William Demarest
Acting
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).
Known for
Acting166
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
Charlie O'Casey (archive footage)
movieBarbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Millionaire
1978
Oscar Pugh
movieWon Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
1976
Studio Gatekeeper
tvEllery Queen
1975
Alexander 'Pop' Denny
movieThe Wild McCullochs
1975
Father Gurkin
movieDon't Be Afraid of the Dark
1973
Mr. Harris
tvMcMillan & Wife
1971
Andy Kenesaw / Cyrus McFee
movieThat Darn Cat!
1965
Mr. MacDougall
movieViva Las Vegas
1964
Mr. Martin
movieIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
Police Chief Aloysius
tvBurke's Law
1963
Charlie Who
movieSon of Flubber
1963
Mr. Hummel
tvDr. Kildare
1961
Mr. Aimes
movieTwenty Plus Two
1961
Desmond Slocum
moviePepe
1960
Movie Studio Gateman
tvMy Three Sons
1960
Charley O'Casey
tvThe Rebel
1959
Ulysses Bowman
tvThe Twilight Zone
1959
Joe Britt
Love and Marriage
1959
William Harris
tvBonanza
1959
Angus Tweedy / Enos Milford
tvWagon Train
1957
Mr. Hennessey
tvTales of Wells Fargo
1957
Jeb Gaine (credit only)
movieThe Rawhide Years
1956
Brand Comfort
movieThe Mountain
1956
Father Belacchi
movieHell on Frisco Bay
1955
Dan Bianco
movieSincerely Yours
1955
Sam Dunne
movieLucy Gallant
1955
Charles Madden
tvAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Tom Akins
movieThe Far Horizons
1955
Sgt. Gass
movieThe Yellow Mountain
1954
Jackpot Wray
tvThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954
Mr. Hummel (archive footage)
movieEscape from Fort Bravo
1953
Campbell
movieHere Come the Girls
1953
Dennis Logan
movieDangerous When Wet
1953
Pa Higgins
movieThe Lady Wants Mink
1953
Harvey Jones
movieThe Blazing Forest
1952
Syd Jessup
movieWhat Price Glory
1952
Corporal Kiper
tvThe Red Skelton Show
1951
Senator Burnside
movieThe Strip
1951
Fluff
movieExcuse My Dust
1951
Harvey Bullitt
movieThe First Legion
1951
Monsignor Michael Carey
movieHe's a Cockeyed Wonder
1950
Bob Sears
movieRiding High
1950
Happy
movieWhen Willie Comes Marching Home
1950
Herman Kluggs
movieRed, Hot and Blue
1949
Charlie Baxter
movieJolson Sings Again
1949
Steve Martin
movieSorrowful Jones
1949
Regret
movieWhispering Smith
1948
Bill Dansing
movieNight Has a Thousand Eyes
1948
Lt. Shawn
movieThe Sainted Sisters
1948
Vern Tewilliger
movieVariety Girl
1947
Barker
movieThe Perils of Pauline
1947
George 'Mac' McGuire
movieThe Jolson Story
1946
Steve Martin
movieOur Hearts Were Growing Up
1946
Peanuts Schultz
moviePardon My Past
1945
Chuck Gibson
movieHollywood Victory Caravan
1945
Bill, the Security Guard
movieDuffy's Tavern
1945
William Demarest
movieAlong Came Jones
1945
George Fury
movieSalty O'Rourke
1945
Smitty
movieThe Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1944
Constable Edmund Kockenlocker
movieHail the Conquering Hero
1944
Sgt. Heppelfinger
movieThe Great Moment
1944
Eben Frost
movieNine Girls
1944
Walter Cummings
movieTrue to Life
1943
Uncle Jake
movieDangerous Blondes
1943
Detective Gatling
movieStage Door Canteen
1943
William Demarest
movieJohnny Doughboy
1942
Harry Fabian
movieLife Begins at Eight-Thirty
1942
Police Officer
movieBehind the Eight Ball
1942
McKenzie
movieThe Palm Beach Story
1942
First Member Ale and Quail Club
moviePardon My Sarong
1942
Detective Kendall
movieMy Favorite Spy
1942
Flower Pot Policeman
movieTrue to the Army
1942
Sgt. Butts
movieAll Through the Night
1942
Sunshine
movieGlamour Boy
1941
Papa Doran
movieSullivan's Travels
1941
Mr. Jones
movieDressed to Kill
1941
Inspector Pierson
movieCountry Fair
1941
Stogie McPhee
movieRide on Vaquero
1941
Bartender Barney
movieRookies on Parade
1941
Mike Brady
movieThe Devil and Miss Jones
1941
First Detective
movieThe Lady Eve
1941
Muggsy
movieLittle Men
1940
Constable Tom Thorpe
movieChristmas in July
1940
Mr. Bildocker
movieThe Golden Fleecing
1940
Swallow
movieComin' Round the Mountain
1940
Gutsy Mann
movieThe Great McGinty
1940
Skeeters - The Politician
movieThe Farmer's Daughter
1940
Victor Walsh
Laugh It Off
1939
Barney 'Gimpy' Cole
movieMr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
Bill Griffith
movieThe Cowboy Quarterback
1939
Rusty Walker
movieThe Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939
Police Sgt. Ernest Heath
movieThe Great Man Votes
1939
Charles Dole
movieWhile New York Sleeps
1938
Red Miller
movieJosette
1938
Joe, Diner Owner
movieOne Wild Night
1938
Collins
movieRomance on the Run
1938
Police Lt. Eckhardt
movieRebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
1938
Henry Kipper
movieRosalie
1937
Army Coach
movieBig City
1937
Mr. Beecher
movieWake Up and Live
1937
Radio Center Tour Guide
movieBlonde Trouble
1937
Paul Sears
movieEasy Living
1937
Wallace Whistling
movieThe Great Gambini
1937
Sergeant Kirby
movieThe Great Hospital Mystery
1937
Mr. Beatty
movieThe Hit Parade
1937
Parole Officer
movieOh, Doctor
1937
Marty Short
movieDon't Tell the Wife
1937
Larry 'Horace' Tucker
movieTime Out for Romance
1937
Willoughby Sproggs
movieCharlie Chan at the Opera
1936
Sergeant Kelly
movieLove on the Run
1936
Editor
movieWedding Present
1936
'Smiles' Benson
movieThe Great Ziegfeld
1936
Gene Buck (uncredited)
movieWhite Lies
1935
Roberts
movieHands Across the Table
1935
Regi's Date Natty (uncredited)
movieDiamond Jim
1935
Harry Hill
movieBright Lights
1935
Detective
movieThe Murder Man
1935
'Red' Maguire
movieThe Casino Murder Case
1935
Auctioneer (uncredited)
movieAfter Office Hours
1935
Police Detective (uncredited)
movieFugitive Lady
1934
Steve Rogers
movieMany Happy Returns
1934
Brinker
movieFog Over Frisco
1934
Spike Smith
movieThe Crash
1928
Louie
movieThe Butter and Egg Man
1928
Jack McLure
moviePay as You Enter
1928
'Terrible Bill' McGovern
movieA Girl in Every Port
1928
Man in Bombay (uncredited)
movieSharp Shooters
1928
'Hi Jack' Murdock
movieThe Night Court
1927
Defense Counsel
movieA Reno Divorce
1927
James, the chauffeur
movieThe Jazz Singer
1927
Buster Billings (uncredited)
movieA Sailor's Sweetheart
1927
Detective
movieThe Bush Leaguer
1927
John Gilroy
movieThe First Auto
1927
The Village Cut-Up
movieWhat Happened To Father
1927
Detective Dibbin
movieThe Black Diamond Express
1927
Train Engine Fireman
movieA Million Bid
1927
George Lamont
movieMatinee Ladies
1927
Man About Town
movieThe Gay Old Bird
1927
Mr. Fixit
movieDon't Tell the Wife
1927
Ray Valerian
movieFinger Prints
1927
Cuffs Egan