Lawford Family History & Genealogy

Peter Lawford Born Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen 7 September 1923 London, England Died 24 December 1984 (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Occupation Actor, film producer, socialite Years active 1930–1984 Spouse(s) Patricia Helen Kennedy (m. 1954; div. 1966) Mary Rowan (m. 1971; div. 1975) Deborah Gould (m. 1976; div. 1977) Patricia Seaton (m. 1984) Children 4, including Christopher Parent(s) Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford and May Sommerville Bunny Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford (born Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor, producer, and socialite, who lived in the United States throughout his adult life. He was a member of the "Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy and senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was "famous for being famous".[4] Early life Born in London in 1923, he was the only child of Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KBE (1865–1953) and May Sommerville Bunny (1883–1972). At the time of Peter's birth, however, his mother was married to Lieutenant colonel Dr. Ernest Vaughn Aylen D.S.O, one of Sir Sydney's officers, while his father was married to Muriel Williams. At the time, May and Ernest Aylen were living apart. May confessed to Aylen that the child was not his, a revelation that resulted in a double divorce. Sydney and May wed in September 1924 after their divorces were finalized and when their son was one year old. Early childhood He spent his early childhood in France and, owing to his family's travels, was never formally educated. Instead, he was schooled by governesses and tutors, and his education included tennis and ballet lessons. "In the beginning," his mother observed, "he had no homework. When he was older he had Spanish, German and music added to his studies. He read only selected books: English fairy stories, English and French classics; no crime stories. Having studied Peter for so long, I decided he was quite unfitted for any career except art, so I cut Latin, Algebra, high mathematics and substituted dramatics instead." Because of the widely varying national and religious backgrounds of his tutors, Lawford "attended various services in churches, cathedrals, synagogues and for some time was an usher in a Christian Science Sunday School...." Around 1930, aged seven, he made his acting debut in the English film Poor Old Bill. He also had an uncredited bit in A Gentleman of Paris (1931). Accident At the age of 14, Lawford severely injured his right arm in an accident when it went through a glass door.Irreversible nerve damage severely compromised the use of his forearm and hand , which he later learned to conceal. The injury was judged to be serious enough to prevent his entry into the armed forces, which his parents had planned. Instead, Lawford pursued a career as an actor, a decision that resulted in one of his aunts refusing to leave him her considerable fortune, as she had originally planned. Career Early career In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) In 1938, Lawford was travelling through Hollywood when spotted by a talent scout. He was screen tested and made his Hollywood debut in a minor part in the film Lord Jeff starring Freddie Bartholomew. The outbreak of World War II found the Lawfords in Florida. In a matter of days, they realized that they had been stranded. Their money was in Britain and Britain was at war. Their assets were frozen. Peter, then 16, took a job parking cars. When he saved enough money for the fare, he went back to Hollywood where he supported himself working as a theater usher until he began to get film work. Extra work and bit parts The advent of World War II saw an increase in British war stories and Lawford found himself in demand playing military personnel, albeit usually in uncredited parts. He could be glimpsed in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Eagle Squadron (1942), both times as pilots. His first decent role in a major film production was in A Yank at Eton (1942), starring Mickey Rooney, in which Lawford played a snobbish bully. It was very popular at the box office. Lawford was a cadet in Thunder Birds: Soldiers of the Air (1942) and Junior Army (1942) (starring Bartholomew), a soldier in Random Harvest (1942), Immortal Sergeant (1942), and London Blackout Murders (1943) (directed by George Sherman), and a navigator in Assignment in Brittany (1943). He had a billed part in The Purple V (1943). At MGM he was a student in Above Suspicion (1943), a soldier in Pilot #5 (1943), a naval commander in The Sky's the Limit (1943) (with Fred Astaire), and an Australian in The Man from Down Under (1943). He had a minor role at Republic's Someone to Remember (1943) and The West Side Kid (1943), the latter directed by Sherman. Lawford played a soldier in Sahara (1943) and sailors in Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) and Corvette K-225 (1943). He was a Frenchman in Paris After Dark (1943) and Flesh and Fantasy (1943), and was a student in MGM's Girl Crazy (1943) and The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944). MGM Lawford's career stepped up a notch when signed to a long term contract to MGM in June 1943. The studio signed him with a specific role in mind - The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), in which he played a young soldier during the Second World War. The film was very popular. Lawford had a small role in The Canterville Ghost (1944) and Mrs. Parkington (1944), playing a suitor of Greer Garson. MGM gave him another important role in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). Leading man In Royal Wedding (1951) Lawford's first leading role came in Son of Lassie (1945), a big hit. Lawford was put in a Kathryn Grayson-June Allyson musical, Two Sisters from Boston (1946) which was very popular. Ernst Lubitsch used him at Fox in Cluny Brown (1946) where he was billed after Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones. He won a Modern Screen magazine readers' poll as the most popular actor in Hollywood of 1946. His fan mail jumped to thousands of letters a week. With actors such as Clark Gable and James Stewart away at war, Lawford was recognised as a new romantic lead on the MGM lot. Lawford made My Brother Talks to Horses (1947) with Jackie Butch Jenkins, an early work of Fred Zinnemann which was a big flop. He was reunited with Grayson in It Happened in Brooklyn (1947), which also starred Frank Sinatra. Lawford received rave reviews for his work in the film, while Sinatra's were lukewarm. Lawford later admitted that the most terrifying experience of his career was the first musical number he performed in the musical Good News (1947), the film he starred in alongside Allyson. Using an American accent for his role, he won acclaim as a performer. He was Esther Williams' leading man in On an Island with You (1948) and supported Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in Easter Parade (1948), a huge hit, and Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in Julia Misbehaves (1948), also popular. He played Laurie in MGM's version of Little Women (1949) alongside Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was billed beneath Pidgeon and Ethel Barrymore in the anti-Communist The Red Danube (1949) and was one of Deborah Kerr's leading men in Please Believe Me (1951). He was Jane Powell's love interest in Royal Wedding (1951) with Fred Astaire and co-starred with Janet Leigh in Just This Once (1952), both popular. 20th Century Fox borrowed him for Kangaroo (1952), a melodrama shot in Australia with Maureen O'Hara. Back at MGM he was top billed in some lower budgeted films: You for Me (1953), a comedy, The Hour of 13 (1953), a thriller and Rogue's March (1953), a war film. The studio then let him go. Eva Marie Saint, Paul Newman and Lawford in Exodus (1960) Lawford's first film after Metro released him and several other players from their contracts was the comedy It Should Happen to You (1954), wherein he starred alongside Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon.

Sarah Sarah (Waller) Lawford of Melbourne Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sarah Waller Lawford.

Ernest H Lawford of Quincy, Norfolk County, MA was born on September 28, 1909, and died at age 78 years old on April 6, 1988.

George W Lawford of Elba, Coffee County, AL was born on November 1, 1927, and died at age 69 years old on May 22, 1997.

Vincent E Lawford of Chula Vista, San Diego County, CA was born on September 16, 1924, and died at age 68 years old on February 19, 1993.

Margaret Margaret (Veitch) Lawford of Benalla Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Margaret Veitch Lawford.

Witchell John Lawford of Benalla Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Witchell John Lawford.

Hilda Maude (Lawford) Lawford of Australia, was married to William August May in 1942, and has a child Marie Rose May. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Hilda Maude Lawford.

Anna (Lawford) Franklin of Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Anna (Lawford) Franklin.

Pretlove Henry Lawford of Castlemaine Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Pretlove Henry Lawford.

Francis Francis Lawford of Castlemaine Australia, was married to Pretlove Henry Lawford, and has children Harriet Harwood, George William Pretlove, and Ellen Isabel Lawford. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Francis Webb Lawford.

George Patri Lawford of Northcote Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember George Lawford.

Emily Emily (Baldwin) Lawford of Ech Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Emily Baldwin Lawford.

Samuel Lawford of Ech Australia, was married to Emily Baldwin Lawford, and has children Oliver Lawford, Rupert Stanley Lawford, Adrian Joseph Lawford, Frederick Willia Lawford, Alf Lawford, and John Stephen Lawford. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Samuel Lawford.

Stanley Howard Lawford of Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Stanley Howard Lawford.

Sarah Sarah (Lawford) Lawford of Richmond Vic Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sarah Lawford.

John John Lawford of Warrnambool Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Lawford.

Mary Mary (Ednie) Lawford of Warrnambool Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Ednie Lawford.

Sydney Andrew Lawford of Dromana Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sydney Andrew Lawford.

Sydney Andrew Lawford of Oakleigh Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Sydney Andrew Lawford.