Peter Graves

Peter Graves

Birth : 1926-03-18, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Death : 2010-03-14

History

Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926 on Minneapolis, Minnesota. While growing up in Minnesota, he excelled at sports and music (as a saxophonist), and by age 16, he was a radio announcer at WMIN in Minneapolis. After two years in the United States Air Force, he studied drama at the University of Minnesota and then headed to Hollywood, where he first appeared on television and later made his film debut in Rogue River (1951). Numerous film appearances followed, especially in Westerns. However, Graves is primarily recognized for his television work, particularly as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible (1966). Peter Graves died of a heart attack on March 14, 2010, just four days before his 84th birthday.

Profile

Peter Graves
Peter Graves

Movies

Mystery Reel
A look into the subconscious of the 20th century.
Gettysburg - An American Story
Narrator
The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment fought bravely and gallantly during the Civil War. Their regiment was the first to sign up for the Union army and arrived at Gettysburg with less than 300 survivors. Many more would sacrifice their lives there as the men of the 1st Minnesota were twice at the center of a battle that decided America?s future. As the US commemorates the 150 year anniversary of Gettysburg, HUSH follows their journey from 1861 to 1865, through the milestones of the Civil War into the deciding battles of the historic conflict, and asks: What was the war really all about? What role did slavery and civil rights play in the conflict? What did the brave men and women fight for, and why is it still relevant to American politics and society today.
What a Difference a Day Made: Doris Day Superstar
Himself
A documentary about Doris Day and the question where she is today.
Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves
Self
Four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and veteran movie and television star Peter Graves join with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in an extraordinary musical Christmas celebration. This spectacular performance of the Choir's 2004 Christmas concert will be a holiday favorite for years to come.
Behind the Legend: Timon
Himself - Host
A look at Timone.
America on the Move 1876-2000
Host
Two complete documentaries exploring more than a century of invention innovation transportation and transformation. Featuring interviews and fascinating archival footage, highlights many of the Smithsonian's priceless artifacts-from an actual piece of Route 66 that visitors can walk on to a full-sized steam locomotive and the interior of a Mississippi riverboat as well as a jaw-dropping showroom of authentic classic automobiles. Using advanced multimedia technology and innovative theatrical design AMERICA ON THE MOVE is an unforgettable experience that brings to life the pivotal role transportation has played in our nation's business social and cultural growth. Interviews with former workers and family members point out Henry Ford's genius and eccentricities while historians trace the career of this industrial giant from his first hand-built car to the V-8 that saved his company from bankruptcy. Captures the essence of one man who more than any other changed the way we move.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Host of Civil Defense Film
Fed up with all the attention going to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck quits Hollywood, teams up with recently-fired stuntman Damien Drake Jr. and embarks on a round-the-world adventure, along with Bugs and The VP of Warner Bros. Their mission? Find Damien's father, and the missing blue diamond... and stay one step ahead of The Acme Corp., who wants the diamond for their own purposes.
Men in Black II
Peter Graves
Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister seductress who levels the toughest challenge yet to the MIB's untarnished mission statement – protecting Earth from the scum of the universe. It's been four years since the alien-seeking agents averted an intergalactic disaster of epic proportions. Now it's a race against the clock as Jay must convince Kay – who not only has absolutely no memory of his time spent with the MIB, but is also the only living person left with the expertise to save the galaxy – to reunite with the MIB before the earth submits to ultimate destruction.
These Old Broads
Bill
Network television executive Gavin hopes to reunite celebrated Hollywood stars Piper Grayson, Kate Westbourne, and Addie Holden in a TV special after their 1960s movie musical Boy Crazy is re-released. Though the three women share the same agent, Gavin's seemingly insurmountable obstacle is that they all cannot stand each other.
Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait
Self - Host
A&E Biography about life and times of the beautiful actress of the '40s and feature interview of her ex-husband, her second daughter and her co-star.
Doris Day: It's Magic
Narrator
When the cameras rolled, Doris Day wore a happy face, never hinting at the pain she endured in her personal life. This documentary brings viewers close to the real Doris Day through the eyes of her friends and family members and with the help of film footage, newsreels and photographs. What surfaces is a complex picture of an equally complicated woman who faced problems far more formidable than her cinematic image revealed.
Charlie Chaplin: A Tramp's Life
Self / Narrator
A biographical documentary about the great British actor and director Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), from rags to riches, from the slums of London to glory.
Mother Teresa: A Life of Devotion
Himself - Host
This poignant portrait is highlighted by talks with those who knew and worked with Mother Teresa -- unknowns to famed leaders. For more than 50 years, Mother Teresa dedicated herself to work on behalf of God's will, in her own feelings. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, which included 3,000 members working in 25 countries. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, this admirable woman remained humble until her death in 1997.
Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown
Host
Jerry Lewis biography
William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama
William Shakespeare's life produced an unmatched legacy of drama and poetry. But the Bard's own story remains mostly a mystery. Track clues to Shakespeare's identity, from his youth in Stratford-on-Avon and his marriage to an older woman to the night of carousing that led to his death at age 52. Film clips, dramatic readings and other footage provide a glimpse into Shakespeare's life and his astonishing 20-year career as a playwright and actor.
Abbott & Costello Meet Biography
Host
A biography of comedian duo Bud Abbott & Lou Costello
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Self - Narrator (voice)
From the A&E "Biography" series, a review of the birth, development and cinematic history of Betty Boop, the flapper cartoon character who has been a popular icon since the 1930s.
Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess
Self - Host
An account of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, one of Hollywood's most famous and glamorous movie stars.
Addams Family Values
Host
Siblings Wednesday and Pugsley Addams will stop at nothing to get rid of Pubert, the new baby boy adored by parents Gomez and Morticia. Things go from bad to worse when the new "black widow" nanny, Debbie Jellinsky, launches her plan to add Fester to her collection of dead husbands.
Number One with a Bullet
Capt. Ferris
Number One with a Bullet is a 1987 American police detective film directed by Jack Smight. A pair of detectives is assigned to investigate a murder, and discover a trail of corruption and criminal activity that leads right back to their own police department.
Tennis Court
Vicar John Bray
A WWII fighter plane crashes and although the pilot escapes, his partner burns. Years later, Maggie and Harry Dowl arrive in England to inspect a house left to Maggie by her mother. The house has a dilapidated tennis court, but this seems to have some force which takes over the daughter of John Bray, the local holy man, as well as causing tennis balls to gush blood and kill people with animated nets.
Aces Go Places III: Our Man from Bond Street
Tom Collins
A master thief is duped by lookalikes for James Bond and the Queen of England into stealing a valuable gem from a heavily guarded location then must help the police recover it.
The Guns and the Fury
Mark Janser
Two turn of the Century fortune hunters (Peter Graves and Cameron Mitchell) discover oil in Persia and attempt to claim it. Serious resistance is met.
Airplane II: The Sequel
Capt. Clarence Oveur
A faulty computer causes a passenger space shuttle to head straight for the sun, and man-with-a-past, Ted Striker must save the day and get the shuttle back on track – again – all the while trying to patch up his relationship with Elaine.
Savannah Smiles
Harland Dobbs
The young daughter of a politician runs away due to lack of attention. She hides in the car of two not too bright crooks who are slowly converted into parent figures as the police web closes down on the supposed kidnappers.
300 Miles for Stephanie
Capt. McIntyre
A San Antonio cop, as an act of faith, vows to run more than 300 miles in five days, hoping his critically ill five-year-old daughter will survive to greet him at the finish.
Airplane!
Captain Clarence Oveur
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
The Memory of Eva Ryker
Mike Rogers
A young woman has spent her life tormented by the death of her mother, who was on a ship torpedoed during World War II. When her father hires an investigator to look into the circumstances of the mother's death 30 years prior, it triggers a new rash of emotional turmoil for the young woman and uncovers a heinous crime.
Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty
TV Director
Steve Martin's second NBC special was made up entirely of sketches. Highlights include: Marty Robbins' "El Paso" with monkeys; "The Death Of Socrates"; and "Bizarre Oddities Of The World."
Death Car on the Freeway
Lt. Haller
A determined TV reporter is out to find a maniac who is methodically attacking lone women drivers on the Los Angeles Freeway by pushing them off the road with his powerful van.
Parts: The Clonus Horror
Jeff Knight
An escaped clone tries to expose a government plot to clone everyone and make a perfect society.
The Rebels
George Washington
This sequel to "The Bastard" continues the saga of Philip Kent, the illegitimate son of an English nobleman, who has renounced his patrician birthright to become a Colonial soldier fighting for America's independence, befriending a Southern aristocrat and his earthy buddy to help thwart a plot to assassinate George Washington. (Episodes 3 and 4 of the Kent Chronicles miniseries.)
Survival Run
Kandaris
A group of teenagers drive out into the desert in search of sex, beer, and general good times. When their van breaks down, they find a group of prospectors who welcome the kids and offer them a place to stay until they can get help. It soon becomes evident, however, that there is more to these prospectors than they claim, and soon the teens are fleeing for their lives.
Missile X - Geheimauftrag Neutronenbombe
Alec Franklin
An American intelligence agent travels to pre-Islamic Revolution Iran to try to thwart a power-mad European baron from using a stolen cruise missile to destroy an unspecific target in that country.
High Seas Hijack
Elliott Rhoades
Terrorists hijack an oil tanker and threaten to blow it up unless Japan meets their demands.
SST: Death Flight
Paul Whitley
On its maiden flight, the crew of America's first supersonic transport learns that it may not be able to land, due to an act of sabotage and a deadly flu onboard.
The Mysterious Monsters
Himself - Narrator
One of the many notorious 70's "unknown" documentaries, The Mysterious Monsters covers topics such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Pictures, sounds, and videos of these two monsters are examined by Peter Graves, the host. Psychics, hypnotism, and the history of Bigfoot in many ancient cultures is also scrutinized.
Sidecar Racers
Carson
You're going to get us both killed with your grandstanding...! Two guys, one girl, and no brakes! Death defying daredevils burning up the track in thrill-a-minute action. Burning the track like its never been burned before!
Dead Man on the Run
Jim Gideon
A government agent who is investigating a colleague's murder discovers a conspiracy to cover up a political assassination.
The Underground Man
Lew Archer
A private detective goes after the kidnappers of his ex-girlfriend's son and becomes involved in a series of murders.
Paul and Michelle
Sir Henry
Taking place approximately three years after the events in Friends, Paul and Michelle follows the family of Paul Harrison and Michelle Latour-Harrison after they have been reunited. Paul has to cope with the difficulties he faces balancing work, college, and trying to maintain their family as well as a new love interest for Michelle.
Scream of the Wolf
John Wetherby
A big-game hunter comes out of retirement to help track down a killer wolf, and begins to suspect that it isn't a wolf but an animal that can take human form.
Where Have All the People Gone
Steven Anders
A strange series of solar flares proves fatal for inhabitants of the Earth, except for the fortunate few who are somehow immune from the effects. Animals go insane and human beings turn to white powder, leaving behind only empty clothing. A handful of survivors attempt to rebuild their lives on the de-populated Earth.
The President's Plane Is Missing
Mark Jones
When the President's plane mysteriously disappears with him on board, it is left to the seemingly weak Vice President to try to avert a nuclear exchange with the Chinese.
Call to Danger
Doug Warfield
A federal agent recruits a computer whiz to try to free a Mafia witness who has been kidnapped and held in a heavily fortified compound.
The Adventurers
Trustee Banker
The wealthy playboy son of an assassinated South American diplomat discovers that his father was murdered on orders of the corrupt president of the country- a man who was his father's friend and who, in fact, his father had helped put into power. He returns from living a jet-set life in Europe to lead a revolution against the government, only to find out that things aren't quite as black and white as he'd assumed.
Mission: Impossible vs. the Mob
Jim Phelps
The first film based on the television series MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, consisting of a compilation of a two-part episode of the original series from 1967 called THE COUNCIL.
The Five Man Army
Dutchman
At the behest of local revolutionaries, a mercenary enlists four specialists in various combat styles to help him rob a Mexican Army train carrying $500,000 in gold.
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Self (uncredited)
A Classic Holiday Celebration with Dean and Friends.
Sergeant Ryker
Maj. Whitaker
During the Korean War Sergeant Paul Ryker is accused of defecting to Communist China and then returning to his unit as a spy. He's court-martialed and sentenced to death but his attorney believes Ryker's innocent and asks for a new trial.
The Ballad of Josie
Jason Meredith
A frontier widow aims to raise sheep despite a cattle rancher in old Wyoming.
The Movie Orgy
Self (archival footage)
Clips from assorted television programs, B-movies, commercials, music performances, newsreels, bloopers, satirical short films and promotional and government films of the 1950s and 1960s are intercut together to tell a single story of various creatures and societal ills attacking American cities.
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
Bankman
Advertising golden boy Andrew Quint is fed up with his fabulously successful life. In very dramatic fashion, he quits his job to return to writing for a small literary magazine. He wants to leave his former life behind, going as far as saying good-bye to his wife and mistresses. He finds, however, that it's not so easy to escape the past.
Valley of Mystery
Ben Barstow
A Meridian Airlines flight from Miami to Caracas crashes in the Venezuelan jungle, stranding 130 passengers and crew in hostile surroundings.
Gallegher Goes West
Marshal Neimeyer
In Part 1, Gallegher befriends a man on the stagecoach while heading west, only to discover he is a famous outlaw, the Sundown Kid. The sheriff is crooked, too, so it is difficult for Gallegher and his friend, Detective Snead, to capture the Sundown Kid. Gallegher and his colleagues work for the recall of the corrupt mayor of Brimstone, even though the mayor tries to stop them by force. In Part 2, Gallegher buys and trains a horse, then is surprised when a local rancher is accused of murder. The boy is sure it is a frame-up, and he tries to help out. Gallegher continues to help the rancher who has been framed for murder, and after he finds an incriminating watch, he is able to reach the trial just in time to save the day.
Texas Across the River
Capt. Stimpson
The Louisiana wedding of debutante Phoebe Ann Naylor to Don Andrea de Baldasar, El Duce de la Casala is stopped by the Cavalry over a matter of honor. Don Andrea flees across the river to Texas, where he meets up with Sam Hollis and his Indian sidekick, Kronk, who are carrying rifles to the town of Moccasin Flats. Don Andrea rescues an Indian maiden, Lonetta, tames some longhorns, competes with Sam for Phoebe's affections, eludes a Comanche war party and the cavalry and ultimately saves the town and gets his girl.
A Rage to Live
Jack Hollister
Grace Caldwell, a young Pennsylvania newspaper heiress living with her widowed mother, has trouble restraining herself when it comes to the amorous attentions of young men. As word starts to spread about her behavior, Grace becomes a major source of heartache for her mother and a big source of concern to her brother.
A Stranger in My Arms
Donald Beasley
An Air Force pilot finds romance with his war buddy's widow.
Wolf Larsen
Van Weyden
A mean-spirited ship captain keeps his crew under his autocratic thumb while indulging his more refined side. But when his men rise up in mutiny, Larsen forces the cultured Van Weyden to help him quash the uprising.
Death in Small Doses
Agent / Tom Kaylor
A government agent investigates the use of illegal amphetamines among long-haul truck drivers.
Beginning of the End
Dr. Ed Wainwright
An attractive reporter investigating the mysterious destruction of an Illinois town stumbles upon a secret government laboratory conducting radiation experiments on vegetables. The lead scientist is eager to help find out what happened. Together they discover that giant grasshoppers are behind the devastation. Worse yet, thousands of them are headed toward Chicago! Can they be stopped... or is this the BEGINNING OF THE END?
Bayou
Martin Davis
A community of Cajun fishermen living around a remote bayou includes one authentic beauty, Marie, who wants to better herself but must deal with the unwelcome attentions of storekeeper Ulysses. When she meets Martin Davis, visiting New York architect, they hit it off at once; but the sinister Ulysses is not inclined to suffer a Yankee rival.
Canyon River
Bob Andrews
A rancher's foreman schemes against him on a cattle drive from Oregon to Wyoming.
Hold Back The Night
Lt. Lee Couzens
A Marine officer (John Payne) goes through Korea with the bottle of Scotch that his wife (Mona Freeman) gave him in the last war.
It Conquered the World
Dr. Paul Nelson
An alien from Venus tries to take over the world with the help of a disillusioned human scientist, as his wife, his best friend and the friend's wife try to intervene.
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
Capt. Bob Elliott
A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
Fort Yuma
Lt. Ben Keegan
Apaches plan to attack a fort by wearing uniforms plundered from a cavalry officer's (Peter Graves) supply column.
The Night of the Hunter
Ben Harper
In the Deep South, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.
The Naked Street
Joe McFarland
To make an honest woman of his pregnant sister, Rosalie, callous New York mobster Phil Regal intimidates witnesses and bribes a store clerk to get Rosalie’s condemned boyfriend, Nicky Bradna, out of prison. But Regal’s meddling deeds soon backfire.
Wichita
Morgan Earp
Former buffalo hunter and entrepreneur Wyatt Earp arrives in the lawless cattle town of Wichita Kansas. His skill as a gun-fighter makes him a perfect candidate for Marshal, but he refuses the job until he feels morally obligated to bring law and order to this wild town.
Robbers' Roost
Heesman
Jim "Tex" Wall, searching for the last of the three men who raped and killed his wife, joins a gang of cattle rustlers led by Hank Hays. Both Hays' outlaws and a rival gang headed by Heesman, have been hired as ranch hands by "Bull" Herrick, a cripple who owns a large cattle ranch and wants to get his large herd to market. He theorizes that the two gangs will be kept busy watching each other and neither will rustle his cattle. Helen has little faith in her brother's contrived plan, and hates and distrusts both groups. She begins to soften toward Jim, but abruptly changes when she sees a reward poster which says he has killed two men.
The Long Gray Line
Rudolph Heinz
The life story of a salt-of-the-earth Irish immigrant, who becomes an Army Noncommissioned Officer and spends his 50 year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This includes his job-related experiences as well as his family life and the relationships he develops with young cadets with whom he befriends. Based on the life of a real person.
Black Tuesday
Peter Manning
Vicious gangster Vincent Canelli pulls off a daring prison escape just moments before going to the electric chair, taking with him Peter Manning – a bank robber and cop killer who was to die right after him. Taking several hostages along, they try to get their hands on the loot from Manning’s robbery to finance their escape from the country.
The Raid
Capt. Frank Dwyer
A group of confederate prisoners escape to Canada and plan to rob the banks and set fire to the small town of Saint Albans in Vermont. To get the lie of the land, their leader spends a few days in the town and finds he is getting drawn into its life and especially into that of an attractive widow and her son.
The Yellow Tomahawk
Sawyer
When the army insists on building a fort on Indian land, in defiance of a treaty, the warnings of a scout go unheeded.
Killers from Space
Douglas Martin
Atomic scientist/pilot Doug Martin is missing after his plane crashes on an reconnaissance mission after a nuclear test. Miraculously appearing unhurt at the base later, he is given sodium amethol, but authorities are skeptical of his story that he was captured by aliens determined to conquer the Earth with giant monsters and insects. Martin vows to use existing technology to destroy them.
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
Arnold Dix
Mike and Tony Petrakis are a Greek father and son team who dive for sponges off the coast of Florida. After they are robbed by crooks, Arnold and the Rhys brothers, Mike decides to take his men to the dangerous 12-mile reef to dive for more sponges. Mike suffers a fatal accident when he falls from the reef leaving Tony to carry on the business. But now he has a companion, Gwyneth Rhys.
East of Sumatra
Cowboy
Duke Mullane, manager of a Malayan tin mine, goes to a little-known island to open a new mine in the jungle. Initially, the natives there are friendly, especially dancer Minyora...who proves to be affianced to local ruler King Kiang. Alas, a series of unfortunate incidents changes Kiang's attitude to hostility, and Duke is stranded with his crew, Minyora, and his old flame Lory...who's now engaged to his boss!
War Paint
Trooper Tolson
An Indian and his beautiful sister attempt to destroy a cavalry patrol trying to deliver a peace treaty to their chief.
Stalag 17
Sgt. Frank Price
It's a dreary Christmas 1944 for the American POWs in Stalag 17 and the men in Barracks 4, all sergeants, have to deal with a grave problem—there seems to be a security leak.
Red Planet Mars
Chris Cronyn
Husband-and-wife scientists (Peter Graves, Andrea King) pick up a pie-in-the-sky TV message supposedly from Mars.
The Congregation
Film starring Peter Graves
Angels in the Outfield
Radio Announcer (uncredited)
The short-tempered manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates mends his ways in return for a little divine assistance.
Fort Defiance
Ned Tallon
It's just after the Civil War and Ben Shelby arrives looking for Johnny Tallon whom he plans to kill. Shelby was the only survivor of a battle due to the cowardice of Tallon. Thinking Tallon dead, another man who lost a brother at the same battle arrives to kill Tallon's blind brother. Tallon arrives to find Shelby and his brother fleeing. Then they are attacked by Indians and Shelby and Tallon must now fight together postponing the inevitable showdown.
Rogue River
Pete Dandridge
The story of Ownie Rodgers, the nephew of crooked Oregon police chief Joe Dandridge. A $70,000 windfall, bequeathed to Dandridge by a man he'd once framed on a bank robbery charge, unleashes innumerable family skeletons. Ownie is obliged to solve the long-ago bank job himself, and in so doing he discovers that his "faithful" girl friend Judy was in on the scheme.
Fury
Jim Newton