Ralph Wilton Peterson (21 February 1921 – 2 November 1996) was an Australian writer (dramatist and playwright), actor and producer of film, theatre, radio and TV. He went to London and achieved fame with the success of his play The Square Ring, which was turned into a film of the same name in 1953. He was married to Australian actress Betty Lucas in 1946 and their son, Joel Patterson (1957–2017), became a cinematographer.