House Peters

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Robert House Peters, Sr. (12 March 1880 – 7 December 1967) was a British-born American silent film actor, known to filmgoers of the era as "The Star of a Thousand Emotions." Born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, Peters began his career on a high note, playing the handsome leading man in In the Bishop's Carriage (1913), co-starring Mary Pickford. While The Bishop's Carriage was filmed in an East Coast studio, Peters was in Los Angeles by 1914, becoming one of the first screen stars to permanently settle there. Although he stated publicly that he preferred playing villains, Peters, curly haired and pleasantly dimpled, was from the outset typecast as the romantic hero. After enjoying his greatest success as the good-bad hero of The Girl of the Golden West (1915), Peters found his career peak of the early 1920s. He signed with Universal Studios for six films in 1924, hoping for a comeback. The results, however, were mostly mediocre and he was soon demoted to supporting roles. Retired after 1928's Rose Marie, Peters returned for a guest appearance in The Old West, a 1952 Gene Autry film that also featured his son, House Peters, Jr., who subsequently enjoyed a lengthy film career. Peters was married to actress Mae King in 1914 with whom he had three children, Gregg, Patricia and Robert, Jr. (1916–2008). Peters died at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Filmography

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1953
Treasure of the Golden Condor
Movie Magistrate (uncredited)
1952
The Old West
Movie Parson Jonathan Brooks
1952
O. Henry's Full House
Movie Dave Bascom (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)
1928
Rose-Marie
Movie Sergeant Malone
1926
Prisoners of the Storm
Movie 'Bucky' Malone
1926
The Combat
Movie Blaze Burke
1925
Counsel for the Defense
Movie Arnold Bruce
1925
The Storm Breaker
Movie John Strong
1925
Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman
Movie Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman
1925
Head Winds
Movie Peter Rosslyn
1925
The Tornado
Movie Tornado
1923
Held to Answer
Movie John Hampstead
1923
Don't Marry for Money
Movie Peter Smith
1922
Rich Men's Wives
Movie John Masters
1922
The Storm
Movie Burr Winton
1922
Human Hearts
Movie Tom Logan