Denver Pyle
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2011) |
Denver Pyle | |
|---|---|
| File:Denver Pyle.JPG Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard | |
| Born | Denver Dell Pyle May 11, 1920 |
| Died | December 25, 1997 (aged 77) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1947-97 |
| Spouse(s) | Marilee Carpenter (1955-70) (divorced) 2 sons Tippie Johnston (1983-97) (his death) |
Denver Dell Pyle (May 11, 1920 – December 25, 1997)[1] was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985).
Biography
Early life
Pyle was born in Bethune in Kit Carson County, Colorado, to farmer Ben H. Pyle (1895–1988) and his wife Maude (1899–1985);[2] After graduating from high school, Pyle briefly attended Colorado State University[3] but dropped out to enter show business.
Pyle was a drummer and band member until the United States entered the Second World War, when he enlisted in the Merchant Marine. Pyle would later claim to be a U.S. Navy veteran who had been wounded at Guadalcanal. In 1991 the National Personnel Records Center reported there was no evidence he had served in the Navy.[4]
Career
After the war, Pyle embarked on his film career. He starred in several movies and on television during the 1950s and 1960s. He had a part in the 1955 Audie Murphy film To Hell and Back and guest starred twice on NBC's 1955-1956 western anthology series Frontier, in "Mother of the Brave" and in "The Voyage of Captain Castle". He appeared twice on CBS's The Public Defender in the role of George Hansen, and three times on the religious anthology series, Crossroads on ABC. He acted the part of a police detective in the 1956 film noir Please Murder Me starring Raymond Burr, who played a defense attorney pre his Perry Mason role. Pyle appeared twice each on the western series My Friend Flicka and The Restless Gun. He guest starred with Grant Withers in the 1959 episode "Tumbleweed Ranger" of the syndicated western 26 Men, true stories of the Arizona Rangers. He also appeared in the syndicated series Pony Express in the 1960 episode "Special Delivery". Pyle guest starred in the episode "Trail of the Dead", the story of five missing western prospectors, of Rod Cameron's syndicated series State Trooper. He appeared with Sammy Jackson in the episode "Resurrection" of the syndicated American Civil War drama Gray Ghost. He appeared twice as an unidentified bank robber in Duncan Renaldo's The Cisco Kid. In 1954, Pyle played a henchman of Sam Bass in Jim Davis's syndicated series, Stories of the Century. In 1958, Pyle starred with Judith Evelyn in the episode "Man in the Moon" of the NBC docudrama about the Cold War, Behind Closed Doors, hosted and occasionally starring Bruce Gordon.[5] Pyle made several appearances as "Briscoe Darling", the gruff patriarch of a clan of musical hillbillies, on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show.
Pyle also appeared in a number of Westerns by John Ford, including The Horse Soldiers with William Holden and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. He played a Tennessee soldier (called "Thimblerig") in John Wayne's The Alamo (1960). He also appeared in many television westerns, including the 1960 episode "Crime Epidemic" of the syndicated series Tombstone Territory, the 1961 episode "Hand of Vengeance" of the syndicated western Two Faces West, he appeared twice on the CBS series "Route 66" with Martin Milner and George Maharis, first in 1961 in the episode "The Newborn" and again in 1962 in the episode "A Long Piece Of Mischief", and the segment "Lawyer in Petticoats" of the NBC series Overland Trail (1960).
One of Pyle's early roles was as a villain in an Adventures of Superman television episode called "Beware the Wrecker". He also appeared on an episode of The Twilight Zone in 1964 called "Black Leather Jackets" where he played the father. He appeared in the 1963-1964 season in ABC's drama about college life, Channing. He frequently appeared on Gunsmoke (14) and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (7), Frontier Justice (2), all on CBS. He also is known for portraying both the suspect and the murder victim on the final original Perry Mason episode; he was the only actor to play a victim, a suspect and the actual murderer (in a previous episode) on the series out of six appearances. He was Grandpa Tarleton in all 26 episodes of Tammy in the 1965-66 season. He portrayed Sam Houston in several episodes of The Adventures of Jim Bowie. Pyle portrayed Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in the 1967 movie, Bonnie and Clyde.
Pyle's best-known and longest-running television role was that of Uncle Jesse Duke in the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985) (146 episodes). He had a guest starring role in 1973 on The Streets of San Francisco. In 1975, Walt Disney Productions released a film based on the novel, Escape to Witch Mountain. In this film Tony and Tia were played by Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards, Lucas Deranian by Donald Pleasence, and the children's Uncle Bené by Denver Pyle. In addition, Pyle played the role of Mad Jack in the NBC series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977–1978) (36 episodes), (1967), Buck Webb (Doris Day's father) during the first two seasons of CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968–1970). He did some writing and directing for the short-lived half-hour western Dirty Sally starring Jeanette Nolan, which ran on CBS in the first half of 1974. He also appeared twice in The Cheyenne Show starring Clint Walker.
In his later life, Pyle played mostly cameo television roles and retired from full-time acting. His last cinematic movie role was alongside Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner in the 1994 film Maverick, playing a cheating cardplayer who jumps off a riverboat to keep his dignity. His last known acting role was a reprisal of Jesse Duke in the 1997 made-for-TV movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!. He also played a small role on The Waltons as a relative to the Baldwin sisters.
Personal life
Denver married his first wife, Marilee Carpenter (1924–2010), in 1955. The aspiring actor took a Twentieth Century Fox production assistant as his bride. They had sons David and Tony in 1956 and 1957, respectively. According to her obituary, "Marilee advised and assisted Denver throughout his fifty-year career in motion pictures and television—uninterrupted by their divorce in 1970—until his death in 1997."[6]
Denver married Tippie Johnston in 1983. They were married until Pyle's death.
Death
Pyle died of lung cancer on Christmas Day in 1997. He is buried in Forreston, Texas.
References
- ^ "Social Security Death Index". New England Historic Genealogical Society. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
- ^ Great Character Actors
- ^ Rohde, David (28 December 1997). "Denver Pyle, 77, Best Known For 'Dukes of Hazzard' Role". New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
He is survived by his wife, Tippy, whom he married in 1983 and two sons, David of Newport Beach, Calif., and Tony of San Clemente, Calif.
- ^ (Source: Freedom of Information Act response, NPRC, 1991)
- ^ "Behind Closed Doors'". ctva.biz. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ "Marilee Carpenter Pyle, 85". Los Angeles Times. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
