William Demarest
Acting
Born: February 27, 1892 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Died: December 28, 1983 (aged 91)
Highest Rated
Biography
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
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
The Twilight Zone
1959
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
Sullivan's Travels
1941
Bonanza
1959
The Lady Eve
1941
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
The Jazz Singer
1927
The Palm Beach Story
1942
That Darn Cat!
1965
Viva Las Vegas
1964
The Great Ziegfeld
1936
Photos (3)
Movies (139)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Police Chief Aloysius
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Bill Griffith
After Office Hours
Police Detective (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
Mr. Martin
Wedding Present
'Smiles' Benson
Diamond Jim
Harry Hill
That Darn Cat!
Mr. MacDougall
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Studio Gatekeeper
Christmas in July
Mr. Bildocker
The Lady Eve
Muggsy
The Jazz Singer
Buster Billings (uncredited)
The Far Horizons
Sgt. Gass
Sullivan's Travels
Mr. Jones
Oh, Doctor
Marty Short
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Mr. Harris
What Price Glory
Corporal Kiper
Hell on Frisco Bay
Dan Bianco
Escape from Fort Bravo
Campbell
Nine Girls
Walter Cummings
The Great Ziegfeld
Gene Buck (uncredited)
All Through the Night
Sunshine
The Palm Beach Story
First Member Ale and Quail Club
Hands Across the Table
Regi's Date Natty (uncredited)
Stage Door Canteen
William Demarest
The Mountain
Father Belacchi
Son of Flubber
Mr. Hummel
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Henry Kipper
Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Lt. Shawn
Dangerous When Wet
Pa Higgins
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
Police Officer
Along Came Jones
George Fury
Rosalie
Army Coach
Simple Sis
1927
Bright Lights
Detective
Hollywood Victory Caravan
Bill, the Security Guard
Easy Living
Wallace Whistling
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Constable Edmund Kockenlocker
Variety Girl
Barker
Charlie Chan at the Opera
Sergeant Kelly
Red, Hot and Blue
Charlie Baxter
The Rawhide Years
Brand Comfort
Hail the Conquering Hero
Sgt. Heppelfinger
Jupiter's Darling
Mago
Lucy Gallant
Charles Madden
The Strip
Fluff
The Great Moment
Eben Frost
The Devil and Miss Jones
First Detective
Sharp Shooters
'Hi Jack' Murdock
The Great McGinty
Skeeters - The Politician
Johnny Doughboy
Harry Fabian
Pepe
Movie Studio Gateman
Sorrowful Jones
Regret
Pardon My Sarong
Detective Kendall
Fog Over Frisco
Spike Smith
Dressed to Kill
Inspector Pierson
On Our Merry Way
Floyd
Little Men
Constable Tom Thorpe
The Private War of Major Benson
John
Pardon My Past
Chuck Gibson
Sincerely Yours
Sam Dunne
The Gay Old Bird
Mr. Fixit
Salty O'Rourke
Smitty
Whispering Smith
Bill Dansing
The Murder Man
'Red' Maguire
When Willie Comes Marching Home
Herman Kluggs
The Wild McCullochs
Father Gurkin
Once Upon a Time
Brandt
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
Henry Hecht
The First Legion
Monsignor Michael Carey
Never a Dull Moment
Mears
The Jolson Story
Steve Martin
True to Life
Uncle Jake
The Yellow Mountain
Jackpot Wray
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon
Jeb
Duffy's Tavern
William Demarest
The Lady Wants Mink
Harvey Jones
The Perils of Pauline
George 'Mac' McGuire
The First Auto
The Village Cut-Up
Twenty Plus Two
Desmond Slocum
The Great Man Votes
Charles Dole
Dangerous Blondes
Detective Gatling
Fugitive Lady
Steve Rogers
Country Fair
Stogie McPhee
Riding High
Happy
Excuse My Dust
Harvey Bullitt
My Favorite Spy
Flower Pot Policeman
Big City
Mr. Beecher
The Golden Fleecing
Swallow
A Girl in Every Port
Man in Bombay (uncredited)
Jolson Sings Again
Steve Martin
Rookies on Parade
Mike Brady
Time Out for Romance
Willoughby Sproggs
The Casino Murder Case
Auctioneer (uncredited)
The Farmer's Daughter
Victor Walsh
Wake Up and Live
Radio Center Tour Guide
The Millionaire
Oscar Pugh
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Police Sgt. Ernest Heath
Blonde Trouble
Paul Sears
Here Come the Girls
Dennis Logan
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
Daro
The Sainted Sisters
Vern Tewilliger
Finger Prints
Cuffs Egan
Glamour Boy
Papa Doran
Behave Yourself!
O'Ryan
The Great Gambini
Sergeant Kirby
Many Happy Returns
Brinker
One Wild Night
Collins
Ride on Vaquero
Bartender Barney
Love on the Run
Editor
King of the Turf
Arnold
Josette
Joe, Diner Owner
Five and Ten Cent Annie
Briggs
True to the Army
Sgt. Butts
He's a Cockeyed Wonder
Bob Sears
Comin' Round the Mountain
Gutsy Mann
The Blazing Forest
Syd Jessup
The Night Court
Defense Counsel
The Cowboy Quarterback
Rusty Walker
Don't Tell the Wife
Larry 'Horace' Tucker
What Happened To Father
Detective Dibbin
Miracles for Sale
Quinn
The Black Diamond Express
Train Engine Fireman
The Crash
Louie
Don't Tell the Wife
Ray Valerian
The Great Hospital Mystery
Mr. Beatty
A Reno Divorce
James, the chauffeur
A Sailor's Sweetheart
Detective
The Hit Parade
Parole Officer
White Lies
Roberts
Romance on the Run
Police Lt. Eckhardt
Our Hearts Were Growing Up
Peanuts Schultz
Matinee Ladies
Man About Town
Mind Your Own Business
Droopy
A Million Bid
George Lamont
The Butter and Egg Man
Jack McLure
While New York Sleeps
Red Miller
Pay as You Enter
'Terrible Bill' McGovern
The Bush Leaguer
John Gilroy
Behind the Eight Ball
McKenzie
TV Shows (19)
Bonanza
Angus Tweedy · 1 eps
Bonanza
Enos Milford · 1 eps
Wagon Train
Mr. Hennessey · 1 eps
The Twilight Zone
Joe Britt · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Mr. Aimes · 1 eps
The Red Skelton Show
Senator Burnside · 1 eps
Tales of Wells Fargo
Jeb Gaine (credit only) · 1 eps
My Three Sons
Charley O'Casey · 232 eps
Ben Casey
1 eps
Burke's Law
Charlie Who · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Tom Akins · 1 eps
The Rebel
Ulysses Bowman · 1 eps
McMillan & Wife
Andy Kenesaw · 1 eps
McMillan & Wife
Cyrus McFee · 1 eps
Studio 57
1 eps
Ellery Queen
Alexander 'Pop' Denny · 1 eps
Going My Way
1 eps
The Wonderful World of Disney
Mr. Hummel (archive footage) · 1 eps
Love and Marriage
William Harris · 26 eps
