In the 1984 film “Gremlins”, who portrayed inventor Randall “Rand” Peltzer?

Decades before playing an inventor and the father of the protagonist in “Gremlins”, Hoyt Wayne Axton (3/25/38 – 10/26/99) first appeared on screen—before the age of 10—in the 1946 western “Smoky”. He became an accomplished singer, guitarist, and songwriter in several genres, including blues, country, folk, and rock.

The late Mr. Axton was born in Duncan, Oklahoma to a US Naval Officer John Axton, and Songwriter, Mae Boren Axton, who wrote Elvis Presley’s first big hit, “Heartbreak Hotel”. He left Oklahoma State University to serve in the US Navy. Later, he became a folk singer and part of the West Coast folk-rock community during the 1960’s.

He released more than two dozen albums and more than two dozen singles between 1963 and 1983, but his best-known songs were hits for others. Three Dog Night made “Joy to the World” and “Never been to Spain” into hits. Ringo Starr found success with “No No Song”. “Greenback Dollar” was a winner for the Kingston Trio. Steppenwolf scored with “The Pusher” and “Snowblind Friend.” John Denver, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, and others covered his songs. He named his record label “Jeremiah” after the bullfrog in “Joy to the World”.

Mr. Axton appeared in US television episodes in “Bonanza”, “I Dream of Jeannie”, “Dukes of Hazzard”, “Growing Pains”, and more. His film roles included Cecil Duncan in 1982’s “Liar’s Moon”, Tex Roque in 1983’s “Heart Like a Wheel”, and Mayor Ed Biddle in his last film, “King Cobra”, in 1999.