William Demarest

William Demarest

Date of Birth:

Feb 26, 1892

Place of Birth:

Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

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:

Pardon My Sarong Pardon My Sarong

1942

Rookies on Parade Rookies on Parade

1941

Behind the Eight Ball Behind the Eight Ball

1942

Oh, Doctor Oh, Doctor

1937

Stage Door Canteen Stage Door Canteen

1943

Rosalie Rosalie

1937

Pardon My Past Pardon My Past

1945

Hands Across the Table Hands Across the Table

1935

Johnny Doughboy Johnny Doughboy

1942

Bright Lights Bright Lights

1935

Son of Flubber Son of Flubber

1963

Diamond Jim Diamond Jim

1935

Laugh It Off Laugh It Off

1939

Little Men Little Men

1940

Fugitive Lady Fugitive Lady

1934

A Million Bid A Million Bid

1927

Time Out for Romance Time Out for Romance

1937

A Girl in Every Port A Girl in Every Port

1928

Fog Over Frisco Fog Over Frisco

1934

The Great Hospital Mystery The Great Hospital Mystery

1937

Glamour Boy Glamour Boy

1941

Whispering Smith Whispering Smith

1948

One Wild Night One Wild Night

1938

Easy Living Easy Living

1937

Dangerous When Wet Dangerous When Wet

1953

Our Hearts Were Growing Up Our Hearts Were Growing Up

1946

Never a Dull Moment Never a Dull Moment

1950

Country Fair Country Fair

1941

The Great Gambini The Great Gambini

1937

The Farmer's Daughter The Farmer's Daughter

1940

When Willie Comes Marching Home When Willie Comes Marching Home

1950

After Office Hours After Office Hours

1935

The Jazz Singer The Jazz Singer

1927

The Yellow Mountain The Yellow Mountain

1954

Lucy Gallant Lucy Gallant

1955

Many Happy Returns Many Happy Returns

1934

Wake Up and Live Wake Up and Live

1937

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

1976

The Devil and Miss Jones The Devil and Miss Jones

1941

Simple Sis Simple Sis

1927

Finger Prints Finger Prints

1927

A Sailor's Sweetheart A Sailor's Sweetheart

1927

Sharp Shooters Sharp Shooters

1928

The Butter and Egg Man The Butter and Egg Man

1928

The Great Ziegfeld The Great Ziegfeld

1936

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

1997

Television: The First Fifty Years Television: The First Fifty Years

1999

The Millionaire The Millionaire

1978

The Black Diamond Express The Black Diamond Express

1927

Seeing Things Seeing Things

1930

Don't Tell the Wife Don't Tell the Wife

1927

Pay as You Enter Pay as You Enter

1928

Blonde Trouble Blonde Trouble

1937

That Darn Cat! That Darn Cat!

1965

On Our Merry Way On Our Merry Way

1948

White Lies White Lies

1935

The Rawhide Years The Rawhide Years

1956

Duffy's Tavern Duffy's Tavern

1945

Hollywood Victory Caravan Hollywood Victory Caravan

1945

Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon

1961

The Casino Murder Case The Casino Murder Case

1935

True to the Army True to the Army

1942

King of the Turf King of the Turf

1939

What Happened To Father What Happened To Father

1927

The Crash The Crash

1928

Comin' Round the Mountain Comin' Round the Mountain

1940

Nine Girls Nine Girls

1944

Dangerous Blondes Dangerous Blondes

1943

Josette Josette

1938

The First Auto The First Auto

1927

Excuse My Dust Excuse My Dust

1951

The Gracie Allen Murder Case The Gracie Allen Murder Case

1939

Big City Big City

1937

Once Upon a Time Once Upon a Time

1944

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

1938

Jolson Sings Again Jolson Sings Again

1949

Sullivan's Travels Sullivan's Travels

1941

Along Came Jones Along Came Jones

1945

Pepe Pepe

1960

The Mountain The Mountain

1956

The Far Horizons The Far Horizons

1955

The Strip The Strip

1951

Sorrowful Jones Sorrowful Jones

1949

Escape from Fort Bravo Escape from Fort Bravo

1953

What Price Glory What Price Glory

1952

Hell on Frisco Bay Hell on Frisco Bay

1955

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

1961

All Through the Night All Through the Night

1942

The Palm Beach Story The Palm Beach Story

1942

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

1973

Night Has a Thousand Eyes Night Has a Thousand Eyes

1948

The Jolson Story The Jolson Story

1946

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

1963

The Lady Eve The Lady Eve

1941

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

The Murder Man The Murder Man

1935

Charlie Chan at the Opera Charlie Chan at the Opera

1936

Dressed to Kill Dressed to Kill

1941

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

1943

The Great McGinty The Great McGinty

1940

The Great Moment The Great Moment

1944

Christmas in July Christmas in July

1940

Hail the Conquering Hero Hail the Conquering Hero

1944

Twenty Plus Two Twenty Plus Two

1961

My Favorite Spy My Favorite Spy

1942

Mind Your Own Business Mind Your Own Business

1936

True to Life True to Life

1943

The Blazing Forest The Blazing Forest

1952

Miracles for Sale Miracles for Sale

1939

The Sainted Sisters The Sainted Sisters

1948

Red Hot and Blue Red Hot and Blue

1949

The Hit Parade The Hit Parade

1937

Romance on the Run Romance on the Run

1938

The First Legion The First Legion

1951

Love on the Run Love on the Run

1936

Wedding Present Wedding Present

1936

The Wild McCullochs The Wild McCullochs

1975

Life Begins at Eight-Thirty Life Begins at Eight-Thirty

1942

Don't Tell the Wife Don't Tell the Wife

1937

The Lady Wants Mink The Lady Wants Mink

1953

The Great Man Votes The Great Man Votes

1939

Ride on Vaquero Ride on Vaquero

1941

Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus

1938

Riding High Riding High

1950

Jupiter's Darling Jupiter's Darling

1955

Variety Girl Variety Girl

1947

Salty O'Rourke Salty O'Rourke

1945

The Private War of Major Benson The Private War of Major Benson

1955

The Cowboy Quarterback The Cowboy Quarterback

1939

While New York Sleeps While New York Sleeps

1938

Here Come the Girls Here Come the Girls

1953

The Golden Fleecing The Golden Fleecing

1940

Behave Yourself! Behave Yourself!

1951

Sincerely Yours Sincerely Yours

1955

The Night Court The Night Court

1927

Wolf of New York Wolf of New York

1940

The Perils of Pauline The Perils of Pauline

1947

He's a Cockeyed Wonder He's a Cockeyed Wonder

1950

Viva Las Vegas Viva Las Vegas

1964

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