House Peters, Jr.

Robert House Peters Jr. (January 12, 1916 – October 1, 2008) was an American character actor most noted for his roles in 1950s B movies 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, Bat Masterson, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone and Lassie.

From the late 1950s into the 1960s, Peters Jr. played Mr. Clean in television commercials for the product.

Peters served in the United States Army Air Forces' Air Sea Rescue section as a small-boat operator during World War II. He was married to Lucy Pickett from 1946 until his death; they had three children. He died of pneumonia at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

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 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 House Peters Serial 1936 Flash Gordon Shark Man Serial, [Chs. 3-4] 1936 Yellowstone Ranger Uncredited 1936 Ace Drummond Pete - Second Pilot / Clipper Pilot Serial, [Ch. 1], [Ch. 8] Uncredited 1936 Four Days' Wonder Chauffeur Uncredited 1937 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 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 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 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 Cal Saunders 1949 Sheriff of Wichita Deputy Jack Thorpe 1949 Son of Billy the Kid Yantis Henchman Uncredited 1949 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 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 Patrol Leader Uncredited 1951 The Dakota Kid Sam Dawson 1951 The Day the Earth Stood Still MP captain Uncredited 1951 The Red Badge of Courage Passing Soldier - Veteran Uncredited 1952 The Old West Henchman Mike 1952 Waco Doctor 1952 Oklahoma Annie Jim Tullett 1952 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 Miner Uncredited 1952 Hellgate Witness Uncredited 1952 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 Technician 1955 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 Patriot Commander at Lexington Uncredited 1957 House of Numbers Patrolman Uncredited 1957 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 Robert Shaw 1962 Terror at Black Falls Sheriff Cal 1962 Who's Got the Action? Cop in Elevator Uncredited 1964 Rio Conchos Major Johnson 1965 The Great Sioux Massacre Reporter 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 Various roles 12 episodes 1951–1953 The Range Rider Various roles 6 episodes 1954–1956 Annie Oakley Various roles 4 episodes1955 The Adventures of Champion Ote Bledsoe 1 episode The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Dave Bennett 4 episodes You are There Bruce Greeves 1 episodes 1957 The Gray Ghost Hollingshead 1 episode 1958 Broken Arrow Captain Rowan 1 episode 1959 Bat Masterson Town Marshall "Shakedown at St. Joe" 1959 Buckskin Pat Devlin 1 episode 1959 Gunsmoke Nat Swan "The Coward" (S4E26) 1960 The Twilight Zone Policeman 1 episode 1961 Lawman Joe Poole 1 episode 1962 77 Sunset Strip Sheriff Goodson 1 episode 1956–1966 Lassie Sheriff Jim Billings 12 episodes, (final appearance)