Pete Duel

Most widely known for his starring role as outlaw Hannibal Heyes in television’s Alias Smith and Jones (1971–1973), actor Pete Duel (originally Peter Deuel) led an unpredictable and often tumultuous life, cut short by his highly publicized suicide on New Year’s Eve 1971, at the height of his celebrity. In the expanded second edition, this biography of Duel reveals more personal aspects of his career and death, including his formative years in New York City and Hollywood. The author draws on extensive interviews with Duel’s closest family and friends, including sister Pamela Deuel, former girlfriends Jill Andre, Beth Griswold, Kim Darby and Dianne Ray, as well actors, producers, directors and writers who worked with Duel.

Paul Green has worked as an artist in the UK for Marvel, DC and World International-Egmont, among others, on titles such as Doctor Who, Rambo, Action Man, Wonder Woman and Star Trek. The author of many books about television and film history, he lives in Rustburg, Virginia.

Paul Green
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 284
Bibliographic Info: 72 photos, filmography, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9696-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2109-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments  ix

Foreword by Belinda Montgomery  1

Preface  3

Introduction  5

1 Arrival 7

2 Reckless Rebel 26

3 Promise of the Future 40

4 New Directions 59

5 Safe in the Park 80

6 Forward Motion 99

7 Episodic Television 114

8 Drive Away 126

9 Outlaws to Make You Smile 132

10 Natural Rhythms 146

11 Hope and Despair 156

12 A Sudden Compulsion 166

13 Puzzlement 179

14 Life in the Shadow 189

15 Ripples Through Time 195

16 Fractured Image 203

17 Testimony 206

18 Doorway to Transcendence 216

19 Fact and Fiction 226

Appendix A—Episode Guides  237

Appendix B—Theater Career and Filmography  247

Chapter Notes  255

Bibliography  261

Index  265

“exhaustively researched, penetrating, but compassionate”—Pop Culture Classics; Reviews of the first edition: “explores his life and death, and does it exceedingly well…a must”—Western Clippings; “It is not the usual superficial adoring screen bio. I am impressed with the depth of the portrait. There is a serious psychological study in the narrative of his life.”—Frank Price (former President of Universal TV).