Peter Masterson

Peter Masterson
Peter Masterson
Born	Carlos Bee Masterson Jr.; June 1, 1934; Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 18, 2018 (aged 84); Kinderhook, New York, U.S.
Other names	Pete Masterson
Occupations	Actor; director; producer; writer;
Years active	1965–2005
Spouse	Carlin Glynn (m. 1960)
Children	3, including Mary Stuart Masterson

Peter Masterson (born Carlos Bee Masterson Jr.; June 1, 1934 – December 18, 2018) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He made his Broadway debut in November 1967 in The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, playing the title character.^[1] Although he got good notices, the play closed after nine performances.^[2]

Life and career

Masterson often worked with his cousin, writer Horton Foote. Acting from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, including 1975's The Stepford Wives as Walter Eberhart, since then he concentrated mostly on directing and producing. Actress Mary Stuart Masterson is his daughter; she appeared with her father in The Stepford Wives, playing one of his daughters. His other acting credits include roles in Ambush Bay (1966), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Counterpoint (1968), Von Richthofen and Brown (1971), Tomorrow (1972), The Exorcist (1973), Man on a Swing (1974), and Gardens of Stone (1987).^[3]^[4]

Masterson co-wrote (with Larry L. King) the books for the hit musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1978)^[5] and its short-lived sequel The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (1994).^[6] In 1980, he produced the ABC television movie, City in Fear based on an idea by screenwriter William Goldman, an idea that became the well-reviewed 1979 novel Panic on Page One by Linda Stewart, and the television script by Albert Ruben. The cast was led by Robert Vaughn and David Janssen in his final role before his death. In 1985, he directed The Trip to Bountiful, for which Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film also featured his wife, Carlin Glynn, who had previously won a Tony Award for her role in Whorehouse. His directing credits additionally include Full Moon in Blue Water (1988), Night Game (1989), Blood Red (1989), Convicts (1991), Arctic Blue (1993), The Only Thrill (1997), Lost Junction (2003), and Whiskey School (2005).^[4]

Illness and death

Masterson died at the age of 84 on December 18, 2018, after suffering a fall at his home. He had received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease 14 years earlier.^[3]^[4]

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Credit					Notes
Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Actor	Role	Notes
1966	Ambush Bay				Yes	Sgt. William Maccone
1967	In the Heat of the Night				Yes	Fryer
1968	Counterpoint				Yes	Sergeant Calloway
1971	Von Richthofen and Brown				Yes	Major Oswald Boelke
1972	Tomorrow				Yes	Douglas
1973	The Exorcist				Yes	Dr. Barringer
1974	Man on a Swing				Yes	Willie Younger
1975	The Stepford Wives				Yes	Walter Eberhart
1982	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas		Yes			—
1985	Witchfire				Yes
1985	The Trip to Bountiful	Yes				—
1987	Gardens of Stone				Yes	Col. Feld
1988	Full Moon in Blue Water	Yes				—
1989	Coyote Mountain				Yes	Deputy Sheriff	Short
1989	Blood Red	Yes				—
1989	Night Game	Yes				—
1991	Convicts	Yes				—
1993	Arctic Blue	Yes				—
1997	The Only Thrill	Yes		Executive		—
1998	Terra Nova	Yes		Yes		—
2003	Lost Junction	Yes				—
2005	Whiskey School	Yes				—

Television
Year	Title	Credit	Role	Notes
1966	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	Actor	Tom	1 episode
1966	Death Valley Days	Actor	Jimmy	1 episode
1968	N.Y.P.D.	Actor	The Man	1 episode
1972	McMillan & Wife	Actor	Joey	1 episode
1973	Pueblo	Actor	ENC M.O. Goldman	TV movie
1977	The Andros Targets	Actor	Bill Lockhart	1 episode
1977	Delta County, U.S.A.	Actor	Billy Wingate	TV movie
1977	The Quinns	Actor	Michael Quinn	TV movie
1977	Ryan's Hope	Actor	Charlie Dean	2 episodes
1977	The Storyteller	Actor	Lee Gardner	TV movie
1978	A Question of Guilt	Actor	Lieutenant Tom Wharton	TV movie
1980	City in Fear	Writer, executive producer	—	TV movie
1982	Texas	Actor	Tom Brandon	3 episodes
1996	Lily Dale	Director	—	TV movie
2000	Mermaid	Director	—	TV movie

References

^ "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald". Internet Broadway Databse. The Broadwau League. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ Goldman, William (1969). The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway (First ed.). New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. pp. 192–202. ISBN 978-0-1517-9923-7.
^ ^a ^b Dansby, Andrew (December 20, 2018). "Writer, actor, director Peter Masterson dies". houstonchronicle.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sandomir, Richard (December 21, 2018). "Peter Masterson, 84, a 'Best Little Whorehouse' Creator, Is Dead". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
^ "'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed November 7, 2015
^ "'The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public' Broadway" Archived 2015-09-14 at the Wayback Machine playbillvault.com, accessed November 7, 2015