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William Demarest

January 06, 2023

For the American sport shooter, see William Demarest (sport shooter). For the president of Rutgers College, see William Henry Steele Demarest.

Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 28, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom My Three Sons[1] 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 motion pictures, he performed in vaudeville for two decades.[2]

William Demarest
Demarest in trailer for The Palm Beach Story (1942)
Born
Carl William Demarest

(1892-02-27)February 27, 1892
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedDecember 28, 1983(1983-12-28) (aged 91)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
OccupationActor
Years active1906–1978
Spouse(s)
Estelle Collette
​
​
(m. 1923; div. 1941)​

Lucille Thayer
​
(m. 1942)​

Early life

Carl William Demarest was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the youngest of threes sons of Wilhelmina (née Lindgren) and Samuel Demarest.[3] During William's infancy, the family moved to New Bridge, a hamlet in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Demarest served in the United States Army during World War I.[4]

Career

Demarest started in show business working in vaudeville, performing initially in his youth with his two older brothers and later with his wife Estelle Collette (real name Esther Zychlin) as "Demarest and Colette".[2] He then moved to work in the "legitimate theatre" on Broadway. Demarest, by 1926 also began working in films, often in productions directed by Preston Sturges and as a member of a "stock" troupe of actors whom Sturges repeatedly cast in his screen projects. 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.

 
Demarest with Don Grady in My Three Sons (1969)

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.

He played folksy Jeb Gaine, an occasional sidekick to the main character, in the 1961–62 season of the Western series Tales of Wells Fargo.

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 in a memorable episode ("What's in the Box") of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, portraying a hen-pecked husband who murders 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.

Awards

Demarest received a single Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in The Jolson Story (1946), playing Al Jolson's fictional mentor. He had previously 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.[5][6] 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, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[7]

Personal life and later years

 
Demarest's first wife.[8]

Demarest was married twice. His first wife was his vaudeville partner Estelle Collette, born Esther Zichlin.[9][10] 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.[11] Demarest's second wife was Lucille Thayer, born Lucille Theurer, whom he married in Prescott, Arizona on August 31, 1942.[12] Thayer, who later became an activist on health issues in the motion picture industry, was, in October 1960, appointed California's lay-chairman of the ANA fundraising campaign.[13]

Demarest's favorite recreations were hunting, fishing, golf, and playing the cello.[citation needed]

According to Hollywood Be Thy Name, the 1993 memoir of Jack Warner, Jr. and Cass Warner Sperling, Demarest claimed that Sam Warner was murdered by his own brothers. This allegation, leveled in 1977, was never corroborated, and Demarest's reliability was questioned because of his long dependence on alcohol.

Death

Demarest died at his home in Palm Springs, California on December 28, 1983,[2] and his body was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[14][15] At the time of his death, he was suffering from prostate cancer and pneumonia.[citation needed]

Partial filmography

Features

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

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1940 Stars over Hollywood The Town Constable[16]

References

  1. ^ Obituary Variety, January 4, 1984.
  2. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (1983). "William Demarest, 91, Actor, Known for Roles in Comedies", obituary, The New York Times, December 29, 1983, p. D19. Retrieved via subscription to ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Ann Arbor, Michigan), August 27, 2022.
  3. ^ "Minnesota, Birth and Death Records, 1866-1916," database, Carl William Demorest [sic], February 28, 1892; FHL microfilm 1,309,044, Public Health Center records, Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota. Retrieved via FamilySearch archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  4. ^ Kaufman, Dave (1968). TV 69: Who's Who, What's What in the New TV Season (mass market paperback). New York: Signet. p. 129.
  5. ^ "William Demarest". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "William Demarest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  7. ^ (PDF). May 8, 2018 . Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "New Life Member". Vaudeville News. September 30, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections.
  9. ^ "New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", subscribed online database, Carl William Demarest and Esther (née Zichlin) Gordon, February 5, 1923; records of Manhattan, New York accessed via FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Jewish Chronicle of London, January 14, 1927, issue and June 14, 1907, issue. Obituary of her first husband Samuel Gordon (b. 1871 Buk, Bavaria, German Empire, m. June 12, 1907, Miss Esther Zichlin, "a violinist of great promise. There was one child of the marriage, a daughter.", d. 1927 in Wandsworth, London, England).
  11. ^ Jewish Chronicle of London, April 3, 1908, issue.
  12. ^ "Arizona, County Marriages, 1871-1964," database with images, Carl William Demarest and Lucille Theurer, 31 August 1942 in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona; FHL microfilm record 004251853 in Arizona Department of Libraries, Archives, and Public Records, Phoenix. Original marriage documents accessed via FamilySearch, August 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ancestry® | Family Tree, Genealogy & Family History Records". www.ancestry.com.
  14. ^ "Forever L.A." Gibbs Smith. August 27, 2010 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ William Demarest at Find a Grave
  16. ^ "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 39 (1): 32–41. Winter 2013.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Demarest.

January 06, 2023
william, demarest, american, sport, shooter, sport, shooter, president, rutgers, college, william, henry, steele, demarest, carl, february, 1892, december, 1983, american, character, actor, known, especially, roles, screwball, comedies, preston, sturges, playi. For the American sport shooter see William Demarest sport shooter For the president of Rutgers College see William Henry Steele Demarest Carl William Demarest February 27 1892 December 28 1983 was an American character actor known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom My Three Sons 1 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 motion pictures he performed in vaudeville for two decades 2 William DemarestDemarest in trailer for The Palm Beach Story 1942 BornCarl William Demarest 1892 02 27 February 27 1892Saint Paul Minnesota U S DiedDecember 28 1983 1983 12 28 aged 91 Palm Springs California U S Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale CaliforniaOccupationActorYears active1906 1978Spouse s Estelle Collette m 1923 div 1941 wbr Lucille Thayer m 1942 wbr Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Awards 4 Personal life and later years 5 Death 6 Partial filmography 6 1 Features 6 2 Short subjects 6 3 Television 7 Radio appearances 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditCarl William Demarest was born in Saint Paul Minnesota the youngest of threes sons of Wilhelmina nee Lindgren and Samuel Demarest 3 During William s infancy the family moved to New Bridge a hamlet in Bergen County New Jersey Demarest served in the United States Army during World War I 4 Career EditDemarest started in show business working in vaudeville performing initially in his youth with his two older brothers and later with his wife Estelle Collette real name Esther Zychlin as Demarest and Colette 2 He then moved to work in the legitimate theatre on Broadway Demarest by 1926 also began working in films often in productions directed by Preston Sturges and as a member of a stock troupe of actors whom Sturges repeatedly cast in his screen projects 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 Demarest with Don Grady in My Three Sons 1969 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 He played folksy Jeb Gaine an occasional sidekick to the main character in the 1961 62 season of the Western series Tales of Wells Fargo 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 in a memorable episode What s in the Box of Rod Serling s The Twilight Zone portraying a hen pecked husband who murders 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 Awards EditDemarest received a single Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in The Jolson Story 1946 playing Al Jolson s fictional mentor He had previously 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 5 6 In attendance at the ceremony and then later at Musso amp 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 California Walk of Stars was dedicated to him 7 Personal life and later years Edit Demarest s first wife 8 Demarest was married twice His first wife was his vaudeville partner Estelle Collette born Esther Zichlin 9 10 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 11 Demarest s second wife was Lucille Thayer born Lucille Theurer whom he married in Prescott Arizona on August 31 1942 12 Thayer who later became an activist on health issues in the motion picture industry was in October 1960 appointed California s lay chairman of the ANA fundraising campaign 13 Demarest s favorite recreations were hunting fishing golf and playing the cello citation needed According to Hollywood Be Thy Name the 1993 memoir of Jack Warner Jr and Cass Warner Sperling Demarest claimed that Sam Warner was murdered by his own brothers This allegation leveled in 1977 was never corroborated and Demarest s reliability was questioned because of his long dependence on alcohol Death EditDemarest died at his home in Palm Springs California on December 28 1983 2 and his body was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale California 14 15 At the time of his death he was suffering from prostate cancer and pneumonia citation needed Partial filmography EditFeatures Edit 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 Sgt 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 Lt 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 Sgt 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 Sgt 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 Sgt 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 Lieut 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 Cpl 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 Sgt 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 Edit 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 Edit The Danny Thomas Show in 5 episodes 1957 1958 as Mr Daly 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 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 the episode What s in the Box 1964 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 CyrusRadio appearances EditYear Program Episode source1940 Stars over Hollywood The Town Constable 16 References Edit Obituary Variety January 4 1984 a b c Pareles Jon 1983 William Demarest 91 Actor Known for Roles in Comedies obituary The New York Times December 29 1983 p D19 Retrieved via subscription to ProQuest Historical Newspapers Ann Arbor Michigan August 27 2022 Minnesota Birth and Death Records 1866 1916 database Carl William Demorest sic February 28 1892 FHL microfilm 1 309 044 Public Health Center records Saint Paul Ramsey Minnesota Retrieved via FamilySearch archives Salt Lake City Utah Kaufman Dave 1968 TV 69 Who s Who What s What in the New TV Season mass market paperback New York Signet p 129 William Demarest Hollywood Walk of Fame Retrieved June 20 2016 William Demarest Los Angeles Times Retrieved June 20 2016 PDF May 8 2018 https web archive org web 20180508121758 http www palmspringswalkofstars com web storage Stars Stars dedicated by date pdf Archived from the original PDF on May 8 2018 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help New Life Member Vaudeville News September 30 1921 p 8 Retrieved January 20 2021 via Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections New York City Marriage Records 1829 1938 subscribed online database Carl William Demarest and Esther nee Zichlin Gordon February 5 1923 records of Manhattan New York accessed via FamilySearch Salt Lake City Utah August 29 2022 Jewish Chronicle of London January 14 1927 issue and June 14 1907 issue Obituary of her first husband Samuel Gordon b 1871 Buk Bavaria German Empire m June 12 1907 Miss Esther Zichlin a violinist of great promise There was one child of the marriage a daughter d 1927 in Wandsworth London England Jewish Chronicle of London April 3 1908 issue Arizona County Marriages 1871 1964 database with images Carl William Demarest and Lucille Theurer 31 August 1942 in Prescott Yavapai County Arizona FHL microfilm record 004251853 in Arizona Department of Libraries Archives and Public Records Phoenix Original marriage documents accessed via FamilySearch August 29 2022 Ancestry Family Tree Genealogy amp Family History Records www ancestry com Forever L A Gibbs Smith August 27 2010 via Internet Archive William Demarest at Find a Grave Those Were the Days Nostalgia Digest 39 1 32 41 Winter 2013 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Demarest William Demarest at IMDb William Demarest at the Internet Broadway Database William Demarest at AllMovie Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Demarest amp oldid 1130099304, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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