Carleton Carpenter was born on July 10 1926 in Bennington, Vermont. During World War II he served as a Seabee in the United States Navy. Following his service, he attended the National High School Institute for Theatre Arts at Northwestern University.
He began his career in entertainment as a magician in carnivals. It was in 1944 that he moved to New York City. That same year he was cast in the Broadway production Bright Boy. That same year he appeared on Broadway in Career Angel. In 1946 he made his television debut as a regular on the NBC show Campus Hoopla. He made his movie debut in Lost Boundaries (1949). He appeared in a bit part in Father of the Bride (1950), followed by substantial roles in Three Little Words (1950), Summer Stock (1950), and Two Weeks with Love (1950). In the late Forties he appeared on Broadway in Three to Make Ready and The Magic Touch.
In the Fifties Mr. Carpenter appeared in the movies Vengeance Valley (1951), The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951), Fearless Fagan (1952), Sky Full of Moon (1952), Take the High Ground! (1953), and Up Periscope (1959). He appeared on Broadway in John Murray Anderson's Almanac and Hotel Paradiso. He appeared on television in guest appearances on Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Best of Broadway, Luke and the Tenderfoot, The Alcoa Hour, Star Tonight, The Goldbergs, Men of Annapolis, Lux Playhouse, Shirley Temple's Storybook, General Electric Theatre, Cimarron City, Trackdown, The Millionaire, The Ann Sothern Show, The Alaskans, The Rifleman, Father Knows Best, and Outlaws. In 1954 he appeared in the TV production Lady in the Dark.
In the Sixties Carleton Carpenter appeared on Broadway in Hello, Dolly!, Boeing Boeing, and A Minor Adjustment. On television he guest starred on the shows Pete and Gladys, The Beachcomber, Perry Mason, McHale's Navy, The DuPont Show of the Week, Directions, and Vacation Playhouse. He appeared in the movie Cauliflower Cupids (1970).
In the Seventies he appeared in the movie Some of My Best Friends Are... (1971). He guest starred on the TV show The Ropers. In the Eighties he appeared in the movies The Prowler (1981) and The American Snitch (1983). In the Nineties he appeared on Broadway in Crazy for You.
In addition to his acting career, Carleton Carpenter also composed such songs as "Christmas Eve," "Cabin in the Woods," :Ev'ry Other Day," "I Wouldn't Mind," "A Little Love," and "Come Away." He also wrote the music and lyrics for the musical Northern Boulevard (the book was by Kevin Brofsky). He also had a successful career as a mystery novelist, writing such books as Deadhead, Games Murderers Play, Cat Got Your Tongue?, Only Her Hairdresser Knew, Sleight of Deadly Hand, The Peabody Experience, and Stumped.
Carleton Carpenter was a remarkable actor and singer. His duet with Debbie Reynolds of "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from Two Weeks with Love remains memorable. Indeed, their version of the song (which dates to the days of vaudeville) was released as a single and peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard singles chart. He also gave memorable turns in such films in such films as Three Little Words and Summer Stock. Although he will probably be best remembered for his work in musicals, Mr. Carpenter could do other sorts of roles as well. In the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Lover's Leap" he played Perry's client, the scientist Peter Brent, who is falsely accused of murder. In The Rifleman episode "The Coward" he played George Collins, a young man with a passion for writing who is working as a cook on a cattle drive and is bullied by the cowboys. Carleton Carpenter was a talented actor who was as adept at drama as he was at comedy. He could play roles in everything from musicals to Westerns and do all of them well.
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