William Demarest
Known for: 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).
Filmography
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Series
Bonanza
Enos Milford
1959
Series
Bonanza
Angus Tweedy
1959
Series
Wagon Train
Mr. Hennessey
1957
Series
Dr. Kildare
Mr. Aimes
1961
Series
The Red Skelton Show
Senator Burnside
1951
Series
The Twilight Zone
Joe Britt
1959
Series
My Three Sons
Charley O'Casey
1960
Series
Ben Casey
1961
Series
Burke's Law
Charlie Who
1963
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Tom Akins
1955
Series
Studio 57
1954
Series
The Rebel
Ulysses Bowman
1959
Series
Tales of Wells Fargo
Jeb Gaine (credit only)
1957
Series
Ellery Queen
Alexander 'Pop' Denny
1975
Series
McMillan & Wife
Cyrus McFee
1971
Series
McMillan & Wife
Andy Kenesaw
1971
The Greatest Show on Earth
Paul Keller
1963
Series
The Wonderful World of Disney
Mr. Hummel (archive footage)
1954
Series
Going My Way
1962
Film
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Police Chief Aloysius
1963
Film
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Bill Griffith
1939
Film
Sullivan's Travels
Mr. Jones
1941
Film
The Great Ziegfeld
Gene Buck (uncredited)
1936
Series
The Jerry Lewis Show
Self
1963
Film
That Darn Cat!
Mr. MacDougall
1965
Film
Escape from Fort Bravo
Campbell
1953
Film
Viva Las Vegas
Mr. Martin
1964
Film
The Lady Eve
Muggsy
1941
Film
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Mr. Harris
1973
Film
All Through the Night
Sunshine
1942
Film
The Jazz Singer
Buster Billings (uncredited)
1927
Series
Love and Marriage
William Harris
1959
Film
Son of Flubber
Mr. Hummel
1963
Film
The Palm Beach Story
First Member Ale and Quail Club
1942
Film
Red, Hot and Blue
Charlie Baxter
1949
Film
Hell on Frisco Bay
Dan Bianco
1955
Film
Stage Door Canteen
William Demarest
1943
Film
The Rawhide Years
Brand Comfort
1956
Film
What Price Glory
Corporal Kiper
1952
Film
On Our Merry Way
Floyd
1948
Film
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Henry Kipper
1938
Film
The Far Horizons
Sgt. Gass
1955
Film
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Constable Edmund Kockenlocker
1944
Film
Along Came Jones
George Fury
1945
Film
Once Upon a Time
Brandt
1944
Film
Hands Across the Table
Regi's Date Natty (uncredited)
1935
Film
The Devil and Miss Jones
First Detective
1941
Film
Nine Girls
Walter Cummings
1944
Film
Rosalie
Army Coach
1937
Television: The First Fifty Years
Charlie O'Casey (archive footage)
1999
Film
Hail the Conquering Hero
Sgt. Heppelfinger
1944
Film
The Perils of Pauline
George 'Mac' McGuire
1947
Film
Pardon My Sarong
Detective Kendall
1942
Film
Easy Living
Wallace Whistling
1937
Film
Wake Up and Live
Radio Center Tour Guide
1937
Film
Christmas in July
Mr. Bildocker
1940
Film
Charlie Chan at the Opera
Sergeant Kelly
1936
Film
Jamboree
Self
1954
Film
Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Lt. Shawn
1948
Film
The Mountain
Father Belacchi
1956
Film
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Studio Gatekeeper
1976
Film
Jupiter's Darling
Mago
1955
Film
Dangerous When Wet
Pa Higgins
1953
Film
Pepe
Movie Studio Gateman
1960
Film
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
Henry Hecht
1961
Film
Variety Girl
Barker
1947
Film
Simple Sis
1927
Film
While New York Sleeps
Red Miller
1938
Film
Time Out for Romance
Willoughby Sproggs
1937
Film
Whispering Smith
Bill Dansing
1948
Film
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon
Jeb
1961
Film
Mind Your Own Business
Droopy
1936
Film
The Lady Wants Mink
Harvey Jones
1953
Film
The Jolson Story
Steve Martin
1946
Film
He's a Cockeyed Wonder
Bob Sears
1950
Film
The Casino Murder Case
Auctioneer (uncredited)
1935
Film
The Great Hospital Mystery
Mr. Beatty
1937
Film
Oh, Doctor
Marty Short
1937
Film
The Great Man Votes
Charles Dole
1939
Film
The Great McGinty
Skeeters - The Politician
1940
Film
Lucy Gallant
Charles Madden
1955
Film
The Private War of Major Benson
John
1955
Film
The Farmer's Daughter
Victor Walsh
1940
Film
Salty O'Rourke
Smitty
1945
Film
My Favorite Spy
Flower Pot Policeman
1942
Film
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Police Sgt. Ernest Heath
1939
Film
Sharp Shooters
'Hi Jack' Murdock
1928
Film
The Great Moment
Eben Frost
1944
Film
Our Hearts Were Growing Up
Peanuts Schultz
1946
Film
When Willie Comes Marching Home
Herman Kluggs
1950
Film
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
Self (archive footage)
1997
Film
Behave Yourself!
O'Ryan
1951
Film
Never a Dull Moment
Mears
1950
Film
The Yellow Mountain
Jackpot Wray
1954
Wolf of New York
Bill Ennis
1940
Film
True to Life
Uncle Jake
1943
Film
Dressed to Kill
Inspector Pierson
1941
Film
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
Police Officer
1942
Film
The Strip
Fluff
1951
Film
Fog Over Frisco
Spike Smith
1934
Film
Sincerely Yours
Sam Dunne
1955
Film
Love on the Run
Editor
1936
Film
King of the Turf
Arnold
1939
Film
Here Come the Girls
Dennis Logan
1953
Film
The Millionaire
Oscar Pugh
1978
Film
Pardon My Past
Chuck Gibson
1945
Film
Dangerous Blondes
Detective Gatling
1943
Film
Big City
Mr. Beecher
1937
Film
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
Daro
1938
Film
Don't Tell the Wife
Larry 'Horace' Tucker
1937
Film
Blonde Trouble
Paul Sears
1937
Film
What Happened To Father
Detective Dibbin
1927
Film
The Golden Fleecing
Swallow
1940
Film
Miracles for Sale
Quinn
1939
Film
Josette
Joe, Diner Owner
1938
Film
Finger Prints
Cuffs Egan
1927
Film
True to the Army
Sgt. Butts
1942
Film
A Girl in Every Port
Man in Bombay (uncredited)
1928
Film
The Gay Old Bird
Mr. Fixit
1927
Film
Comin' Round the Mountain
Gutsy Mann
1940
Film
Five and Ten Cent Annie
Briggs
1928
Film
Fugitive Lady
Steve Rogers
1934
Film
Duffy's Tavern
William Demarest
1945
Film
Behind the Eight Ball
McKenzie
1942
Film
The Wild McCullochs
Father Gurkin
1975
Film
The First Legion
Monsignor Michael Carey
1951
Film
The Murder Man
'Red' Maguire
1935
Film
Excuse My Dust
Harvey Bullitt
1951
Film
Riding High
Happy
1950
Film
Romance on the Run
Police Lt. Eckhardt
1938
Film
Wedding Present
'Smiles' Benson
1936
Film
A Sailor's Sweetheart
Detective
1927
Film
Diamond Jim
Harry Hill
1935
Film
The Butter and Egg Man
Jack McLure
1928
Film
Hollywood Victory Caravan
Bill, the Security Guard
1945
Film
The Great Gambini
Sergeant Kirby
1937
Film
One Wild Night
Collins
1938
Laugh It Off
Barney 'Gimpy' Cole
1939
Film
Ride on Vaquero
Bartender Barney
1941
Film
The First Auto
The Village Cut-Up
1927
Film
Jolson Sings Again
Steve Martin
1949
Film
The Black Diamond Express
Train Engine Fireman
1927
Film
Pay as You Enter
'Terrible Bill' McGovern
1928
Film
Bright Lights
Detective
1935
Film
Don't Tell the Wife
Ray Valerian
1927
Film
The Cowboy Quarterback
Rusty Walker
1939
Film
The Night Court
Defense Counsel
1927
Film
The Blazing Forest
Syd Jessup
1952
Film
After Office Hours
Police Detective (uncredited)
1935
Film
Twenty Plus Two
Desmond Slocum
1961
Film
Johnny Doughboy
Harry Fabian
1942
Film
Little Men
Constable Tom Thorpe
1940
Film
Glamour Boy
Papa Doran
1941
Film
Sorrowful Jones
Regret
1949
Film
Country Fair
Stogie McPhee
1941
Film
Rookies on Parade
Mike Brady
1941
Film
White Lies
Roberts
1935
Film
A Reno Divorce
James, the chauffeur
1927
Film
The Sainted Sisters
Vern Tewilliger
1948
Film
Many Happy Returns
Brinker
1934
Film
The Hit Parade
Parole Officer
1937
Film
A Million Bid
George Lamont
1927
Film
The Crash
Louie
1928
Film
The Bush Leaguer
John Gilroy
1927
Seeing Things
The Heir
1930
Film
Matinee Ladies
Man About Town
1927