This Month

September 7th | 5 Movies

With his boyish charm and air of sophistication, British actor Peter Lawford (1923-1984) held court as one of MGM’s reigning heartthrobs in the 1940s. Lawford was best known for being a member of the Rat Pack, for his association with the Kennedy family by way of marriage to Patricia Kennedy, and for his tumultuous personal life. However, Lawford’s fame originally came from his time at MGM. It was there got his start playing smaller roles in war movies as servicemen before graduating to bigger roles as romantic leads in frothy dramas and comedies. Despite not being a singer or dancer, he starred in a variety of big MGM musicals that proved to be big moneymakers for the studio. During his prime years at MGM, Lawford’s good looks, effervescence and on-screen charisma kept young admirers returning to the movie theaters again and again.

To celebrate Peter Lawford’s centennial, TCM will be airing five of his movies from his heyday as an MGM contract star.

Born September 7th, 1923 in London, England, Peter Lawford had an unconventional upbringing traveling the world, being exposed to different cultures and navigating aristocratic circles. While he didn’t receive a formal education, he was extensively tutored, spoke multiple languages fluently and was trained in the dramatic arts. He took an interest in acting at a young age and appeared as a child actor in two British films—Poor Old Bill (1931) and A Gentleman of Paris (1931). Due to some resistance from his father and the family’s nomadic lifestyle, he didn’t have the stability to keep up with his movie work.

In his youth, Lawford had an unfortunate accident with a glass door that severely injured him and limited the use of his right arm. His doctor suggested the family move to a warmer climate for Lawford’s health which lead them to relocate to Florida, Hawaii and eventually to California where Lawford enjoyed a brief stint as a juvenile actor on the MGM film Lord Jeff (1938). It wasn’t until America entered WWII that Lawford able get steady work as an actor.

Disqualified for service due to his injury, Lawford became a prized asset in Hollywood when many actors served overseas and there was a dearth of available male talent. When studios needed actors to play British servicemen, Lawford was readily available. He played pilots, navigators and soldiers in films like Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Random Harvest (1942) for MGM, Eagle Squadron (1942) for Universal, Thunder Birds: Soldiers of the Air (1942) for Twentieth Century-Fox, Junior Army (1942) for Columbia Pictures, The Sky’s the Limit (1943) for RKO and The Purple V (1943) for Republic Studios. With this regular flow of work Lawford was able to support his family—who were strapped for money when their assets were frozen during the war—and gain some independence from his overbearing mother. Out of all the studios he worked for, Lawford had developed a keen interest in MGM.

Lawford’s dream of being a contract player for MGM came to fruition when he appeared in the war movie Pilot #5 (1943). According to Lawford biographer James Spada, “in a twist that could happen only in Hollywood, a brief, uncredited, non speaking role in [Pilot #5] finally won Peter entree into the gilded circle of MGM contract players.” MGM executives were pleased with what they saw and signed Lawford to a one-year contract. He went on to play supporting roles as young aristocrats in films like The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), The Canterville Ghost (1944) and Mrs. Parkington (1944).

Lawford’s big break and his first starring role came with Son of Lassie (1945), the sequel to the wildly successful Lassie Come Home (1943). Directed by S. Sylvan Simon, Son of Lassie stars Peter Lawford as Joe Carraclough, a resistance fighter whose devoted dog Laddie—Lassie’s son—embarks on an incredible journey following Joe from rural England to occupied Norway. Filmed in Technicolor and on location in parts of British Columbia, Alberta and Wyoming, Son of Lassie boasted beautiful scenery, thrilling action sequences and a heartwarming story. Eager to please, Lawford decided to do one of the more dangerous stunts himself rather than conceded to the use of a stunt double. According to biographer James Spada, “Peter did his own swimming in the treacherous, thirty-two degree waters of the Columbia River, a task made more difficult by his limited use of his right arm. He pointedly did not ask for a double to swim for him, however, because he never wanted this bosses to feel he wouldn’t be up to the physical demands of whatever role they wanted him to play.” Filming was challenging for Lawford not only because he felt pressure to please his studio but he also felt resentment towards Pal—the dog who played Laddie—who, according to Lawford, received much better treatment on set than he did. All of Lawford’s efforts panned out and Son of Lassie became one of the top-grossing movies of the year. Audiences took notice and soon the young MGM star was flooded with fan mail.

Despite the success of Son of Lassie, Lawford continued to receive only supporting roles. MGM did end up signing him to a seven-year contract which substantially increased his salary and guaranteed him at least 40 weeks of work per year. His next break came with a more substantial role in the musical It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) starring Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson. Peter Lawford plays Jamie Shellgrove, a musician and the heir to a wealthy duke. G.I. Danny Miller (Frank Sinatra) takes Jamie under his wing and the two become involved in a love triangle of sorts with music teacher Anne (Kathryn Grayson). This light musical—bolstered by the comedic antics of Jimmy Durante—was the first of five movies that Lawford and Sinatra would make together. Once Lawford became a member of the Rat Pack in the late 1950s, he and Sinatra would appear in Ocean’s Eleven (1960) and Sergeants 3 (1962) among other films before their disastrous falling out. It Happened in Brooklyn was meant to be a musical showcase for both Sinatra and Grayson and Lawford’s musical number “Whose Baby Are You” wasn’t in the original plans. Director Richard Whorf made a last-minute decision to include a musical number with Lawford singing and performing a jitterbug in what proved to be a highlight of the movie. The nervous Lawford got some encouragement from Sinatra and did the entire number in just one take. Despite the film not doing well at the box office, the audience’s reaction to It Happened in Brooklyn would help elevate Lawford’s stardom.

As a contract player, Lawford was considered the property of MGM. It was expected that he take every role offered to him—including loan-outs to other studios—or risk suspension without pay. For the most part, Lawford complied. However, his first real moment of resistance came with Good News (1947), a lavish Technicolor musical with Lawford as the male lead. Lawford was immediately intimidated by the project which had originally been intended for Van Johnson. He was quoted as saying “I wasn’t at all sure it would be good news for me.”

Good News was produced by MGM’s Freed Unit—headed by celebrated musical producer Arthur Freed who had great success with movies like For Me and My Gal (1942) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). A remake of the Broadway play and 1930 film adaptation, Good News was a jovial musical about a college football hero who falls in love with his plain-Jane French tutor. Lawford was terrified at the prospect of not only having to sing and dance in multiple numbers but he’d have to play an all-American character despite being British. He approached Betty Comden and Adolph Green—the powerhouse lyricist duo—to help get him out of the picture. Eventually he acquiesced to taking on the lead role of Tommy Marlowe opposite leading lady June Allyson.

Lawford did his best affecting an American accent and talk-singing his way through six musical numbers. He shines in two numbers in particular: “The French Lesson” and “The Best Things in Life are Free” where Lawford gets to show off his fluency by singing in perfect French. Even though he plays a student failing his French course, it was in fact Lawford who coached June Allyson on her pronunciation. On working with Lawford on Good News, June Allyson said “working with Peter Lawford was like going to a party. He made a game of whatever he did.” The movie was a hit with audiences. While critics noted Lawford’s lack of singing skills, his on-screen charisma, youthful good looks and abundant energy more than compensated for any perceived lack of talent.

Next up for Peter Lawford was the Esther Williams musical On an Island with You (1948). Stepping in again for Van Johnson, Lawford got the male lead as Lt. Lawrence Y. Kingslee, a naval officer who falls in love with famous movie star Rosalind Rennolds (Esther Williams). Set in Hawaii but filmed on location in Florida, the film features an exotic backdrop, Esther Williams’ classic swimming sequences, vaudeville style numbers by Jimmy Durante and steamy dance numbers between Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse. While the film hasn’t aged well, at the time it was one of MGM’s most successful films and put Hawaii on the map as one of the most sought-after vacation destinations. Lawford was openly resentful to playing second fiddle to Esther Williams in another of her formulaic musicals. His bruised ego must have been assuaged when he was promptly offered the plum role of Jonathan Harrow III in the big-budget MGM musical Easter Parade (1948). Directed by Charles Walters and starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and Ann Miller—who replaced Cyd Charisse after she was injured on the set of On an Island with You—Easter Parade was a huge commercial success and one of MGM’s highest-grossing films of the year.

Lawford cemented his reputation as a heartthrob and a bankable movie star. He reunited with his Good News co-star June Allyson and his latest leading lady Elizabeth Taylor, with whom he starred with in Julia Misbehaves (1948), for the sumptuous period piece Little Women (1949). Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, this adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel, set in Civil War era New England, showcased MGM’s top young talent of the day: June Allyson, Margaret O’Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Peter Lawford in the male lead role of Laurie. Little Women was originally to be produced by David O. Selznick but due to a studio strike the project was then acquired by MGM who retained LeRoy as the director. According to biographer Spada, “Little Women was an ‘event film,’ and its box-office receipts pleased exhibitors mightily. Some credit for that was given to Peter’s appealing presence, which reportedly prompted young girls to see the picture two and three times. Peter Lawford’s career had taken another leap forward.”

However, Little Women proved to be the apex of his career at MGM. While he had some success with the Stanley Donen musical Royal Wedding (1951) opposite Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, his subsequent films were disappointments. Emotionally forward performances were not Lawford’s strong suit and he couldn’t bank on his boyish charm as he became older. The late 1940s and early 1950s were a tumultuous time in the movie industry with the blacklist, the growing popularity of television, changing public tastes and the divestment of theater chains by studios because of pivotal antitrust rulings. Lawford had fallen victim to the rapidly declining studio system and after making Rogue’s March (1953) MGM let him go.

After his contract with MGM ended, Lawford embarked on a new phase in his life and career. He embarked on new and exciting projects including parts in teleplays and his television series Dear Phoebe (1954-1955) and The Thin Man (1957-1959). He stretched his creative muscles by producing new projects, notably he helped guide the Rat Pack movie Ocean’s Eleven from original concept to final production. In 1954, he married Patricia Kennedy, sister of future president John F. Kennedy, and through that marriage became part of American royalty. His movie career continued to evolve with his collaborations with Joseph E. Levine’s Embassy Pictures, Otto Preminger, Sammy Davis Jr. and his involvement in a variety of projects including foreign crime thrillers, psychedelic indie films and crowd-pleasing ensemble comedies. Despite his growing personal troubles, Lawford continued to work in the film industry until his death in 1984 at the age of 61.