by Eleanor Roberts; unknown source "Man in a turmoil" — is the way Pete Duel, star of ABC-TV's Alias Smith and Jones described himself to me over luncheon at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Underneath the dashing, carefree manner of the Western outlaw (alias Smith) that millions saw on television was a rebellious 31-year-old star who felt he had never attained the artistic heights he was capable of as an actor. Only one role, the drug addict in the World Premiere pilot of a series called The Psychiatrist utilized Duel's ambitions. "It was my best role," he said. "I would rather do drama ... Read More

Spanish newspaper, early January 1972; translated. When the present series of "Alias Smith and Jones finishes, we will no longer see television appearances by the actor Peter Duel because he has died. He was 31 years old. With Ben Murphy, he formed the partnership starring in the adventures of the two cowboys, Smith and Jones. More than a thousand fans attended his funeral. Ben Murphy proved to be so affected by his death that he could not take part in the funeral. Peter Duel's fiancee, Dianne Ray, read a poem entitled "Love" at the memorial ceremony in the cemetery at ... Read More

by Fenton Bresler; Pageant, January 1975 On the night of December 30th, 1971, handsome, 31-year-old Pete Duel left his girlfriend in bed, walked naked into the front room of his house--and blew out his brains. "Cerebral destruction," are the grim words of the police report that I read in the office of the local coroner. Why did he do it? Why did the star of the highly successful television series, Alias Smith and Jones, a top success on both sides of the Atlantic, destroy himself in the early hours of that December morning? It could only happen in Hollywood. "I don't know ... Read More

Penfield Post Republican, January 6, 1972 "He was home on vacation between filming schedules of Love on a Rooftop, a TV series he was doing about four years ago, and what impressed me was that he was more concerned with people and with causes than he was with his own career." Former Penfield Post Republican reporter and now public information relation officer for Penfield Schools, Mrs. Michael Fonte was reminiscing over an interview she had with the late actor Peter Duel, 31, who died Friday in his home in Hollywood Hills. His death followed by a gunshot wound which police believe to ... Read More

Rochester Times Union, January 6, 1972 Downstairs at First Baptist Church of Penfield, where actor Peter Duel was eulogized, a knot of Penfield boys traded reasons why he appealed to them. "He was like a con man — trying to get amnesty. He was perfect for the part," said Bill Palmer, 14, of 2154 Five Mile Line Road. Duel, 31, played Hannibal Heyes in the television series Alias Smith and Jones. "He was like a man's man; went after the chicks," added Palmer. "He always caught people cheating at cards," said Paul Banks, 14, of 12 Fosbourne Road. "They'd put him in jail and he'd ... Read More

By Joan E. Vadeboncoeur; Syracuse Herald Journal, January 7, 1972 It looked as if wild acclaim from the teenyboppers was only the matter of one record when Pete Duel died last week of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Hollywood Hills home. The actor spoke of it last summer while lunching with TV editors in the executive dining room of Universal where his Alias Smith and Jones series was shooting for ABC. He had signed a three-year contract with the studio, "enticed by the inclusion of a feature film," as he put it, "which, in fact, I did." The movie was [Cannon ... Read More

Time Magazine, January 10, 1972 Died, Peter Duel, 31, co-star of ABC's popular cowboy comedy series Alias Smith & Jones, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound; in Hollywood. An alumnus of Manhattan's American Theater Wing, Duel went to Hollywood five years ago. There he was in demand on such network television shows as Name of the GAme, Combat!, The Fugitive, and The Bold Ones. He starred opposite Judy Carne in the series Love on a Rooftop before taking the role of Hannibal Heyes (alias Joshua Smith), one of two not quite reformed desperadoes in search of vocational guidance.

The Penfield Press, January 13, 1972; To the Editor The following poem was written and sent to us by a dear friend, Jo Fonte, and because it says so beautifully what is in our hearts we would like to share it with you, as a memoriam to our son, Peter.   GOOD NIGHT, SWEET PRINCE I came to interview a man called Peter Poised on the threshold Of what the world calls stardom... And I forgot The first rule of journalism: Be objective. How [to] be objective When confronted with a spirit So deeply bound to Everyman? Whose brethren's pain became his own heartache Whose burden he took Upon his own ... Read More

Lecturas, January 14, 1972 At present the police have offered no comment. All that is known is that Pete Duel was found dead by the door of his house in the Hollywood Hills. Pete was covered in blood and next to him they found the gun which caused his death. Was it murder or suicide? In view of the fact that the gun was close by and there were no other footprints except his leads one to think that he intended to commit suicide. But Pete had no apparent motive for wanting to die. Duel, who was not yet thirty years old, ... Read More

By Cecil Smith (Column Writer); Los Angeles Times, January 5, 1972 It was a dark and terrible thing to come home to. I had been communing in the white serenity of the Colorado mountains above Snowmass-at-Aspen, walking in "velvet shoes," as Elinor Wylie put it, glorying in the purity of that place, the grandeur of those massive mountains that seemed in their august dignity disdainful of the skiers clustered like flies on their slopes. Then home and Pete Duel's death. It was "Richard Cory," in fact. Pete fluttered pulses when he said, "Good morning." And he glittered when he walked. And as ... Read More

Transcript; January 5, 1972 Snow covered the Nulton Funeral Home in Penfield this morning. It covered the physical traces of those who came last night to pay their last respects to the town boy who became a successful Hollywood star. Over two thousand persons came to sadly renew acquaintances with family and friends. In a strange way they remembered two Peter Deuels. As most, they remembered Pete Duel the TV star. His very successful current series Alias Smith and Jones. A character with which friends identified because of the close association with his own personality — carefree, quick-witted, and almost always bearing ... Read More