Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Peter Whitney

Highest Rated: 100% Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)

Lowest Rated: 57% Mr. Skeffington (1944)

Birthday: May 24, 1916

Birthplace: Long Branch, New Jersey, USA

Character actor Peter Whitney played to type, heaving his fleshy frame and glowering through numerous villain roles in films of the '40s and '50s, followed by similar turns in TV series. He honed his skills performing with the Pasadena Playhouse before landing a contract with Warner Brothers in 1941. Supporting parts in minor films quickly came his way, both for Warner and on loan to other studios, including a minor Abbott and Costello comedy, "Rio Rita." He occasionally hooked more memorable parts, including a double role as a pair of murderous redneck twins tormenting Fred MacMurray in "Murder, He Says." Toward the late '50s, he moved almost exclusively into TV series, with a recurring role on the single season of "The Rough Riders" as a former Union soldier, but more often he played guest spots as a seedy, intimidating hick scoundrel in many Westerns, including "The Rifleman" and "Gunsmoke." Whitney's final part was in a 1972 episode of "Night Gallery," where he played a grave robber. He died that same year of a heart attack at age 55.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

100% 66% Buchanan Rides Alone
Watchlist
95% 92% In the Heat of the Night
Watchlist
94% 81% The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Watchlist
94% 90% The Big Heat
Watchlist
67% 65% Destination Tokyo
Watchlist
57% 80% Mr. Skeffington
Watchlist
Day of Triumph
Watchlist
54% The Sea Chase
Watchlist
Blonde Alibi
Watchlist
25% All the Brothers Were Valiant
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
94% 81% The Ballad of Cable Hogue Cushing (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet 29% The Great Bank Robbery Brother Jordan Cass (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chubasco Matt (Character) - 1968
95% 92% In the Heat of the Night George Courtney (Character) - 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sword of Ali Baba Abou (Character) - 1965
100% 66% Buchanan Rides Alone Amos Agry (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Domino Kid Lafe Prentiss (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 33% Man From Del Rio Ed Bannister (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet 13% Great Day in the Morning Phil (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet 54% The Sea Chase Bachman (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 34% Savage Wilderness Sergeant Major Decker (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet Day of Triumph Nikator (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet 17% The Black Dakotas Grimes (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet 28% Gorilla at Large Kovacs (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet 25% All the Brothers Were Valiant James Finch (Character) - 1953
94% 90% The Big Heat Tierney (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Great Sioux Uprising Ahab Jones (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 31% Violence Joker Robinson (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet No Score Yet Northwest Outpost Volkoff Overseer (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 50% Three Strangers Timothy Delaney (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bring on the Girls Swede (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet 67% Hotel Berlin Heinrichs (Character) - 1945
57% 80% Mr. Skeffington Chester Forbish (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 72% Action in the North Atlantic Whitey Lara (Character) - 1943
67% 65% Destination Tokyo Dakota (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet 80% Whistling in Dixie Frank V. Bailie (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 49% Reunion in France Soldier (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 40% Rio Rita Jake (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 43% Valley of the Sun Willie (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Blonde Alibi Police Lt. Melody Haynes (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Busses Roar Hoff (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 40% Underground Alex Schumann (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nine Lives Are Not Enough Roy (Character) - 1941

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Lewt Cutter (Guest Star) 1960 1968 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mannix Garrett Clegg (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Here Come the Brides London Bob (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Petticoat Junction Unknown (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tarzan Patrick Mulvany (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Mothers-in-Law Unknown (Guest Star) 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Big Valley Unknown (Guest Star) 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Iron Horse Unknown (Guest Star) 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Guns of Will Sonnett Unknown (Guest Star) 1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Green Acres Olaf Simpson (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Gip Cooley (Guest Star) 1955 1957 1959 1961 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason Capt. Otto Varnum (Guest Star) 1961-1962 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Virginian Lars Holstrom (Guest Star) 1964-1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wagon Train Rodney Miller (Guest Star) 1958 1961-1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Daniel Boone Unknown (Guest Star) 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare Unknown (Guest Star) 1961 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Beverly Hillbillies Unknown (Guest Star) 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Combat! Unknown (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alfred Hitchcock Hour Unknown (Character) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rifleman Unknown (Guest Star) 1959-1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Untouchables Unknown (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Laramie Hutch (Guest Star) 1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cheyenne Unknown (Guest Star) 1958-1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tales of Wells Fargo Moose Gilliam (Guest Star) 1960-1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Zane Grey Theatre Unknown (Character) 1957-1958 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rebel Unknown (Guest Star) 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Have Gun -- Will Travel Unknown (Guest Star) 1958 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rawhide Unknown (Guest Star) 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mr. Lucky Unknown (Guest Star) 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Law of the Plainsman Unknown (Guest Star) 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Johnny Ringo Unknown (Guest Star) 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Marshal Dillon Unknown (Guest Star) 1955 1957 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Northwest Passage Unknown (Guest Star) 1959
No Score Yet No Score Yet Behind Closed Doors Unknown (Character) 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Climax! Unknown (Character) 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lone Ranger Windy Grant (Guest Star) 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet Superman Unknown (Guest Star) 1954