{{Short description|American actor (1916–2008)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = House Peters Jr. | image = House Peters Jr. in Under California Stars 1948.jpg | image_size = | caption = Peters in ''[[Under California Stars]]'' (1948) | birth_name = Robert House Peters Jr. | birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|01|12|mf=yes}} | birth_place = [[New Rochelle, New York|New Rochelle]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|10|01|1916|01|12|mf=yes}} | death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1935–1966 | spouse = {{marriage|Lucy Pickett<br>|1946}} | children = 3 }}
'''Robert House Peters Jr.''' (January 12, 1916 – October 1, 2008) was an American character actor most noted for his roles in 1950s [[B movie]]s and [[westerns]]. He also served as the face and body of [[Mr. Clean]] in the [[Procter and Gamble]] cleaning product commercials of the era.
==Biography== Peters was born in [[New Rochelle, New York]] to actors [[House Peters]], a major leading man in the silent era, and Mae King. He grew up in [[Beverly Hills]], California and graduated from [[Beverly Hills High School]].
In a career that spanned 1935–1967, he appeared in many films, primarily as the "heavy," or villain. He appeared in television series including ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'', ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' and ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]''.
From the late 1950s into the 1960s, Peters Jr. played [[Mr. Clean]] in television commercials for the product.<ref name="ap-dillon">{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjJByrFKgrYqZ-hscJEBr359frjgD93I5EO80 |last=Dillon |first=Raquel Maria |title=Mr. Clean actor House Peters Jr. dead at 92 |work=The Associated Press |date=October 1, 2008 |accessdate=October 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005103904/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjJByrFKgrYqZ-hscJEBr359frjgD93I5EO80 |archivedate=October 5, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/house-peters-jr-original-mr-120261| title= House Peters Jr., the original Mr. Clean, dies |work=Hollywood Reporter| date= October 2, 2008 |accessdate=April 10, 2019}}</ref>
Peters served in the [[United States Army Air Forces]]' [[Air-sea rescue#United States 2|Air Sea Rescue section]] as a small-boat operator during [[World War II]].<ref name="varietybio">[https://variety.com/2008/scene/news/actor-house-peters-jr-dies-at-92-1117993230/ Actor House Peters Jr. dies at 92] ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. Retrieved November 29, 2021.</ref><ref name="emmys">[https://www.emmys.com/news/actor-house-peters-dies Actor House Peters Dies] [[Emmy Awards|www.emmys.com]]. Retrieved November 29, 2021.</ref><ref name="amazon">[https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/House-Peters-Jr/nm0676310/ House Peters Jr.; Actor] [[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]]. Retrieved November 29, 2021.</ref><ref name="sale">[https://www.historyforsale.com/house-peters-jr-autographed-inscribed-photograph-co-signed-by-kelo-henderson/dc323971 House Peters Jr. at] www.historyforsale.org. Retrieved November 29, 2021.</ref> He was married to Lucy Pickett from 1946 until his death; they had three children. He died of pneumonia at the [[Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital|Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital]] in [[Los Angeles, California]].<ref name="ap-dillon"/><ref>{{cite news | author=Variety Staff | title=Actor House Peters Jr. dies at 92 | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993230.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 | work=Variety | date=October 1, 2008 | accessdate=October 1, 2008}}</ref>
Peters wrote a book, "Another Side of Hollywood" an autobiography by actor House Peters Jr. published by Empire Publishing of Madison, North Carolina in the year 2000. It is an entertaining, interesting look at the early days of Hollywood movie and television production with many black and white photos.
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" ! colspan="4" | Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1935 | ''[[Hot Tip]]'' | Racetrack Spectator | Uncredited |- | 1935 | ''[[Three Kids and a Queen]]'' | Reporter | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''[[The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (serial)|The Adventures of Frank Merriwell]]'' | House Peters | Serial |- | 1936 | ''[[Flash Gordon (serial)|Flash Gordon]]'' | Shark Man | Serial, [Chs. 3-4] |- | 1936 | ''[[Yellowstone (film)|Yellowstone]]'' | Ranger | Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''[[Ace Drummond (serial)|Ace Drummond]]'' | Pete - Second Pilot / Clipper Pilot | Serial, [Ch. 1], [Ch. 8] Uncredited |- | 1936 | ''[[Four Days' Wonder]]'' | Chauffeur | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''[[Windjammer (1937 film)|Windjammer]]'' | Bob - Sailor | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''[[Public Cowboy No. 1]]'' | Jim Shannon | |- | 1937 | ''[[Life Begins in College]]'' | Reporter | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''[[All American Sweetheart]]'' | Eddie | Uncredited |- | 1937 | ''[[Wells Fargo (film)|Wells Fargo]]'' | Minor Role | Uncredited |- | 1938 | ''[[Start Cheering]]'' | Football Playing Student | Uncredited |- | 1939 | ''[[Frontier Pony Express]]'' | Lieutenant Trent | Uncredited |- | 1941 | ''[[Sea Raiders]]'' | Agent Burke | Serial, [Ch. 4], Uncredited |- | 1947 | ''[[Danger Street (1947 film)|Danger Street]]'' | Magazine Staffer | Uncredited |- | 1948 | ''[[Oklahoma Badlands]]'' | The Dude | |- | 1948 | ''[[Dangers of the Canadian Mounted]]'' | Ford - Henchman | Uncredited |- | 1948 | ''[[Under California Stars]]'' | Henchman Ed | |- | 1948 | ''[[Desperadoes of Dodge City]]'' | Henry | |- | 1948 | ''[[Adventures of Frank and Jesse James]]'' | Sheriff Towey | Serial, [Chs. 1–2, 5–6, 11] |- | 1948 | ''[[The Plunderers (1948 film)|The Plunderers]]'' | Sentinel | Uncredited |- | 1948 | ''[[Gunning for Justice]]'' | Kirk Wheeler - Henchman | |- | 1948 | ''[[Courtin' Trouble]]'' | Burt Larsen | |- | 1948 | ''[[Renegades of Sonora]]'' | Courier | |- | 1949 | ''[[Rose of the Yukon]]'' | | Uncredited |- | 1949 | ''[[Outlaw Country (1949 film)|Outlaw Country]]'' | Cal Saunders | |- | 1949 | ''[[Sheriff of Wichita]]'' | Deputy Jack Thorpe | |- | 1949 | ''[[Son of Billy the Kid]]'' | Yantis Henchman | Uncredited |- | 1949 | ''[[Batman and Robin (serial)|Batman and Robin]]'' | Henchman Earl | Serial, [Chs. 7-15] |- | 1949 | ''[[King of the Rocket Men]]'' | Burt Winslow | Serial |- | 1949 | ''[[The Gal Who Took the West]]'' | Trooper | Uncredited |- | 1949 | ''[[Love Happy]]'' | Clergyman in Sadie Thompson Number | Uncredited |- | 1950 | ''[[Over the Border (1950 film)|Over the Border]]'' | Wade Shelton | |- | 1950 | ''[[Cow Town]]'' | Gill Saunders | |- | 1950 | ''[[Twilight in the Sierras]]'' | Jim Williams | |- | 1950 | ''[[Hi-Jacked]]'' | Hank | |- | 1950 | ''[[Border Treasure]]'' | Rod | |- | 1951 | ''[[Three Desperate Men]]'' | Dick Cable | |- | 1951 | ''[[Gene Autry and the Mounties]]'' | Henchman Hogan | Uncredited |- | 1951 | ''[[Spoilers of the Plains]]'' | Henchman Scheller | |- | 1951 | ''[[Man from Sonora]]'' | Ed Hooper | |- | 1951 | ''[[Blazing Bullets]]'' | Bill Grant | |- | 1951 | ''[[Lorna Doone (1951 film)|Lorna Doone]]'' | Patrol Leader | Uncredited |- | 1951 | ''[[The Dakota Kid]]'' | Sam Dawson | |- | 1951 | ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film)|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'' | MP captain | Uncredited |- | 1951 | ''[[The Red Badge of Courage (1951 film)|The Red Badge of Courage]]'' | Passing Soldier - Veteran | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[The Old West (film)|The Old West]]'' | Henchman Mike | |- | 1952 | ''[[Waco (1952 film)|Waco]]'' | Doctor | |- | 1952 | ''[[Oklahoma Annie]]'' | Jim Tullett | |- | 1952 | ''[[Kansas Territory (film)|Kansas Territory]]'' | Ralph Carruthers | |- | 1952 | ''[[Red Planet Mars]]'' | Dr. Boulting | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[The Lion and the Horse]]'' | 'Rocky' Steuber | |- | 1952 | ''And Now Tomorrow'' | | |- | 1952 | ''[[Carson City (film)|Carson City]]'' | Miner | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[Hellgate (1952 film)|Hellgate]]'' | Witness | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[Fargo (1952 film)|Fargo]]'' | Bill Martin's Brother | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[Kansas City Confidential]]'' | Policeman | Uncredited |- | 1952 | ''[[Wyoming Roundup]]'' | Kent Randolph | |- | 1953 | ''[[Winning of the West]]'' | Marshal Jim Hackett | |- | 1953 | ''[[The Man Behind the Gun]]'' | Sheldon's Henchman at Hideout | Uncredited |- | 1953 | ''[[Port Sinister]]'' | Jim Garry | Alternative title: ''Beast of Paradise Isle'' |- | 1954 | ''[[Highway Dragnet]]'' | Steve | |- | 1954 | ''[[Overland Pacific]]'' | Perkins | Uncredited |- | 1954 | ''[[Target Earth (film)|Target Earth]]'' | Technician | |- | 1955 | ''[[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]]'' | Captain | Uncredited |- | 1955 | ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' | Officer at Police Station | Uncredited |- | 1956 | ''[[The Women of Pitcairn Island]]'' | Coggins | |- | 1957 | ''[[Man Afraid]]'' | Detective | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''[[Johnny Tremain (film)|Johnny Tremain]]'' | Patriot Commander at Lexington | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''[[House of Numbers (1957 film)|House of Numbers]]'' | Patrolman | Uncredited |- | 1957 | ''[[Black Patch (film)|Black Patch]]'' | Holman | |- | 1958 | ''[[Man from God's Country]]'' | Curt Warren | |- | 1959 | ''[[Inside the Mafia]]'' | Marty Raven | Uncredited |- | 1959 | ''Ordeal at Dry Red'' | | |- | 1960 | ''[[The Big Night (1960 film)|The Big Night]]'' | Robert Shaw | |- | 1962 | ''[[Terror at Black Falls]]'' | Sheriff Cal | |- | 1962 | ''[[Who's Got the Action?]]'' | Cop in Elevator | Uncredited |- | 1964 | ''[[Rio Conchos (1964 film)|Rio Conchos]]'' | Major Johnson | |- | 1965 | ''[[The Great Sioux Massacre]]'' | Reporter | |- |- ! colspan="4" | Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1950 | ''[[The Gene Autry Show]]'' | Various roles | 3 episodes |- | 1953 | ''[[Death Valley Days]]'' | | Season 1, Episode 18 "Land of the Free" |- | 1950–1957 | ''[[The Lone Ranger#Television series|The Lone Ranger]]'' | Various roles | 12 episodes |- | 1951–1953 | ''[[The Range Rider]]'' | Various roles | 6 episodes |- | 1954–1956 | ''[[Annie Oakley (TV series)|Annie Oakley]]'' | Various roles | 4 episodes |- | rowspan=3|1955 | ''[[The Adventures of Champion (TV series)|The Adventures of Champion]]'' | Ote Bledsoe | 1 episode |- | ''[[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]'' | Dave Bennett | 4 episodes |- | ''[[You Are There (series)|You are There]]'' | Bruce Greeves | 1 episodes |- | 1957 | ''[[The Gray Ghost (TV series)|The Gray Ghost]]'' | Hollingshead | 1 episode |- | 1958 | ''[[Broken Arrow (TV series)|Broken Arrow]]'' | Captain Rowan | 1 episode |- | 1959 | ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]'' | Town Marshall | "Shakedown at St. Joe" |- | 1959 | ''[[Buckskin (TV series)|Buckskin]]'' | Pat Devlin | 1 episode |- | 1959 | ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' | Nat Swan | "The Coward" (S4E26) |- | 1960 | ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' | Policeman | 1 episode |- | 1961 | ''[[Lawman (TV series)|Lawman]]'' | Joe Poole | 1 episode |- | 1962 | ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'' | Sheriff Goodson | 1 episode |- | 1956–1966 | ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]'' | Sheriff Jim Billings | 12 episodes, (final appearance) |}
== References == <references/>
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{IMDb name|0676310}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, House Jr.}} [[Category:1916 births]] [[Category:2008 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] [[Category:American male film actors]] [[Category:American male television actors]] [[Category:Beverly Hills High School alumni]] [[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California]] [[Category:Male actors from New Rochelle, New York]] [[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]] [[Category:Military personnel from New York (state)]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]