Paul Petersen (born September 23, 1945) is an American actor, singer, novelist and activist.
He rose to prominence in the 1950s playing Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show. Petersen pursued a singing career in the 1960s. In the 1980s and 1990s, he had a recurring role on Matt Houston and played author Paul Conway in the film Mommy's Day.
In 1990, Petersen established the organization A Minor Consideration to support child stars and other child laborers through legislation, family education, and personal intervention and counseling for those in crisis.
Career
Acting
Petersen began his show business career at age 10 as a Mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club. He appeared in the 1958 movie Houseboat with Sophia Loren and Cary Grant, but achieved stardom playing teenager Jeff Stone from 1958 to 1966 on the ABC family television sitcom The Donna Reed Show. Throughout eight seasons and decades of reruns in syndication, The Donna Reed Show became part of American popular culture, and in 1997, Petersen was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for his role on the series.
After The Donna Reed Show ended, Petersen had a small role as Tony Biddle in the 1967 musical film The Happiest Millionaire. He also appeared in many guest roles, including one as a military officer in the short-lived 1967 ABC Western series Custer, with Wayne Maunder in the title role. He also made a guest appearance on F Troop as "Johnny Eagle Eye" that aired on April 12, 1966.
Singing With the fame he achieved on The Donna Reed Show, Petersen received recording offers and had hit record singles with the songs "She Can't Find Her Keys" (also introduced on The Donna Reed Show), "Amy", and "Lollipops and Roses". In 1962, the sentimental teen pop song "My Dad" was performed on The Donna Reed Show with Petersen singing the tune to his on-screen father, actor Carl Betz. Released as a single in the same year, it reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also recorded for Motown/Tamla throughout the 1960s releasing such singles as "Chained" and "A Little Bit For Sandy".
Writing After his years as a child actor, Petersen attended college. He went on to write 16 adventure novels. Petersen's authorship began after he met David Oliphant, a New York City publisher visiting Los Angeles. His first novel concerned car racing. Thereafter, he created a Matt Helm-type hero, Eric Saveman, also known as "The Smuggler". In one year, Pocket Books published eight of his Smuggler novels, earning $75,000 for Peterson. In 1977, Petersen's autobiography entitled Walt, Mickey and Me: Confessions of the First Ex-Mouseketeer was published.
Other ventures
He is a board member of the Donna Reed Foundation and works for the Donna Reed Festival, which takes place annually on the third week of June in Reed's hometown of Denison, Iowa. He also recently served on the board of directors of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), a national media performers AFL-CIO union based in Los Angeles.
Activism In 1990, following the suicide of former child star Rusty Hamer, Petersen founded a child-actor support group, A Minor Consideration, to improve working conditions for child actors and to assist in the transition between working as a child actor and adult life, whether in acting or in other professions.
Personal life
Petersen has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Brenda Benet. They married in 1967 and divorced in 1970. In 1974, he married Hallie Litman with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1988. In December 1992, Petersen married Rana Jo Platz. In addition to his two children from his second marriage, Petersen also has a daughter from a previous relationship.
Discography
Studio albums 1962: Lollipops and Roses — Colpix CP-429/SCP-429 1963: Teenage Triangle — Colpix CP-444/SCP-444—No. 48, May 1963 Featuring four tracks each by Paul Petersen, Shelley Fabares, and James Darren 1963: My Dad — Colpix CP-442/SCP-442 1963: Bye Bye Birdie — Colpix CP-454/SCP-454 Songs from the movie sung by Petersen, The Marcels, James Darren, and Shelley Fabares 1964: More Teenage Triangle — Colpix CP-468/SCP-468 Second album featuring Petersen, Fabares, and Darren
Singles Year Titles (A-side, B-side)Both sides from same album except where indicated Chart Positions Album US AU1962"She Can't Find Her Keys"b/w "Very Unlikely" (with Shelley Fabares) (Non-album track) 19 62Lollipops and Roses"What Did They Do Before Rock & Roll"b/w "Very Unlikely" (Non-album track)Both tracks with Shelley Fabares – –"Keep Your Love Locked (Deep in Your Heart)"b/w "Be Everything to Anyone You Love" 58 –"Lollipops and Roses"b/w "Please Mr. Sun" 54 –"My Dad"b/w "Little Boy Sad" (from Teenage Triangle) 6 59My Dad1963"Amy"b/w "Goody Goody" (from My Dad) 65 –Non-album tracks"Girls in the Summertime"b/w "Mama, Your Little Boy Fell" (from Lollipops and Roses) – –"The Cheer Leader"b/w "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" 78 –1964"She Rides with Me"b/w "Poorest Boy in Town" – –More Teenage Triangle"Hey There Beautiful"b/w "Where Is She" – –Non-album tracks1965"Little Dreamer"b/w "Happy" – –"The Ring"b/w "You Don't Need Money" – – 1967"Chained"b/w "Don't Let It Happen to Us" – – 1968"A Little Bit for Sandy"b/w "Your Love's Got Me Burning Alive" – 21
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1957 This Could Be the Night Joey Uncredited1957 The Monolith Monsters Bobby – Paperboy Uncredited1958 Day of the Badman Little Boy Uncredited1958 Houseboat David Winters 1958-66 The Donna Reed Show Jeff Stone 275 episodes1964 The Virginian Dan Grant S2.E24 - "Another's Footsteps"1966 F Troop Johnny Eagle Eye S1.E30 - "Johnny Eagle Eye"1967 Iron Horse Frank Wyatt S2.E10 - "Steel Chain to a Music Box"1967 A Time for Killing Blue Lake 1967 The Happiest Millionaire Tony co-produced by Walt Disney1967 In the Year 2889 Steve Morrow TV movie1967 Custer Lieutenant Cox S1.E7 - "Suspicion"1967 Please Don't Eat the Daisies Jerry S2.E20 - "None So Righteous"1968 Journey to Shiloh J.C. Sutton 1968 The Flying Nun Sonny Howard S2.E1 - "Song of Bertrille"1968 The Big Valley Roy Sanders S4.E8 - "The Long Ride" 1968 Mannix Dean Devlin S1.E23 - "To Kill a Writer"1968 Something for a Lonely Man Pete Duren TV film (NBC)1968-70 Lassie Billy Cameron/Dave Loka 3 episodes1969 Gidget Grows Up Moondoggie ABC Movie of the Week1969 My Three Sons Ted Winks S10.E9 - "Mexican Honeymoon"1971 The Smith Family Allen Williams S1.E2 - "The Ex-Con"1971 Love, American Style Harold S3.E6 - segment "Love and the Bashful Groom"1971 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Fred Cope S1.E5 - "Operation: Time Fuse"1972 Cannon Pete Farrell S1.E16 - "Treasure of San Ignacio"1978 The Next Step Beyond Mitch S1.E7 - "Ghost Town"1979 Fantasy Island Eugene Bodine S3.E4 - "Baby/Marathon: Battle of the Sexes"1980 Scout's Honor Ace's Dad TV film (NBC)1982-85 Matt Houston Cop/Guard/Policeman/Detective Wilkinson 8 episodes1982 Strike Force Jameson/Bluecoat/Officer Daley 3 episodes1983 High School U.S.A. The Coach TV film (NBC)1984-87 The New Mike Hammer Clerk/Officer 2 episodes1985 Trapper John, M.D. Bailey S6.E15 - "So Little, Gone"1985 Finder of Lost Loves Policeman S1.E21 - "Final Analysis"1986 The A-Team Actor S5.E12 - "The Grey Team"1989 Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All Stanfield TV film (CBS)1997 Mommy 2: Mommy's Day Paul Conway 1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Gene Avery S2.E10 - segment "The Card Game"2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Himself 2010 The Portal Manager Rick 2010 Soupernatural CNN Producer
References
External links
A Minor Consideration, a non-profit founded by Peterson to support former child stars
Paul Petersen at AllMusic