Peter Donald

Peter Donald (June 6, 1918 – April 20, 1979) was a British-born actor, comedian, and writer who built a career across American stage, radio, and television. Born in Bristol, England, he came from a performing family — his father was a comedian and his mother a singer, both active in vaudeville. Donald completed his formal education at the Professional Children's School in New York, graduating in 1936.

His stage career began early, with a Broadway appearance in Bitter Sweet during the 1929–1930 season, followed by a role in Give Me Yesterday in 1931. These credits established his presence in New York theater at a young age.

Donald's radio work became a defining part of his professional identity, earning him recognition as one of the medium's foremost dialecticians. His first radio appearance came in 1927, when he played Tiny Tim in a production of A Christmas Carol. By age eleven he was serving as announcer for Uncle Olie and His Kne-Mel Gang on CBS, and he joined CBS as a staff announcer in 1931. He became widely associated with Fred Allen's radio program, where he portrayed Ajax Cassidy, an Irishman given to lamenting that he was not long for this world. Beyond Allen's Alley, Donald was a regular presence on Radio Reader's Digest, Stage Door Canteen, and We, the People. He hosted County Fair in the 1940s and read jokes on the panel program Can You Top This. In 1947, he hosted a transcribed program on WINS in New York City, sponsored by Stanback and featuring the Three Flames instrumental group. In 1952, he filled in as host of Don McNeill's Breakfast Club for six weeks during McNeill's absence.

His television work spanned both hosting and performance. On September 14, 1948, he hosted the Texaco Star Theater on NBC, closing the broadcast by announcing that Milton Berle would take over the following week. He went on to host two early television series, The Ad-Libbers in 1951 and Masquerade Party from 1954 to 1956. His acting appearances on television included Prize Performance and ABC Showcase, both in 1950, and he made guest appearances as a comedian on The Colgate Comedy Hour and The NBC Comedy Hour. As a panelist he appeared on Pantomime Quiz, What's My Line, and To Tell the Truth. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1962, and one of his final television appearances was on the daytime panel program Get the Message in 1964.

In addition to performing, Donald wrote plays, satirical sketches, and song lyrics. He was married to Jo Janis, an actress in radio. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the Television category, is located on Hollywood Boulevard and was dedicated on February 8, 1960.