Acting
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).
Filmography
Television: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1999
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
Film · 1997
The Millionaire
Film · 1978
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Film · 1976
The Wild McCullochs
Film · 1975
Ellery Queen
Series · 1975
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Film · 1973
McMillan & Wife
Series · 1971
McMillan & Wife
Series · 1971
That Darn Cat!
Film · 1965
Viva Las Vegas
Film · 1964
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Film · 1963
Son of Flubber
Film · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
The Greatest Show on Earth
Series · 1963
The Jerry Lewis Show
Series · 1963
Going My Way
Series · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
Film · 1961
Twenty Plus Two
Film · 1961
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon
Film · 1961
Ben Casey
Series · 1961
Dr. Kildare
Series · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
Pepe
Film · 1960
My Three Sons
Series · 1960
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959
The Rebel
Series · 1959
Love and Marriage
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Tales of Wells Fargo
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
The Mountain
Film · 1956
The Rawhide Years
Film · 1956
Hell on Frisco Bay
Film · 1955
The Far Horizons
Film · 1955
The Private War of Major Benson
Film · 1955
Jupiter's Darling
Film · 1955
Sincerely Yours
Film · 1955
Lucy Gallant
Film · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
The Yellow Mountain
Film · 1954
Jamboree
Film · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
Studio 57
Series · 1954
Escape from Fort Bravo
Film · 1953
Here Come the Girls
Film · 1953
The Lady Wants Mink
Film · 1953
Dangerous When Wet
Film · 1953
What Price Glory
Film · 1952
The Blazing Forest
Film · 1952
Excuse My Dust
Film · 1951
The Strip
Film · 1951
Behave Yourself!
Film · 1951
The First Legion
Film · 1951
The Red Skelton Show
Series · 1951
Riding High
Film · 1950
He's a Cockeyed Wonder
Film · 1950
Never a Dull Moment
Film · 1950
When Willie Comes Marching Home
Film · 1950
Jolson Sings Again
Film · 1949
Sorrowful Jones
Film · 1949
Red, Hot and Blue
Film · 1949
Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Film · 1948
The Sainted Sisters
Film · 1948
Whispering Smith
Film · 1948
On Our Merry Way
Film · 1948
Variety Girl
Film · 1947
The Perils of Pauline
Film · 1947
The Jolson Story
Film · 1946
Our Hearts Were Growing Up
Film · 1946
Along Came Jones
Film · 1945
Salty O'Rourke
Film · 1945
Pardon My Past
Film · 1945
Hollywood Victory Caravan
Film · 1945
Duffy's Tavern
Film · 1945
The Great Moment
Film · 1944
Hail the Conquering Hero
Film · 1944
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Film · 1944
Once Upon a Time
Film · 1944
Nine Girls
Film · 1944
True to Life
Film · 1943
Stage Door Canteen
Film · 1943
Dangerous Blondes
Film · 1943
The Palm Beach Story
Film · 1942
All Through the Night
Film · 1942
My Favorite Spy
Film · 1942
Johnny Doughboy
Film · 1942
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
Film · 1942
Behind the Eight Ball
Film · 1942
Pardon My Sarong
Film · 1942
True to the Army
Film · 1942
The Lady Eve
Film · 1941
Dressed to Kill
Film · 1941
Sullivan's Travels
Film · 1941
Ride on Vaquero
Film · 1941
Glamour Boy
Film · 1941
Country Fair
Film · 1941
Rookies on Parade
Film · 1941
The Devil and Miss Jones
Film · 1941
Christmas in July
Film · 1940
The Great McGinty
Film · 1940
The Golden Fleecing
Film · 1940
Wolf of New York
Film · 1940
The Farmer's Daughter
Film · 1940
Little Men
Film · 1940
Comin' Round the Mountain
Film · 1940
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Film · 1939
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Film · 1939
The Cowboy Quarterback
Film · 1939
Miracles for Sale
Film · 1939
The Great Man Votes
Film · 1939
Laugh It Off
Film · 1939
King of the Turf
Film · 1939
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Film · 1938
While New York Sleeps
Film · 1938
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
Film · 1938
Romance on the Run
Film · 1938
Josette
Film · 1938
One Wild Night
Film · 1938
Big City
Film · 1937
The Hit Parade
Film · 1937
Don't Tell the Wife
Film · 1937
Easy Living
Film · 1937
The Great Hospital Mystery
Film · 1937
The Great Gambini
Film · 1937
Rosalie
Film · 1937
Time Out for Romance
Film · 1937
Oh, Doctor
Film · 1937
Blonde Trouble
Film · 1937
Wake Up and Live
Film · 1937
Charlie Chan at the Opera
Film · 1936
The Great Ziegfeld
Film · 1936
Mind Your Own Business
Film · 1936
Wedding Present
Film · 1936
Love on the Run
Film · 1936
The Murder Man
Film · 1935
After Office Hours
Film · 1935
Hands Across the Table
Film · 1935
Bright Lights
Film · 1935
Diamond Jim
Film · 1935
White Lies
Film · 1935
The Casino Murder Case
Film · 1935
Fog Over Frisco
Film · 1934
Fugitive Lady
Film · 1934
Many Happy Returns
Film · 1934
Seeing Things
Film · 1930
Sharp Shooters
Film · 1928
The Butter and Egg Man
Film · 1928
A Girl in Every Port
Film · 1928
Five and Ten Cent Annie
Film · 1928
The Crash
Film · 1928
Pay as You Enter
Film · 1928
Don't Tell the Wife
Film · 1927
The Black Diamond Express
Film · 1927
The Night Court
Film · 1927
The First Auto
Film · 1927
The Jazz Singer
Film · 1927
A Reno Divorce
Film · 1927
A Million Bid
Film · 1927
What Happened To Father
Film · 1927
Finger Prints
Film · 1927
A Sailor's Sweetheart
Film · 1927
Simple Sis
Film · 1927
The Bush Leaguer
Film · 1927
The Gay Old Bird
Film · 1927
Matinee Ladies
Film · 1927