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
Category: 1972 and Later
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
The rewards of being a successful, famous actor can be big but the chances of reaching that goal are very small. Think about all the preparation involved, the expectations and the inevitable disappointments. And the ever present elements of luck, talent and timing that can make the difference between getting a part or being rejected. And once you’ve gotten the role, is it in a worthwhile vehicle or something that can stall your ambitions even before they start? And then if you catch the public’s eye and imagination you are suddenly under a microscope.
July 1, 2015Laura
"It's Just Natural for Me..."
by Art Zolan; Movie World, January 1972
After searching through the large sound stages of Universal Studios, I finally found the Alias Smith and Jones crew shooting on an outdoor set on the back lot where Pete Duel was working in an amusing but exhausting fight scene. It had been a few years since I had seen Pete; in fact, the last time was when he was starring in Love On a Rooftop.
Pete certainly is a different man. I noticed the change immediately. He had even changed his name from Peter Deuel to Pete Duel. As I ... Read More
December 29, 2014Laura