Peter Palmer (actor)
Encyclopedia
Peter Palmer is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Li'l Abner
, both on Broadway
and on film.
He was offered scholarships to a number of universities; however, he chose the University of Illinois
to study voice under Bruce Foote. He was the first music major to letter in football at the university. While at Illinois his team won the Big Ten championships in 1951 and 1953 and the Rose Bowl
in 1952. Palmer sang the national anthem at every home game in 1953 before taking the field.
In 1956, Palmer was cast in the title role of the musical Li'l Abner, for which he won a Theatre World Award
. In 1959, he was cast in the same role in the movie version. His Li'l Abner role brought him a guest appearance on NBC
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
.
Palmer appeared on Broadway in Lorelei
in 1974.
He was married to stage actress and former Miss Dominion of Canada (1964), Aniko (Mary Lou
) Farrell until her death in October 2011.
In 1967, Palmer had a recurring role as Sergeant
James Bustos, a former Confederate States of America
soldier, in the short-lived ABC
military-western
series Custer
, with Wayne Maunder
in the starring role as Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer
.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Palmer appeared on numerous television episodes, including a small part on Dallas . In 1977, Palmer had a regular role as part of the cast on the short-lived sitcom, "The Kallikaks," playing Oscar Heinz.
Peter and Aniko loved theatre and spent much of their time at The Masque Community Theatre of Temple Terrace in Temple Terrace, Florida, where they resided.
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Written and drawn by Al Capp , the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through...
, both on Broadway
Li'l Abner (musical)
Li'l Abner is a musical with a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, music by Gene De Paul, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.Based on the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp, the show is, on the surface, a broad spoof of hillbillies but is also a pointed satire taking on any number of topics, ranging...
and on film.
He was offered scholarships to a number of universities; however, he chose the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
to study voice under Bruce Foote. He was the first music major to letter in football at the university. While at Illinois his team won the Big Ten championships in 1951 and 1953 and the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
in 1952. Palmer sang the national anthem at every home game in 1953 before taking the field.
In 1956, Palmer was cast in the title role of the musical Li'l Abner, for which he won a Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
. In 1959, he was cast in the same role in the movie version. His Li'l Abner role brought him a guest appearance on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Ford Show
The Ford Show is a half-hour comedy/variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired in color on NBC television on Thursday evenings from October 4, 1956 to June 29, 1961....
.
Palmer appeared on Broadway in Lorelei
Lorelei (musical)
Lorelei is a musical with a book by Kenny Solms and Gail Parent, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Jule Styne. It is a revision of the Joseph Fields-Anita Loos book for the 1949 production Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and includes many of the Jule Styne-Leo Robin songs written for...
in 1974.
He was married to stage actress and former Miss Dominion of Canada (1964), Aniko (Mary Lou
Mary Lou Farrell
Mary Louise Farrell is a Canadian singer, actress and former Miss Dominion of Canada.Farrell was educated at Holy Heart of Mary Regional High School and started to sing at an early age. She won several awards at the Kiwanis Music Festival. In 1964 Farrell was voted Miss Newfoundland and won Miss...
) Farrell until her death in October 2011.
In 1967, Palmer had a recurring role as Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
James Bustos, a former Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldier, in the short-lived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
military-western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series Custer
Custer (TV series)
Custer, also known as The Legend of Custer, is a 17-episode military-western television series which ran on ABC from September 6 to December 27, 1967, with Wayne Maunder in the starring role of then Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. During the American Civil War, Custer had risen to the...
, with Wayne Maunder
Wayne Maunder
Wayne E. Maunder is a retired actor, originally from Canada, who starred in three American television series between 1967 and 1974.-Three television series:...
in the starring role as Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Palmer appeared on numerous television episodes, including a small part on Dallas . In 1977, Palmer had a regular role as part of the cast on the short-lived sitcom, "The Kallikaks," playing Oscar Heinz.
Peter and Aniko loved theatre and spent much of their time at The Masque Community Theatre of Temple Terrace in Temple Terrace, Florida, where they resided.
External links
- Peter Palmer: If I Had My Druthers... — interview at BroadwayWorld.com