William Demarest

Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 28, 1983) was an American actor, known especially for his supporting roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and as Uncle Charley in the sitcom My Three Sons from 1965 until 1972. Demarest, who frequently played crusty but good-hearted roles, was a prolific film and television actor, appearing in over 140 films, beginning in 1926 and ending in the late 1970s. Before his career in movies, he performed in vaudeville for two decades.

Early life Carl William Demarest was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the youngest of three sons of Wilhelmina (née Lindgren) and Samuel Demarest. During William's infancy, the family moved to New Bridge, a hamlet in Bergen County, New Jersey. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Career Demarest began his career performing in Vaudeville, in his youth with his two older brothers and later with his wife Estelle Collette (born Esther Zichlin) as "Demarest and Colette".

Demarest was married twice. His first wife was his vaudeville partner Estelle Collette, born Esther Zichlin. Demarest helped raise her daughter, author Phyllis Gordon Demarest, from her earlier marriage, in 1907, to English poet and novelist Samuel Gordon, who had divorced Zichlin before his death. Demarest's second wife was Lucille Thayer, born Lucille Theurer, whom he married in Prescott, Arizona, on August 31, 1942. Thayer, who later became an activist on health issues in the motion picture industry, was appointed California's lay-chairman of the American Nurses Association in October 1960.

Death Demarest died at his home in Palm Springs, California on December 28, 1983,

Awards and recognition Demarest received a single Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in The Jolson Story (1946), playing Al Jolson's fictional mentor. He shared the screen with the real Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer.

Demarest also received an Emmy nomination for the 1968–1969 season of My Three Sons as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Role.

Demarest has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures, bestowed upon him on August 8, 1979, by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. In attendance at the ceremony and then later at Musso & Frank Grill for celebrations were his My Three Sons co-stars Fred MacMurray and his wife June Haver, Tina Cole, Stanley Livingston, Barry Livingston, and Dawn Lyn.

In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. Partial filmography Features

When the Wife's Away (1926) Finger Prints (1927) as Cuffs Egan Don't Tell the Wife (1927) as Ray Valerian The Gay Old Bird (1927) as Mr. Fixit Matinee Ladies (1927) as Man-About-Town A Million Bid (1927) as George Lamont Simple Sis (1927) as Oscar The Black Diamond Express (1927) as Fireman What Happened to Father? (1927) as Detective Dibbin The First Auto (1927) as The Village Cut-Up The Bush Leaguer (1927) as John Gilroy A Sailor's Sweetheart (1927) as Detective The Jazz Singer (1927) as Buster Billings (uncredited) A Reno Divorce (1927) as James, the chauffeur Sharp Shooters (1928) as 'Hi Jack' Murdock A Girl in Every Port (1928) as Man in Bombay (uncredited) The Escape (1928) as Trigger Caswell Pay as You Enter (1928) as 'Terrible Bill' McGovern Five and Ten Cent Annie (1928) as Briggs The Butter and Egg Man (1928) as Jack McLure The Crash (1928) as Louie Seeing Things (1930) Fog Over Frisco (1934) as Spike Smith Many Happy Returns (1934) as Brinker The Circus Clown (1934) (scenes deleted) Fugitive Lady (1934) as Steve Rogers After Office Hours (1935) as Police Detective (uncredited) The Casino Murder Case (1935) as Auctioneer (uncredited) The Murder Man (1935) as 'Red' Maguire Bright Lights (1935) as Detective Diamond Jim (1935) as Harry Hill Hands Across the Table (1935) as Natty (uncredited) White Lies (1935) as Roberts The Great Ziegfeld (1936) as Gene Buck (uncredited) Wedding Present (1936) as 'Smiles' Benson Love on the Run (1936) as Editor Lees Berger Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) as Sergeant Kelly Mind Your Own Business (1936) as Droopy Time Out for Romance (1937) as Willoughby Sproggs Don't Tell the Wife (1937) as Larry 'Horace' Tucker Oh, Doctor (1937) as Marty Short The Hit Parade (1937) as Parole Officer The Great Hospital Mystery (1937) as Mr. Beatty The Great Gambini (1937) as Sergeant Kirby Easy Living (1937) as Wallace Whistling Blonde Trouble (1937) as Paul Sears Wake Up and Live (1937) as Radio Station Attendant Big City (1937) as Beecher Rosalie (1937) as Army Coach Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) as Henry Kipper Romance on the Run (1938) as Police Lieutenant Eckhardt One Wild Night (1938) as Editor Collins Josette (1938) as Joe, Diner Owner Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus (1938) as Daro While New York Sleeps (1938) as Red Miller The Great Man Votes (1939) as Charles Dale King of the Turf (1939) as Arnold The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) as Police Sergeant Ernest Heath The Cowboy Quarterback (1939) as Rusty Walker Miracles for Sale (1939) as Quinn Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Bill Griffith Laugh It Off (1939) as Barney 'Gimpy' Cole Wolf of New York (1940) as Bill Ennis The Farmer's Daughter (1940) as Victor Walsh The Great McGinty (1940) as Skeeters – The Politician Comin' Round the Mountain (1940) as Gutsy Mann The Golden Fleecing (1940) as Swallow Christmas in July (1940) as Mr. Bildocker Little Men (1940) as Constable Tom Thorpe The Lady Eve (1941) as Muggsy The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) as First Detective Rookies on Parade (1941) as Mike Brady Ride on Vaquero (1941) as Bartender Barney Country Fair (1941) as Stogie McPhee Dressed to Kill (1941) as Inspector Pierson All Through the Night (1941) as Sunshine Sullivan's Travels (1941) as Mr. Jonas Glamour Boy (1941) as Papa Doran True to the Army (1942) as Sergeant Butts My Favorite Spy (1942) as Flower Pot Policeman Pardon My Sarong (1942) as Detective Kendall The Palm Beach Story (1942) as First Member Ale and Quail Club Behind the Eight Ball (1942) as McKenzie Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942) as Police Officer Johnny Doughboy (1942) as Harry Fabian Stage Door Canteen (1943) as William Demarest Dangerous Blondes (1943) as Detective Gatling True to Life (1943) as Uncle Jake The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker Nine Girls (1944) as Walter Cummings Once Upon a Time (1944) as Brandt Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) as Sergeant Heffelfinger The Great Moment (1944) as Eben Frost Salty O'Rourke (1945) as Smitty Along Came Jones (1945) as George Fury Duffy's Tavern (1945) as Himself Pardon My Past (1945) as Chuck Gibson Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946) as Peanuts Schultz The Jolson Story (1946) as Steve Martin The Perils of Pauline (1947) as George 'Mac' McGuire Variety Girl (1947) as Barker On Our Merry Way (1948) as Floyd The Sainted Sisters (1948) as Vern Tewilliger Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) as Lieutenant Shawn Whispering Smith (1948) as Bill Dansing Sorrowful Jones (1949) as Regret Jolson Sings Again (1949) as Steve Martin Red, Hot and Blue (1949) as Charlie Baxter, Press Agent When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) as Herman Kluggs Riding High (1950) as Happy Never a Dull Moment (1950) as Mears He's a Cockeyed Wonder (1950) as Bob Sears The First Legion (1951) as Monsignor Michael Carey Excuse My Dust (1951) as Harvey Bullitt The Strip (1951) as Fluff Behave Yourself! (1951) as Officer O'Ryan What Price Glory (1952) as Corporal Kiper The Blazing Forest (1952) as Syd Jessup The Lady Wants Mink (1953) as Harvey Jones Dangerous When Wet (1953) as Pa Higgins Here Come the Girls (1953) as Dennis Logan Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) as Campbell The Yellow Mountain (1954) as Jackpot Wray Jupiter's Darling (1955) as Mago The Far Horizons (1955) as Sergeant Gass The Private War of Major Benson (1955) as John Lucy Gallant (1955) as Charles Madden Sincerely Yours (1955) as Sam Dunne Hell on Frisco Bay (1956) as Dan Bianco The Rawhide Years (1956) as Brand Comfort The Mountain (1956) as Father Belacchi Pepe (1960) as Movie Studio Gateman The Big Bankroll (1961) as Henry Hecht Twenty Plus Two (1961) as Desmond Slocum Son of Flubber (1963) as Mr. Hummel It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as Aloysius, Chief of the Santa Rosita Police Department Viva Las Vegas (1964) as Mr. Martin That Darn Cat (1965) as Mr. MacDougall Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1973) as Mr. Harris The Wild McCullochs (1975) as Father Gurkin Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) as Studio Gatekeeper

Short subjects A Night at Coffee Dan's (1927) as M.C. Amateur Night (1927) as Theatre Manager The Night Court (1927) as Defense Counsel (uncredited) Seeing Things (1930) The Run Around (1932)

Television The Danny Thomas Show in 5 episodes (1957–1958) as Mr. Daly Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) in Season 4 Episode 11: "And the Desert Shall Blossom" as Tom Akins The Rebel in "The Hope Chest" (1960) as Ulysses Bowman Love and Marriage (1959–1960) as William Harris Tales of Wells Fargo (1961–1962) as Jeb Gaine Wagon Train in Season 4 Episode 25 (1961) "The Christopher Hale Story" Going My Way in "The Slasher" (1963) as Marty Bonanza in the episode "The Hayburner" (1963) as Enos Milford Bonanza in the episode "Old Sheba" (1964) as Angus Tweedy The Twilight Zone in Season 5 Episode 24 (1964) "What's in the Box" as Joe Britt My Three Sons (215 episodes, 1965–1972) as Uncle Charley O'Casey McMillan and Wife [Two Dollars on Trouble to Win] S2/Ep07 (1973) as Uncle Cyrus, [Deadly Inheritance] S5/E01 (1975) as Andy Kenesaw

Radio appearances Year Program Episode/source 1940 Stars over Hollywood The Town Constable