House Peters

Birthday: 1880-03-12
Deathday: 1967-12-07
Birthplace: Bristol, England, UK
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1952-09-29 The Old West Parson Jonathan Brooks
1952-08-07 O. Henry's Full House Dave Bascom (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)
1928-02-11 Rose-Marie Sergeant Malone
1926-03-28 The Combat Blaze Burke
1925-05-23 Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman
1925-03-29 Head Winds Peter Rosslyn
1925-01-04 The Tornado Tornado
1923-11-22 Held to Answer John Hampstead
1923-08-19 Don't Marry for Money Peter Smith
1922-09-04 The Storm Burr Winton
1922-08-19 Human Hearts Tom Logan
1921-01-30 Lying Lips Blair Cornwall
1920-12-19 Isobel or the Trail's End Sgt. William MacVeigh
1920-10-24 The Great Redeemer Dan Malloy
1920-10-18 The Leopard Woman John Culbertson
1920-01-01 Silk Husbands and Calico Wives
1919-11-17 You Never Know Your Luck J.G. Kerry
1916-08-21 The Rail Rider Jim Lewis
1916-04-24 The Closed Road Frank Sargeant
1916-03-27 The Hand of Peril James Kestner
1916-01-01 Between Men Gregg Lewiston
1915-12-20 The Great Divide Stephen Ghent
1915-05-14 Stolen Goods Richard Carlton
1915-04-22 The Captive Muhamud Hassan
1915-04-01 The Unafraid Stefan Balsic
1915-02-14 The Warrens of Virginia Ned Burton
1915-01-18 Mignon
1915-01-04 The Girl of the Golden West Ramerrez
1914-12-31 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
1914-11-02 Salomy Jane Jack Dart, The Man
1914-04-27 The Brute Billy West
1913-12-27 A Lady of Quality The Duke of Osmonde
1913-12-10 Leah Kleschna Paul Sylvain
1913-09-20 Chelsea 7750
1913-09-10 In the Bishop's Carriage Obermuller