Edith Peters

Edith Peters is an American actress and singer known for her supporting roles in Italian and international co-productions from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. ^[1] Born on April 14, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, Peters was part of the Peters Sisters family of entertainers, a group of African-American vocalists who performed in the United States and Europe. ^[1] She later moved to Italy, where she resided and worked for many years, appearing in films that often cast her in character roles such as cooks, servants, or handmaidens. ^[1] Her filmography includes more than sixteen credits, with notable appearances in Carthage in Flames (1960), Blood and Roses (1960), The Taming of the Scoundrel (1980), and A Policewoman in New York (1981). ^[1] Peters also contributed to soundtracks, including a performance in Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell (1965), and released solo music recordings during her time in Italy. ^[1] Married to Silvio Catalano, she maintained a career spanning both acting and occasional singing work before returning to the United States. ^[1] Peters passed away on October 28, 2000, in Los Angeles, California. ^[1]

Early life

Family background

Edith Peters was born on April 14, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. ^[2] She was the fourth of five sisters in an African-American family from Santa Monica, California, known for their musical inclinations. ^[3] Her sisters included Matty Peters (1917–1983), Ann Peters (1920–1965), Virginia Vee (1923–2010), and Joyce Peters (born 1929). ^[4] The Peters sisters grew up in a musical household and first sang together in churches and local amateur shows in Santa Monica. ^[3] This family-oriented involvement in singing reflected their African-American heritage and provided early performance experience within community settings. ^[5] The sisters' shared background in these informal venues fostered their natural harmony and eventual path toward professional music. ^[6]

Early musical involvement

Edith Peters grew up in a musical African-American family in Santa Monica, California, where she and her sisters began singing together from an early age. ^[3] These early experiences centered on family-based performances in local churches, amateur shows, and social functions during her childhood and adolescence. ^[3] The sisters' harmony singing drew from African-American musical traditions prevalent in the community, fostering their development as vocalists in a supportive local environment. ^[7] Such pre-professional activities helped shape their close-harmony style before any formal group recognition. ^[7] This foundation in amateur and church performances with her sisters eventually contributed to the discovery that led to their professional career. ^[7]

Career with the Peters Sisters

Group formation and U.S. beginnings

The Peters Sisters were initially formed as a vocal trio by the three older sisters—Mattye, Anne, and Virginia Peters—who grew up in Santa Monica, California.^[8] In 1937, Eddie Cantor discovered them while they were singing at an obscure nightclub in their native California and immediately signed them to appear in his film Ali Baba Goes to Town, where they performed as a specialty act in the musical number "Swing Is Here to Sway."^[8][9] This breakthrough led to further opportunities in Hollywood, including appearances in films such as Love and Hisses (1937) and Happy Landing (1938), where they were credited as singers and occasional actresses.^[8] The trio also performed at prominent U.S. venues, including the Cotton Club in New York City alongside Duke Ellington and his orchestra, gaining recognition for their harmony, dancing, and stage presence.^[8]

International tours and performances

The Peters Sisters launched their international career in 1938 with a tour of England, where they performed for a year in the revue Hawaiian Paradise, sharing the bill with comedians Max Wall and Ted Ray.^[10] World War II interrupted their momentum, but in 1950 the group returned to Europe to fulfill a long-standing engagement at the Folies Bergère in Paris.^[10] Tours of North and South America followed this successful residency.^[10] In 1959 they appeared at the London Palladium alongside Max Bygraves and were featured on BBC-TV in the Billy Cotton Band Show, reaching millions of viewers.^[10] The Peters Sisters also contributed to film soundtracks, including an appearance in the 1947 Cab Calloway vehicle Hi-De-Ho.^[8] In their later years, the group continued performing in Europe while members settled in various countries, including France, Switzerland, and Denmark.^[10]

Marriage and relocation to Italy

Union with Silvio Catalano

In 1958, Edith Peters married Silvio Catalano, who had served as her agent in Italy.^[11][12] The marriage led her to relocate permanently to Italy, where she settled after years of performing in Europe with her sister Joyce and the Peters Sisters.^[11][12] Following the union, Peters was also known as Edith Peters Catalano, Edith Catalano Peters, or Edith Arlene Peters Catalano.^[1] No further verified details are available regarding additional aspects of their personal life.

Acting career

Transition to film and early roles

Edith Peters made her screen debut in the 1957 Spanish musical Quiéreme con música, appearing as Aunt Edith and credited as part of the Peters Sisters. ^{[13] [1]} After relocating to Italy following her marriage to Silvio Catalano, Peters began a steady career in Italian cinema and international co-productions, taking on supporting character roles throughout the early 1960s. ^[1] Her parts often portrayed cooks, handmaidens, nuns, princesses, and similar figures in historical epics, adventure films, and comedies. ^[1] Notable early credits include Sarepta in Carthage in Flames (1960), a nun in Under Ten Flags (1960), the cook in Blood and Roses (1960), Princess Fatima in Madri pericolose (1960), and Fat-ball/Golia's Girl in Robin Hood and the Pirates (1960). ^[1] She continued with Cucinera in 5 marines per 100 ragazze (1961), La donna nera in The Last Judgment (1961), and a Nubian handmaiden in Fury of Achilles (1962). ^[1] Peters also contributed occasionally to soundtracks, performing the song "Let Me Free" in Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell (1965). ^[1]

Peak period and notable films

Edith Peters' most active and prominent period as an actress came during the 1960s in Italian cinema, where she regularly appeared in supporting roles in popular genre films. ^[1] She secured notable parts in Obiettivo ragazze (1963) as La indigena, The Tramplers (1965) as Emma, and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966) as Maria. ^[1] These roles reflected her frequent typecasting in ethnic and exotic supporting parts, consistent with casting trends in European productions of the era that often featured characters such as Nubian handmaidens or harem dancers. ^[1] Her work spanned peplum, adventure, and comedy genres typical of Italian films during this time, with her distinctive presence adding to ensemble casts in these mid-budget genre pictures. ^[1]

Later roles and final work

In her later career, Edith Peters' acting appearances became significantly less frequent, with only sporadic supporting roles in Italian films during the late 1960s and early 1980s. ^[1] These parts largely continued her established pattern of portraying domestic or service-oriented characters, such as cooks, housekeepers, and waitresses. ^[1] She appeared as the cook in the 1969 Italian comedy Lisa dagli occhi blu. ^[1] Following a gap of more than ten years without credited film work, she returned in 1980 to play Haushälterin Mamie, the housekeeper, in the popular comedy The Taming of the Scoundrel (Il bisbetico domato). ^[14] Her final credited role was in 1981, when she portrayed la cameriera (the waitress) in A Policewoman in New York (La poliziotta a New York). ^[15] No further acting credits are recorded after 1981, marking the end of her on-screen career. ^[1]

Death

Final years and passing

Edith Peters died on October 28, 2000, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 74. ^{[2] [16]} The cause of her death was undisclosed. ^[2] No detailed accounts of her activities or residence during her final years have been widely documented in available sources. ^[2]