first situational comedy, “That’s O’Toole.” From there Peterson played a number of supporting and character roles on stage, television and full-length films; including work with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in “Yours, Mine and Ours,” Jimmy Stewart in “Call Northside 777” and Boris Karloff in “Targets.”
Peterson’s most memorable role was that of Major on the 1970’s TV spoof of soap operas called “Soap.” Following his time with “Soap,” Peterson worked with a few more television series, before moving to theatre. He spent the last ten years of his long acting career on stage, working in the Pasadena Playhouse production of “The Gin Game,” retiring in 1991. After fifty-five years entertaining audiences of multiple generations on radio, television, theatre, and cinema, Arthur Peterson passed away on this date, October 31, 1996 in Pasadena, California.
Source
"Arthur Peterson", The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0677011/ (accessed October 23, 2008).
Brennan, Sandra, "Arthur Peterson", New York Times http://movies.nytimes.com/person/56331/Arthur-Peterson/biography (accessed October 23, 2008).
George Mason University, "Guide to the Arthur Peterson Collection", George Mason University Libraries http://furbo.gmu.edu/sca/vifgm00068.xml#a23 (accessed October 23, 2008).