William Demarest

William Demarest

Born:2/27/1892Died:12/28/1983
Place of Birth:Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known for playing Uncle Charley in My Three Sons. A veteran of World War I, Demarest became a prolific film and television actor, appearing in over 140 films, beginning in 1926 and ending in the 1970s. He frequently played crusty but good-hearted roles. Demarest started in show business working in vaudeville, appearing with his wife Estelle Collette (real name Esther Zychlin) as "Demarest and Colette", then moved on to Broadway. Demarest worked regularly with director Preston Sturges, becoming part of a "stock" troupe of actors that Sturges repeatedly cast in his films. He appeared in ten films written by Sturges, eight of which were under his direction, including The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. Demarest was such a familiar figure at the Paramount studio that just his name was used in the movie Sunset Boulevard as a potential star for William Holden's unsold baseball screenplay. Demarest appeared with veteran western film star Roscoe Ates in the 1958 episode "And the Desert Shall Blossom" of CBS's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In the story line, Ates and Demarest appear as old timers living in the Nevada desert. The local sheriff, played by Ben Johnson, appears with an eviction notice, but he agrees to let the pair stay on their property if they can make a dead rosebush bloom within the next month. In 1959 Demarest was named the lead actor of the 18-week sitcom Love and Marriage on NBC in the 1959–1960 season. Demarest played William Harris, the owner of a failing music company who refuses to handle popular rock and roll music, which presumably might save the firm from bankruptcy. Joining Demarest on the series were Jeanne Bal, Murray Hamilton and Stubby Kaye. Demarest appeared as Police Chief Aloysius of the Santa Rosita Police Department in the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), as well as on a memorable episode ("What's in the Box") of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone as a hen-pecked husband driven to the murder of his wife. His most famous television role was in the ABC and then CBS sitcom My Three Sons from 1965 to 1972, playing Uncle Charley O'Casey. He replaced William Frawley, whose failing health had made procuring insurance impossible. Demarest had worked with Fred MacMurray previously in the films Hands Across the Table (1935), Pardon My Past (1945), On Our Merry Way (1948), and The Far Horizons (1955) and was a personal friend of MacMurray. Also, he worked with Irene Dunne in Never a Dull Moment (1950).

Filmography

Television: The First Fifty Years

Television: The First Fifty Years

19990.0
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

19977.0
The Millionaire

The Millionaire

19780.0
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

19764.1
The Wild McCullochs

The Wild McCullochs

19754.0
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

19736.1
That Darn Cat!

That Darn Cat!

19656.6
Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas

19646.2
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

19637.0
Son of Flubber

Son of Flubber

19635.9
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon

Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon

19615.6
Twenty Plus Two

Twenty Plus Two

19616.3
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein

King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein

19616.0
Pepe

Pepe

19606.2
The Rawhide Years

The Rawhide Years

19565.5
The Mountain

The Mountain

19566.9
Hell on Frisco Bay

Hell on Frisco Bay

19555.2
Sincerely Yours

Sincerely Yours

19555.8
Lucy Gallant

Lucy Gallant

19557.0
The Private War of Major Benson

The Private War of Major Benson

19556.7
The Far Horizons

The Far Horizons

19556.2
Jupiter's Darling

Jupiter's Darling

19554.3
The Yellow Mountain

The Yellow Mountain

19545.1
Escape from Fort Bravo

Escape from Fort Bravo

19536.2
Here Come the Girls

Here Come the Girls

19534.4
Dangerous When Wet

Dangerous When Wet

19536.0
The Lady Wants Mink

The Lady Wants Mink

19536.0
The Blazing Forest

The Blazing Forest

19526.0
What Price Glory

What Price Glory

19525.5
Behave Yourself!

Behave Yourself!

19516.1
The Strip

The Strip

19515.7
Excuse My Dust

Excuse My Dust

19517.2
The First Legion

The First Legion

19516.8
He's a Cockeyed Wonder

He's a Cockeyed Wonder

19503.3
Never a Dull Moment

Never a Dull Moment

19505.4
Riding High

Riding High

19505.8
When Willie Comes Marching Home

When Willie Comes Marching Home

19506.8
Red, Hot and Blue

Red, Hot and Blue

19495.8
Jolson Sings Again

Jolson Sings Again

19496.0
Sorrowful Jones

Sorrowful Jones

19496.1
Whispering Smith

Whispering Smith

19486.4
Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Night Has a Thousand Eyes

19486.7
The Sainted Sisters

The Sainted Sisters

19487.0
On Our Merry Way

On Our Merry Way

19485.5
Variety Girl

Variety Girl

19476.1
The Perils of Pauline

The Perils of Pauline

19476.2
The Jolson Story

The Jolson Story

19466.7
Our Hearts Were Growing Up

Our Hearts Were Growing Up

19466.2
Pardon My Past

Pardon My Past

19456.0
Hollywood Victory Caravan

Hollywood Victory Caravan

19455.2
Duffy's Tavern

Duffy's Tavern

19456.1
Along Came Jones

Along Came Jones

19455.7
Salty O'Rourke

Salty O'Rourke

19455.2
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

19446.8
Hail the Conquering Hero

Hail the Conquering Hero

19447.0
The Great Moment

The Great Moment

19445.8
Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

19445.8
Nine Girls

Nine Girls

19445.3
True to Life

True to Life

19436.0
Dangerous Blondes

Dangerous Blondes

19436.0
Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen

19436.2
Johnny Doughboy

Johnny Doughboy

19425.4
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty

Life Begins at Eight-Thirty

19426.5
Behind the Eight Ball

Behind the Eight Ball

19424.7
The Palm Beach Story

The Palm Beach Story

19427.0
Pardon My Sarong

Pardon My Sarong

19426.5
My Favorite Spy

My Favorite Spy

19425.2
True to the Army

True to the Army

19420.0
All Through the Night

All Through the Night

19427.0
Glamour Boy

Glamour Boy

19416.0
Sullivan's Travels

Sullivan's Travels

19417.4
Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

19416.3
Country Fair

Country Fair

19410.0
Ride on Vaquero

Ride on Vaquero

19414.2
Rookies on Parade

Rookies on Parade

19410.0
The Devil and Miss Jones

The Devil and Miss Jones

19417.7
The Lady Eve

The Lady Eve

19417.2
Little Men

Little Men

19406.1
Christmas in July

Christmas in July

19406.9
The Golden Fleecing

The Golden Fleecing

19405.3
Comin' Round the Mountain

Comin' Round the Mountain

19400.0
The Great McGinty

The Great McGinty

19406.9
The Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Daughter

19405.0
Wolf of New York

Wolf of New York

19407.0
Laugh It Off

Laugh It Off

19392.0
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

19397.9
Miracles for Sale

Miracles for Sale

19396.4
The Cowboy Quarterback

The Cowboy Quarterback

19395.5
The Gracie Allen Murder Case

The Gracie Allen Murder Case

19395.5
King of the Turf

King of the Turf

19397.0
The Great Man Votes

The Great Man Votes

19396.1
While New York Sleeps

While New York Sleeps

19380.0
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus

Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus

19384.3
Josette

Josette

19386.5
One Wild Night

One Wild Night

19385.5
Romance on the Run

Romance on the Run

19380.0
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

19386.7
Rosalie

Rosalie

19375.5
Big City

Big City

19377.4
Wake Up and Live

Wake Up and Live

19375.3
Blonde Trouble

Blonde Trouble

19370.0
Easy Living

Easy Living

19377.0
The Great Gambini

The Great Gambini

19376.0
The Great Hospital Mystery

The Great Hospital Mystery

19374.0
The Hit Parade

The Hit Parade

19375.0
Oh, Doctor

Oh, Doctor

19370.0
Don't Tell the Wife

Don't Tell the Wife

19370.0
Time Out for Romance

Time Out for Romance

19375.6
Mind Your Own Business

Mind Your Own Business

19360.0
Charlie Chan at the Opera

Charlie Chan at the Opera

19366.8
Love on the Run

Love on the Run

19366.4
Wedding Present

Wedding Present

19366.5
The Great Ziegfeld

The Great Ziegfeld

19366.3
White Lies

White Lies

19356.0
Hands Across the Table

Hands Across the Table

19356.8
Diamond Jim

Diamond Jim

19356.0
Bright Lights

Bright Lights

19354.5
The Murder Man

The Murder Man

19356.9
The Casino Murder Case

The Casino Murder Case

19356.5
After Office Hours

After Office Hours

19356.4
Fugitive Lady

Fugitive Lady

19346.0
Many Happy Returns

Many Happy Returns

19345.3
Fog Over Frisco

Fog Over Frisco

19346.2
Seeing Things

Seeing Things

19300.0
The Crash

The Crash

19280.0
The Butter and Egg Man

The Butter and Egg Man

19280.0
Five and Ten Cent Annie

Five and Ten Cent Annie

19280.0
Pay as You Enter

Pay as You Enter

19280.0
A Girl in Every Port

A Girl in Every Port

19286.4
Sharp Shooters

Sharp Shooters

19280.0
The Night Court

The Night Court

19270.0
A Reno Divorce

A Reno Divorce

19270.0
The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer

19276.1
A Sailor's Sweetheart

A Sailor's Sweetheart

19277.0
The Bush Leaguer

The Bush Leaguer

19270.0
The First Auto

The First Auto

19274.5
What Happened To Father

What Happened To Father

19270.0
The Black Diamond Express

The Black Diamond Express

19270.0
Simple Sis

Simple Sis

19270.0
A Million Bid

A Million Bid

19270.0
The Gay Old Bird

The Gay Old Bird

19270.0
Don't Tell the Wife

Don't Tell the Wife

19270.0
Finger Prints

Finger Prints

19270.0