No image
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999 · Movie
as Charlie O'Casey (archive footage)
William Demarest
1892-02-27
•
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
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
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Millionaire
1978 · Movie
as Oscar Pugh
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
1976 · Movie
as Studio Gatekeeper
The Wild McCullochs
1975 · Movie
as Father Gurkin
Ellery Queen
1975 · TV Show
as Alexander 'Pop' Denny
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
1973 · Movie
as Mr. Harris
McMillan & Wife
1971 · TV Show
as Cyrus McFee, Andy Kenesaw
That Darn Cat!
1965 · Movie
as Mr. MacDougall
Viva Las Vegas
1964 · Movie
as Mr. Martin
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963 · Movie
as Police Chief Aloysius
Son of Flubber
1963 · Movie
as Mr. Hummel
Burke's Law
1963 · TV Show
as Charlie Who
No image
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963 · TV Show
as Paul Keller
The Jerry Lewis Show
1963 · TV Show
as Self
Going My Way
1962 · TV Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · TV Show
as Self
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein
1961 · Movie
as Henry Hecht
Twenty Plus Two
1961 · Movie
as Desmond Slocum
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon
1961 · Movie
as Jeb
Ben Casey
1961 · TV Show
Dr. Kildare
1961 · TV Show
as Mr. Aimes
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · TV Show
as Self
Pepe
1960 · Movie
as Movie Studio Gateman
My Three Sons
1960 · TV Show
as Charley O'Casey
The Twilight Zone
1959 · TV Show
as Joe Britt
The Rebel
1959 · TV Show
as Ulysses Bowman
No image
Love and Marriage
1959 · TV Show
as William Harris
Bonanza
1959 · TV Show
as Enos Milford, Angus Tweedy
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957 · TV Show
as Jeb Gaine (credit only)
Wagon Train
1957 · TV Show
as Mr. Hennessey
The Mountain
1956 · Movie
as Father Belacchi
The Rawhide Years
1956 · Movie
as Brand Comfort
Hell on Frisco Bay
1955 · Movie
as Dan Bianco
The Far Horizons
1955 · Movie
as Sgt. Gass
The Private War of Major Benson
1955 · Movie
as John
Jupiter's Darling
1955 · Movie
as Mago
Sincerely Yours
1955 · Movie
as Sam Dunne
Lucy Gallant
1955 · Movie
as Charles Madden
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · TV Show
as Tom Akins
The Yellow Mountain
1954 · Movie
as Jackpot Wray
Jamboree
1954 · Movie
as Self
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · TV Show
as Mr. Hummel (archive footage)
Studio 57
1954 · TV Show
Escape from Fort Bravo
1953 · Movie
as Campbell
Here Come the Girls
1953 · Movie
as Dennis Logan
The Lady Wants Mink
1953 · Movie
as Harvey Jones
Dangerous When Wet
1953 · Movie
as Pa Higgins
What Price Glory
1952 · Movie
as Corporal Kiper
The Blazing Forest
1952 · Movie
as Syd Jessup
Excuse My Dust
1951 · Movie
as Harvey Bullitt
The Strip
1951 · Movie
as Fluff
Behave Yourself!
1951 · Movie
as O'Ryan
The First Legion
1951 · Movie
as Monsignor Michael Carey
The Red Skelton Show
1951 · TV Show
as Senator Burnside
Riding High
1950 · Movie
as Happy
He's a Cockeyed Wonder
1950 · Movie
as Bob Sears
Never a Dull Moment
1950 · Movie
as Mears
When Willie Comes Marching Home
1950 · Movie
as Herman Kluggs
Jolson Sings Again
1949 · Movie
as Steve Martin
Sorrowful Jones
1949 · Movie
as Regret
Red, Hot and Blue
1949 · Movie
as Charlie Baxter
Night Has a Thousand Eyes
1948 · Movie
as Lt. Shawn
The Sainted Sisters
1948 · Movie
as Vern Tewilliger
Whispering Smith
1948 · Movie
as Bill Dansing
On Our Merry Way
1948 · Movie
as Floyd
Variety Girl
1947 · Movie
as Barker
The Perils of Pauline
1947 · Movie
as George 'Mac' McGuire
The Jolson Story
1946 · Movie
as Steve Martin
Our Hearts Were Growing Up
1946 · Movie
as Peanuts Schultz
Along Came Jones
1945 · Movie
as George Fury
Salty O'Rourke
1945 · Movie
as Smitty
Pardon My Past
1945 · Movie
as Chuck Gibson
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945 · Movie
as Bill, the Security Guard
Duffy's Tavern
1945 · Movie
as William Demarest
The Great Moment
1944 · Movie
as Eben Frost
Hail the Conquering Hero
1944 · Movie
as Sgt. Heppelfinger
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1944 · Movie
as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker
Once Upon a Time
1944 · Movie
as Brandt
Nine Girls
1944 · Movie
as Walter Cummings
True to Life
1943 · Movie
as Uncle Jake
Stage Door Canteen
1943 · Movie
as William Demarest
Dangerous Blondes
1943 · Movie
as Detective Gatling
The Palm Beach Story
1942 · Movie
as First Member Ale and Quail Club
All Through the Night
1942 · Movie
as Sunshine
My Favorite Spy
1942 · Movie
as Flower Pot Policeman
Johnny Doughboy
1942 · Movie
as Harry Fabian
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
1942 · Movie
as Police Officer
Behind the Eight Ball
1942 · Movie
as McKenzie
Pardon My Sarong
1942 · Movie
as Detective Kendall
True to the Army
1942 · Movie
as Sgt. Butts
The Lady Eve
1941 · Movie
as Muggsy
Dressed to Kill
1941 · Movie
as Inspector Pierson
Sullivan's Travels
1941 · Movie
as Mr. Jones
Ride on Vaquero
1941 · Movie
as Bartender Barney
Glamour Boy
1941 · Movie
as Papa Doran
Country Fair
1941 · Movie
as Stogie McPhee
Rookies on Parade
1941 · Movie
as Mike Brady
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941 · Movie
as First Detective
Christmas in July
1940 · Movie
as Mr. Bildocker
The Great McGinty
1940 · Movie
as Skeeters - The Politician
The Golden Fleecing
1940 · Movie
as Swallow
No image
Wolf of New York
1940 · Movie
as Bill Ennis
The Farmer's Daughter
1940 · Movie
as Victor Walsh
Little Men
1940 · Movie
as Constable Tom Thorpe
Comin' Round the Mountain
1940 · Movie
as Gutsy Mann
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939 · Movie
as Bill Griffith
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939 · Movie
as Police Sgt. Ernest Heath
The Cowboy Quarterback
1939 · Movie
as Rusty Walker
Miracles for Sale
1939 · Movie
as Quinn
The Great Man Votes
1939 · Movie
as Charles Dole
No image
Laugh It Off
1939 · Movie
as Barney 'Gimpy' Cole
King of the Turf
1939 · Movie
as Arnold
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
1938 · Movie
as Henry Kipper
While New York Sleeps
1938 · Movie
as Red Miller
Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
1938 · Movie
as Daro
Romance on the Run
1938 · Movie
as Police Lt. Eckhardt
Josette
1938 · Movie
as Joe, Diner Owner
One Wild Night
1938 · Movie
as Collins
Big City
1937 · Movie
as Mr. Beecher
The Hit Parade
1937 · Movie
as Parole Officer
Don't Tell the Wife
1937 · Movie
as Larry 'Horace' Tucker
Easy Living
1937 · Movie
as Wallace Whistling
The Great Hospital Mystery
1937 · Movie
as Mr. Beatty
The Great Gambini
1937 · Movie
as Sergeant Kirby
Rosalie
1937 · Movie
as Army Coach
Time Out for Romance
1937 · Movie
as Willoughby Sproggs
Oh, Doctor
1937 · Movie
as Marty Short
Blonde Trouble
1937 · Movie
as Paul Sears
Wake Up and Live
1937 · Movie
as Radio Center Tour Guide
Charlie Chan at the Opera
1936 · Movie
as Sergeant Kelly
The Great Ziegfeld
1936 · Movie
as Gene Buck (uncredited)
Mind Your Own Business
1936 · Movie
as Droopy
Wedding Present
1936 · Movie
as 'Smiles' Benson
Love on the Run
1936 · Movie
as Editor
The Murder Man
1935 · Movie
as 'Red' Maguire
After Office Hours
1935 · Movie
as Police Detective (uncredited)
Hands Across the Table
1935 · Movie
as Regi's Date Natty (uncredited)
Bright Lights
1935 · Movie
as Detective
Diamond Jim
1935 · Movie
as Harry Hill
White Lies
1935 · Movie
as Roberts
The Casino Murder Case
1935 · Movie
as Auctioneer (uncredited)
Fog Over Frisco
1934 · Movie
as Spike Smith
Fugitive Lady
1934 · Movie
as Steve Rogers
Many Happy Returns
1934 · Movie
as Brinker
No image
Seeing Things
1930 · Movie
as The Heir
Sharp Shooters
1928 · Movie
as 'Hi Jack' Murdock
The Butter and Egg Man
1928 · Movie
as Jack McLure
A Girl in Every Port
1928 · Movie
as Man in Bombay (uncredited)
Five and Ten Cent Annie
1928 · Movie
as Briggs
The Crash
1928 · Movie
as Louie
Pay as You Enter
1928 · Movie
as 'Terrible Bill' McGovern
Don't Tell the Wife
1927 · Movie
as Ray Valerian
The Black Diamond Express
1927 · Movie
as Train Engine Fireman
The Night Court
1927 · Movie
as Defense Counsel
The First Auto
1927 · Movie
as The Village Cut-Up
The Jazz Singer
1927 · Movie
as Buster Billings (uncredited)
A Reno Divorce
1927 · Movie
as James, the chauffeur
A Million Bid
1927 · Movie
as George Lamont
What Happened To Father
1927 · Movie
as Detective Dibbin
Finger Prints
1927 · Movie
as Cuffs Egan
Simple Sis
1927 · Movie
A Sailor's Sweetheart
1927 · Movie
as Detective
The Bush Leaguer
1927 · Movie
as John Gilroy
The Gay Old Bird
1927 · Movie
as Mr. Fixit
Matinee Ladies
1927 · Movie
as Man About Town
