I remember when I was little, I saw him in pictures like The Beginning of the End and It Conquered the World, films that I would later re-discover when they were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. I never saw Mission: Impossible when it was first on, but I remember discovering the show in re-runs later on. It still think of him as the guy that replaced Steven Hill. And, of course, I saw him unleash his flair for deadpan comedy in the Airplane! films. ("Scraps is a boy dog!")
All in all, a versatile, personable actor, who will be missed.
Last month, TCM did their "Thirty Days of Oscar." One of the movies I caught was "Stalag 17." Peter Graves was memorable as Price, the spy in the barracks. He was a great actor and we are less than in his passing.
"He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature... and because of it, the greatest in the universe. He learned too late for himself that men have to find their own way, to make their own mistakes. There can't be any gift of perfection from outside ourselves. And when men seek such perfection... they find only death... fire... loss... disillusionment... the end of everything that's gone forward. Men have always sought an end to the toil and misery, but it can't be given, it has to be achieved. There is hope, but it has to come from inside, from Man himself.")
-Peter Graves' ending monologue from It Conquered the World
I almost regret that Peter Graves appeared in Airplane. He redrew his persona for a new generation of fans---from a serious, authority figure to a thinly degenerate lampoon of that authority figure. I wonder how many younger folk are hearing his obit on the news programmes and thinking, "Mission: Impossible? I didn't know he was in that movie!" Graves, however, had the talent and the presence to avoid being stereotyped by such a total reversal of image, unlike Leslie Nielsen, in whose first twenty years of acting rôles, was even more serious and stony faced than Graves. Yet, while no-one (not even myself) can watch Nielsen now without half expecting him to suddenly act like a buffoon, Graves was able to retain his dignity and his credibility in such things as hosting Biography. He remained equally accepted as either a serious or comedic actor.
Peter Graves seemed to make a habit of defying audience expectations and the conventional wisdom of the acting industry. With Mission: Impossible, he did what was, for television, almost unheard of. He joined a hit programme in the second season, taking over the lead rôle from an exceptionally skilled and (for the part) perfectly fitting actor---and Graves made it his own. So much so that a great many people don't even realise that anybody else ever led the Impossible Missions Force. It's a rare thing for a replacement actor for a prominent rôle to so eclipse the original like that.
I felt greater respect for Graves when he refused to take part in the movie remake of Mission: Impossible once he discovered what the script planned to do with his character. It had been years since Graves had performed in a movie and he could count on a healthy paycheque from it. Yet, he turned it down. He saw himself as the guardian of the character of Jim Phelps. Sure, nothing would stop the movie's Jim Phelps from turning out to be a villain---but it wouldn't be his Jim Phelps.
It comes down to respect for his fans. Now, in terms of the public, an actor is not obliged to do anything but turn in a solid, entertaining performance. His personal life is his own business. Graves could have just as fairly said, sure, I'll play the part in the movie and placed a nice chunk of change in the bank. But he felt that such a thing would be a betrayal of not only the character he essayed for six seasons, but a betrayal of the fans who had watched the show, kept it on the air, and now held it close in their memories. It was a matter of principle. I don't know---I never read anything about it---but I suspect that when Graves's refusal to play the part in the movie, and his reasons, became known he heard from hundreds of fans thanking him for his decision. I hope so, anyway.
There will be no disavowing of Peter Graves' memory. "Goodbye, Jim."
In short: Graves and his wife Joan were invited to President Ford's last state dinner, but upon arrival at Dulles Airport learned that the airline lost their luggage! Chagrined, Graves called the White House to cancel and said they were going back to California, and the White House told him to come on anyway, they'd take care of it. They took him to a formal wear shop to rent a tuxedo, and First Lady Betty Ford provided Joan Graves with a selection of gowns. So, the Graveses went and had a grand time. There's a photo of Peter Graves playing clarinet with the Marine Band.
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All in all, a versatile, personable actor, who will be missed.
-Peter Graves' ending monologue from It Conquered the World
Peter Graves seemed to make a habit of defying audience expectations and the conventional wisdom of the acting industry. With Mission: Impossible, he did what was, for television, almost unheard of. He joined a hit programme in the second season, taking over the lead rôle from an exceptionally skilled and (for the part) perfectly fitting actor---and Graves made it his own. So much so that a great many people don't even realise that anybody else ever led the Impossible Missions Force. It's a rare thing for a replacement actor for a prominent rôle to so eclipse the original like that.
I felt greater respect for Graves when he refused to take part in the movie remake of Mission: Impossible once he discovered what the script planned to do with his character. It had been years since Graves had performed in a movie and he could count on a healthy paycheque from it. Yet, he turned it down. He saw himself as the guardian of the character of Jim Phelps. Sure, nothing would stop the movie's Jim Phelps from turning out to be a villain---but it wouldn't be his Jim Phelps.
It comes down to respect for his fans. Now, in terms of the public, an actor is not obliged to do anything but turn in a solid, entertaining performance. His personal life is his own business. Graves could have just as fairly said, sure, I'll play the part in the movie and placed a nice chunk of change in the bank. But he felt that such a thing would be a betrayal of not only the character he essayed for six seasons, but a betrayal of the fans who had watched the show, kept it on the air, and now held it close in their memories. It was a matter of principle. I don't know---I never read anything about it---but I suspect that when Graves's refusal to play the part in the movie, and his reasons, became known he heard from hundreds of fans thanking him for his decision. I hope so, anyway.
There will be no disavowing of Peter Graves' memory. "Goodbye, Jim."
In short: Graves and his wife Joan were invited to President Ford's last state dinner, but upon arrival at Dulles Airport learned that the airline lost their luggage! Chagrined, Graves called the White House to cancel and said they were going back to California, and the White House told him to come on anyway, they'd take care of it. They took him to a formal wear shop to rent a tuxedo, and First Lady Betty Ford provided Joan Graves with a selection of gowns. So, the Graveses went and had a grand time. There's a photo of Peter Graves playing clarinet with the Marine Band.