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William Demarest
Actor
Born February 27, 1892Died December 28, 1983 (91 years)
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).
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).
Movies & Shows on Plex
Known For
Filmography
| 2004 | Hit Celebrity TV Commercials · as Uncle Charlie O'casey - For Hunt's Ketchup |
| 1999 | Television: The First Fifty Years · as Charlie O'casey (archive Footage) |
| 1999 | Television: The First Fifty Years · as Uncle Charlie O'casey |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood · as Studio Gatekeeper |
| 1975 | The Wild McCullochs · as Father Gurkin |
| 1975 | Ellery Queen (TV Series) · as Alexander 'pop' Denny |
| 1973 | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark · as Mr. Harris |
| 1971 | McMillan and Wife (TV Series) · as Cyrus Mcfee |
| 1969 | To Rome with Love (TV Series) · as Uncle Charley O'casey |
| 1965 | That Darn Cat! · as Mr. Macdougall |
| 1964 | Viva Las Vegas · as Mr. Martin |
| 1963 | It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World · as Police Chief Aloysius |
| 1963 | Burke's Law (TV Series) · as Charlie Who |
| 1963 | The Farmer's Daughter (TV Series) · as Senator Richards |
| 1963 | The Greatest Show on Earth (TV Series) · as Paul Keller |
| 1962 | Son of Flubber · as Mr. Hummel |
| 1962 | Going My Way (TV Series) |
| 1961 | Gunfight at Black Horse Canyon · as Jeb |
| 1961 | Ben Casey (TV Series) |
| 1961 | Dr. Kildare (TV Series) · as Mr. Aimes |
| 1961 | Twenty Plus Two · as Desmond Slocum |
| 1961 | King of the Roaring 20's: The Story of Arnold Rothstein · as Henry Hecht |
| 1960 | Pepe · as Movie Studio Gateman |
| 1960 | My Three Sons (TV Series) · as Charley O'casey |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zone (TV Series) · as Joe Britt |
| 1959 | |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Mr. Hennessey |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Jeb Gaine (credit Only) |
| 1956 | The Rawhide Years · as Brand Comfort |
| 1956 | The Mountain · as Father Belacchi |
| 1955 | Hell on Frisco Bay · as Dan Bianco |
| 1955 | The Private War of Major Benson · as John |
| 1955 | Sincerely Yours · as Sam Dunne |
| 1955 | Lucy Gallant · as Charles Madden |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) · as Tom Akins |
| 1955 | The Far Horizons · as Sgt. Gass |
| 1955 | Jupiter's Darling · as Mago |
| 1954 | The Yellow Mountain · as Jackpot Wray |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as Mr. Hummel (archive Footage) |
| 1954 | Studio 57 (TV Series) |
| 1953 | Escape from Fort Bravo · as Campbell |
| 1953 | Here Come the Girls · as Dennis Logan |
| 1953 | Make Room for Daddy (TV Series) · as Mr. Daly |
| 1953 | Dangerous When Wet · as Pa Higgins |
| 1953 | The Lady Wants Mink · as Harvey Jones |
| 1952 | The Blazing Forest · as Syd Jessup |
| 1952 | What Price Glory · as Corporal Kiper |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Senator Burnside |
| 1951 | Behave Yourself! · as O'ryan |
| 1951 | The Strip · as Fluff |
| 1951 | Excuse My Dust · as Harvey Bullitt |
| 1951 | The First Legion · as Monsignor Michael Carey |
| 1951 | The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story · as Cast |
| 1950 | He's a Cockeyed Wonder · as Bob Sears |
| 1950 | Never a Dull Moment · as Mears |
| 1950 | Riding High · as Happy |
| 1950 | When Willie Comes Marching Home · as Herman Kluggs |
| 1949 | Red, Hot and Blue · as Charlie Baxter |
| 1949 | Jolson Sings Again · as Steve Martin |
| 1949 | Sorrowful Jones · as Regret |
| 1948 | Whispering Smith · as Bill Dansing |
| 1948 | Night Has a Thousand Eyes · as Lt. Shawn |
| 1948 | The Sainted Sisters · as Vern Tewilliger |
| 1948 | On Our Merry Way · as Floyd |
| 1947 | Variety Girl · as Barker |
| 1947 | The Perils of Pauline · as George 'mac' Mcguire |
| 1946 | The Jolson Story · as Steve Martin |
| 1946 | Our Hearts Were Growing Up · as Peanuts Schultz |
| 1945 | Pardon My Past · as Chuck Gibson |
| 1945 | Salty O'Rourke · as Smitty |
| 1945 | Along Came Jones · as George Fury |
| 1944 | Once Upon a Time · as Brandt |
| 1944 | The Great Moment · as Eben Frost |
| 1944 | Hail the Conquering Hero · as Sgt. Heppelfinger |
| 1944 | Nine Girls · as Walter Cummings |
| 1943 | True to Life · as Uncle Jake |
| 1943 | The Miracle of Morgan's Creek · as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker |
| 1943 | Dangerous Blondes · as Detective Gatling |
| 1942 | Johnny Doughboy · as Harry Fabian |
| 1942 | Life Begins at Eight-Thirty · as Police Officer |
| 1942 | Behind the Eight Ball · as Mckenzie |
| 1942 | The Palm Beach Story · as First Member Ale And Quail Club |
| 1942 | Pardon My Sarong · as Detective Kendall |
| 1942 | My Favorite Spy · as Flower Pot Policeman |
| 1942 | All Through the Night · as Sunshine |
| 1941 | Sullivan's Travels · as Mr. Jones |
| 1941 | Dressed to Kill · as Inspector Pierson |
| 1941 | Ride on Vaquero · as Bartender Barney |
| 1941 | The Devil and Miss Jones · as First Detective |
| 1941 | The Lady Eve · as Muggsy |
| 1940 | Little Men · as Constable Tom Thorpe |
| 1940 | Christmas in July · as Mr. Bildocker |
| 1940 | The Great McGinty · as Skeeters - The Politician |
| 1940 | The Golden Fleecing · as Swallow |
| 1940 | Comin' Round the Mountain · as Gutsy Mann |
| 1940 | The Farmer's Daughter · as Victor Walsh |
| 1940 | Wolf of New York · as Bill Ennis |
| 1939 | Laugh It Off · as Barney 'gimpy' Cole |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington · as Bill Griffith |
| 1939 | Miracles for Sale · as Quinn |
| 1939 | The Cowboy Quarterback · as Rusty Walker |
| 1939 | The Gracie Allen Murder Case · as Police Sgt. Ernest Heath |
| 1939 | The Great Man Votes · as Charles Dole |
| 1938 | While New York Sleeps · as Red Miller |
| 1938 | Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus · as Daro |
| 1938 | One Wild Night · as Collins |
| 1938 | Josette · as Joe, Diner Owner |
| 1938 | Romance on the Run · as Police Lt. Eckhardt |
| 1938 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm · as Harry Kipper |
| 1937 | Rosalie · as Army Coach |
| 1937 | Big City · as Mr. Beecher |
| 1937 | Easy Living · as Wallace Whistling |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Live · as Radio Center Tour Guide |
| 1937 | The Great Gambini · as Sergeant Kirby |
| 1937 | The Great Hospital Mystery · as Mr. Beatty |
| 1937 | The Hit Parade · as Parole Officer |
| 1937 | Don't Tell the Wife · as Larry 'horace' Tucker |
| 1937 | Time Out for Romance · as Willoughby Sproggs |
| 1936 | Charlie Chan at the Opera · as Sergeant Kelly |
| 1936 | Love on the Run · as Editor |
| 1936 | Wedding Present · as 'smiles' Benson |
| 1936 | The Great Ziegfeld · as Gene Buck (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Hands Across the Table · as Regi's Date Natty (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Diamond Jim · as Harry Hill |
| 1935 | Bright Lights · as Detective |
| 1935 | The Murder Man · as 'red' Maguire |
| 1935 | The Casino Murder Case · as Auctioneer (uncredited) |
| 1935 | After Office Hours · as Police Detective (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Many Happy Returns · as Brinker |
| 1934 | Fog Over Frisco · as Spike Smith |
| 1928 | The Butter and Egg Man · as Jack Mclure |
| 1928 | A Girl in Every Port · as Man In Bombay (uncredited) |
| 1927 | The Jazz Singer · as Buster Billings (uncredited) |
| 1927 | The First Auto · as The Village Cut-Up |