Peter Ford (actor)

Peter Newton Ford (born February 5, 1945) is an American retired actor, singer, and former President and Co-Founder of Blackoak Development Company.

Ford was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Canadian-American actor Glenn Ford and American actress-dancer Eleanor Powell. As a child, Ford's interest in rock and roll music inadvertently contributed to "Rock Around the Clock" being chosen as the title track for Blackboard Jungle. Ford graduated from Chadwick High School in Palos Verdes, California in 1962, received an Associate of Arts degree from Santa Monica College in 1966, and graduated, cum laude, from the University of Southern California in 1968 with a B.A. degree in English. While attending the University of Southern California, Ford met his future wife, Lynda Gundersen. Ford was accepted to the University of Southern California School of Law, but chose instead to work as an actor and singer.

Originally under contract to Capitol Records, Ford was mentored by Nat "King" Cole. Later, recording for Philips Records the release of his singles, "Don't Keep It To Yourself"/"Blue Ribbons" which were noted in Billboard's Pop Spotlight's Top 60, resulting in the song's appearance on many teen music television shows of the era, including American Bandstand, Hullabaloo and Ninth Street West.

He eventually formed his own group, The Creations, which appeared in various local clubs, as well as the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood and the El Cortez Club in Las Vegas.

Ford also worked on nearly two dozen film projects as an actor and dialogue director. The first was Gilda where director Charles Vidor used Ford's photo to represent Johnny Farrell (Glenn's role in the film) as a child. Ford's first speaking role was in The Gazebo in 1959, co-starring Debbie Reynolds. He also appeared in Pocketful of Miracles, Dear Heart, Advance to the Rear, Fate is the Hunter, and The Rounders.

In the early 1970s, Ford began working at Fox and was cast as a series regular and dialogue director for Cade's County, which starred his father Glenn Ford, playing forensic lab deputy Pete Odom. After Cade's County ended, Ford joined the Photo Unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as a Reserve Deputy, rising to the rank of Lieutenant before retiring in 1996.

In the mid-1970s, Ford and his wife Lynda began remodeling and selling homes.

Ford's first major home building commission was for producer Walter Coblenz, producer of All the President's Men and The Onion Field. He took a partner into his company and formed Blackoak Development Company. Ford went on to build and remodel homes for many clients involved in the film and television industry: producer Steve Tisch, actress Mary Kay Place, producer Jerry Belson, super agent Jeff Berg, producer Don Simpson, writers Chuck Shyer and Nancy Meyers, actress Jo Beth Williams, health guru Richard Simmons, actress Sally Kellerman, and Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews.^{[non-primary source needed]}