A fan's tribute to Peter Deuel
by Sherilyn Smith; October 2000
In my mind’s eye, in a flash
Broken dreams, meant to last
Seventy-one, his will to lose,
Imposed haunting mid-war blues.
On his steed, his head held high
Shining armor, sword and style
Dark eyes glittering all that is
Passion, rage and love and death.
And all the love, the love had I,
Young one to hear his battle cry.
Then gone was he, the one I loved
In an instant, in a flash,
Is my sorrow meant to last?
Please go then, Pete, and be at peace
Rest, my love, your dreams be sweet
When you wake, our spirits wait
For your return, in faith and ... Read More
Category: 1972 and Later
May 9, 2016Laura
The Woman Who Will Never Forget Pete Duel's Death!
Why She'll Always Wonder
by Felicia Griffith; Screen Parade, June 1972
Pete Duel's lifetime, however short, was a full one. And one of its most fulfilling elements, especially towards its end, was his girlfriend, Dianne Ray. Although they never married, Pete and Dianne were as close to each other as any man and woman could be. And if anyone could have prevented Pete from taking his own life, that person may well have been Dianne.
Pete was born in Rochester, New York, the son of Dr. Ellsworth S. Deuel and the former Lillian M. ... Read More
May 9, 2016Laura
Editor’s Note: Alwyn Kurts, also known as Alwyn Kurtis, (28 October 1915 – 4 May 2000) was an Australian drama and comedy actor best remembered for his role as gruff Inspector Colin Fox in the TV series Homicide.
‘Homicide’ Cop Tells; article originally published February 19, 1972, TV Week, Page 15
Alwyn Kurts, Homicide‘s Inspector Fox, had lunch with Alias Smith and Jones star Peter Duel only four days before the Western star committed suicide.
Kurt was holidaying on the American west coast when he paid a visit to Hollywood.
“I had arranged the visit well before I left,” said Alwyn, “and when ... Read More
December 30, 2015Laura
Unknown newspaper, December 31, 1971
Hollywood, Dec. 31 (Special) — TV star Peter Duel, 31, who plays the role of a reformed outlaw on the Alias Smith and Jones Western series, was found shot to death early today beneath a Christmas tree in his Hollywood hills home.
The dark-haired actor, a native of Rochester, N.Y., where his family lives, was found sprawled in the living room floor with a bullet wound in his right temple.
Detectives said they found a 38-caliber revolver near Duel's body in the modest, two-bedroom home where he lived alone. The gun had been fired twice, police said.
Called Possible ... Read More
December 30, 2015Laura
Just Released: Pete Duel as Remembered by Geoffrey Deuel
The most highly anticipated DVD, of course, is the one that features an interview with Geoffrey about his beloved brother, Peter. Unfortunately — or, fortunately, depending on how you see it — we were unable to limit this presentation to just one disc. That’s because there was a lifetime of memories to explore AND we spent considerable time going through boxes and boxes of family photos, pictures Geoffrey hadn’t even seen in years, in order to bring you the best and most wide variety of images. They simply couldn’t all fit on ... Read More
November 6, 2015Laura
Pete Duel was the coolest man on Earth in 1971. I don’t remember a single kid in my elementary school who didn’t know Pete Duel in 1971 courtesy of his starring role in the tragically short-lived TV show Alias Smith and Jones. That comedy-drama was the last great western TV show before the genre died forever the day after Star Wars was released into theaters. Alias Smith and Jones would have died quickly as the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ripoff it would have been had it not for the presence Pete Duel.
November 5, 2015Laura
Editor's Note: Although this article claims to have conducted this interview "just days before" Pete died, it was, in fact, taken sometime in October 1971, roughly two months before he died. His sideburns, in particular, were nowhere near their length as they were in the last episode of Alias Smith and Jones. Further, these were not the last photos taken of him — nor were they his last words.
Rona Barrett's Hollywood, May 1972
Just days before Pete put a bullet through his brain, we talked to him about life... love... and his three wishes. Here are the last photos taken of ... Read More
October 25, 2015Laura