William Demarest
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).
Viva Las Vegas
(Mr. Martin)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(Bill Griffith)
The Lady Eve
(Muggsy)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(Police Chief Aloysius)
The Jolson Story
(Steve Martin)
The Palm Beach Story
(First Member Ale and Quail Club)
Night Has a Thousand Eyes
(Lt. Shawn)
Sharp Shooters
('Hi Jack' Murdock)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(Mr. Harris)
The Murder Man
('Red' Maguire)
Charlie Chan at the Opera
(Sergeant Kelly)
Christmas in July
(Mr. Bildocker)
The Great Moment
(Eben Frost)
The Great McGinty
(Skeeters - The Politician)
Hail the Conquering Hero
(Sgt. Heppelfinger)
Dressed to Kill
(Inspector Pierson)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
(Constable Edmund Kockenlocker)
All Through the Night
(Sunshine)
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
(Henry Hecht)
Jolson Sings Again
(Steve Martin)
Sullivan's Travels
(Mr. Jones)
The Butter and Egg Man
(Jack McLure)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
(Harry Kipper)
Don't Tell the Wife
(Ray Valerian)
Once Upon a Time
(Brandt)
Seeing Things
(The Heir)
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
(Police Sgt. Ernest Heath)
Excuse My Dust
(Harvey Bullitt)
Big City
(Mr. Beecher)
Along Came Jones
(George Fury)
Pepe
(Movie Studio Gateman)
What Price Glory
(Corporal Kiper)
Hell on Frisco Bay
(Dan Bianco)
Escape from Fort Bravo
(Campbell)
Sorrowful Jones
(Regret)
The Mountain
(Father Belacchi)
The Far Horizons
(Sgt. Gass)
The Strip
(Fluff)
Twenty Plus Two
(Desmond Slocum)
My Favorite Spy
(Flower Pot Policeman)
The Great Ziegfeld
(Gene Buck (uncredited))
The Cowboy Quarterback
(Rusty Walker)
While New York Sleeps
(Red Miller)
The Rawhide Years
(Brand Comfort)
The Black Diamond Express
(Train Engine Fireman)
The Private War of Major Benson
(John)
Salty O'Rourke
(Smitty)
Riding High
(Happy)
Jupiter's Darling
(Mago)
Variety Girl
(Barker)
Here Come the Girls
(Dennis Logan)
The Golden Fleecing
(Swallow)
The Perils of Pauline
(George 'Mac' McGuire)
He's a Cockeyed Wonder
(Bob Sears)
Wolf of New York
(Bill Ennis)
The Night Court
(Defense Counsel)
Behave Yourself!
(O'Ryan)
Sincerely Yours
(Sam Dunne)
Pardon My Past
(Chuck Gibson)
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
(Daro)
Red, Hot and Blue
(Charlie Baxter)
The Yellow Mountain
(Jackpot Wray)
Ride on Vaquero
(Bartender Barney)
Mind Your Own Business
(Droopy)
The Hit Parade
(Parole Officer)
The Sainted Sisters
(Vern Tewilliger)
Miracles for Sale
(Quinn)
True to Life
(Uncle Jake)
Johnny Doughboy
(Harry Fabian)
The Lady Wants Mink
(Harvey Jones)
The Blazing Forest
(Syd Jessup)
Romance on the Run
(Police Lt. Eckhardt)
The First Legion
(Monsignor Michael Carey)
The Great Man Votes
(Charles Dole)
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
(Police Officer)
Don't Tell the Wife
(Larry 'Horace' Tucker)
Wedding Present
('Smiles' Benson)
Love on the Run
(Editor)
The First Auto
(The Village Cut-Up)
The Wild McCullochs
(Father Gurkin)
Josette
(Joe, Diner Owner)
Easy Living
(Wallace Whistling)
The Millionaire
(Oscar Pugh)
Dangerous When Wet
(Pa Higgins)
Whispering Smith
(Bill Dansing)
One Wild Night
(Collins)
Fog Over Frisco
(Spike Smith)
The Great Hospital Mystery
(Mr. Beatty)
Glamour Boy
(Papa Doran)
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
(Self (archive footage))
Our Hearts Were Growing Up
(Peanuts Schultz)
Never a Dull Moment
(Mears)
The Farmer's Daughter
(Victor Walsh)
When Willie Comes Marching Home
(Herman Kluggs)
Country Fair
(Stogie McPhee)
After Office Hours
(Police Detective (uncredited))
The Jazz Singer
(Buster Billings (uncredited))
The Great Gambini
(Sergeant Kirby)
A Girl in Every Port
(Man in Bombay (uncredited))
Television: The First Fifty Years
(Charlie O'Casey (archive footage))
Rosalie
(Army Coach)
Time Out for Romance
(Willoughby Sproggs)
Stage Door Canteen
(William Demarest)
Rookies on Parade
(Mike Brady)
Oh, Doctor
(Marty Short)
Pardon My Sarong
(Detective Kendall)
Behind the Eight Ball
(McKenzie)
A Reno Divorce
(James, the chauffeur)
Five and Ten Cent Annie
(Briggs)
Hands Across the Table
(Regi's Date Natty (uncredited))
Fugitive Lady
(Steve Rogers)
A Million Bid
(George Lamont)
Little Men
(Constable Tom Thorpe)
Laugh It Off
(Barney 'Gimpy' Cole)
Bright Lights
(Detective)
Son of Flubber
(Mr. Hummel)
Diamond Jim
(Harry Hill)
Lucy Gallant
(Charles Madden)
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon
(Jeb)
Hollywood Victory Caravan
(Bill, the Security Guard)
Duffy's Tavern
(William Demarest)
That Darn Cat!
(Mr. MacDougall)
On Our Merry Way
(Floyd)
White Lies
(Roberts)
The Casino Murder Case
(Auctioneer (uncredited))
True to the Army
(Sgt. Butts)
Nine Girls
(Walter Cummings)
Dangerous Blondes
(Detective Gatling)
The Crash
(Louie)
Comin' Round the Mountain
(Gutsy Mann)
King of the Turf
(Arnold)
What Happened To Father
(Detective Dibbin)
Blonde Trouble
(Paul Sears)
Finger Prints
(Cuffs Egan)
A Sailor's Sweetheart
(Detective)
Pay as You Enter
('Terrible Bill' McGovern)
Simple Sis
The Devil and Miss Jones
(First Detective)
Many Happy Returns
(Brinker)
Wake Up and Live
(Radio Center Tour Guide)
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
(Studio Gatekeeper)
The Bush Leaguer
(John Gilroy)
Burke's Law
(Charlie Who)
My Three Sons
(Charley O'Casey)
Tales of Wells Fargo
(Jeb Gaine (credit only))
The Twilight Zone
(Joe Britt)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
(Tom Akins)
Going My Way
The Rebel
(Ulysses Bowman)
Ben Casey
Love and Marriage
(William Harris)
Dr. Kildare
(Mr. Aimes)
Wagon Train
(Mr. Hennessey)
The Red Skelton Show
(Senator Burnside)
The Mike Douglas Show
(Self)
Bonanza
(Angus Tweedy)
Bonanza
(Enos Milford)
McMillan & Wife
(Andy Kenesaw)
McMillan & Wife
(Cyrus McFee)
Ellery Queen
(Alexander 'Pop' Denny)
The Greatest Show on Earth
(Paul Keller)
The Wonderful World of Disney
(Mr. Hummel (archive footage))
Studio 57
The Jerry Lewis Show
(Self)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
(Self)