TV's 'Mr. Clean' dies at 92

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- House Peters Jr., a TV actor who became the original Mr. Clean in Procter & Gamble's commercials for household cleaners, died Wednesday. He was 92.

House Peters Jr. (left) poses with his father during the making of a Western in the early '50s.

Peters died of pneumonia at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Los Angeles, said his son, Jon Peters.

The elder Peters' most memorable role came as Mr. Clean -- a muscular man with a bald head, a hoop earring and a no-nonsense attitude toward dirt and grime. From the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, Peters Jr. helped advertise the famous household cleaner with the trademark jingle, "Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean."

Peters Jr. played many supporting roles through his career, including working with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry on their television shows. He also appeared in "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "The Twilight Zone" and "Lassie."

"He always played the heavy," Jon Peters said, referring to his father's customary roles as a villain or brawny character. "Even though he wasn't happy about being cast in those roles, he worked really hard at it."

His father's acting career spanned 1935-1967, according to his Web site. He also wrote an autobiography, "Another Side of Hollywood," in which he describes growing up the son of an actress and silent film actor in Beverly Hills. His father, Robert House Peters Sr., has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Peters Jr. was never a leading man, but played many character parts in cowboy movies and won a Golden Boot Award in 2000 for his lifetime contributions to the western genre, his son said.

Peters Jr. was born January 12, 1916, in New Rochelle, New York, as Robert House Peters Jr. His son said Peters Jr. studied drama in high school and became inspired to pursue an acting career.

He also is survived by his wife, Lucy Pickett, a daughter, another son and four grandchildren.

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Sharon Stone 'wanted to botox son's feet to stop them smelling' - court papers claim

By John Bingham

The judge presiding over Sharon Stone's custody battle has questioned the actress' commitment to her son Roan Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The claim was reportedly contained in court papers obtained by a celebrity website following Ms Stone's unsuccessful custody battle with her former husband Phil Bronstein.

The document portrayed the 50-year-old star of the Basic Instinct films as an alarmist parent who had become convinced that Roan, whom the couple adopted, suffered from a spinal condition despite there being "no evidence" to back up her belief.

Judge Anne-Christine Massullo of San Francisco Superior Court also reportedly suggested that Ms Stone's acting commitments meant that she was often an absent parent who passed on many of her responsibilities to third parties because of her busy schedule and frequent travels.

The document, known as a Tentative Statement of Decision, set out the judge's decision to deny Ms Stone's request to have custody arrangements modified to allow her to bring the child, who lives with Mr Bronstein in San Francisco, to her home in Los Angeles.

Ms Stone separated from Mr Bronstein, a newspaper editor, five years ago and the couple later divorced quietly.

In one highly critical passage the judge questions Ms Stone's commitment to the boy remarking: "If Mother has, in fact, limited her career to make herself available for Roan, she has done little to make this evident to Roan, his school or this court."

Ms Stone's attorney was not available for comment last night.

Describing the actress's relationship with the boy, the document, which was obtained by the website TMZ.com, allege: "Mother appears to overreact to many medical issues involving Roan."

Despite his young age, Ms Stone's alleged over-reactions were "painfully real" to the boy, the judge remarked.

She went on: "Another example of an overreaction is that Mother suggested that Roan should have Botox injections in his feet to resolve a problem he had with foot odour.

"As Father appropriately noted, the simple and common sense approach of making sure Roan wore socks with his shoes and used foot deodorant corrected the odour problem without the need for any invasive procedure on this young child."

It adds: "Father has championed for Roan's well-being out of, what appears to this court, nothing less than the unconditional love for his son.

"Unfortunately, and for unexplained reasons, it appears that Mother did not involve herself to the extent she could or should have in this process ... Mother has attempted to put up roadblocks to Roan's getting help, or has decided against participating in his care."

Mr Bronstein, the former editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, was once known by the nickname "El Macho".

Before marrying the Hollywood star he was best known as the reporter who first documented the former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos's vast collection of shoes after the collapse of her husband President Ferdinand Marcos's regime in 1986.

During the couple's marriage Ms Stone once arranged for him to visit a rare 7ft komodo dragon at the Los Angeles zoo as a Father's Day surprise.

But the treat ended in disaster with Mr Bronstein being rushed to hospital after being bitten in the foot by the reptile.

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