Denver Pyle

At 77 years old, Denver Pyle has this physical status:

Denver Dell Pyle (1920 – December 25, 1997) was an American film and television actor.

Jesse Duke appeared in countless television roles from the 1960s to 1980s, including his portrayal of Briscoe Darling Jr. in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, as well as the titular character's father, Buck Webb in CBS's The Doris Day Exhibition.

He played either authority figures or gruff, demanding father figures in several of his roles, often as comedic relief.

Early life

Pyle was born in Bethune, Colorado, on May 11, 1920, to farmer Ben H. Pyle and his wife Maude; his brother, Willis, was known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios and UPA; Pyle briefly attended Colorado State University before moving to Los Angeles in 1940, but then dropped out to show business. He served as a drummer and band member until World War II was declared in the United States Navy. Pyle was wounded in combat in Guadalcanal and received a medical discharge in 1942. He served in the United States Merchant Marine Corps near the end of the war.

Personal life

Pyle married Marilee Carpenter, a production assistant at 20th Century Fox, in 1955. David and Tony's sons were born. In 1970, Marilee and Denver divorced. Tippie Johnston married Pyle in 1983. That partnership lasted until his death.

Source

Career

Pyle began film and television work after the war. He appeared in numerous television series and films before appearing in various films and television during the 1950s and 1960s.

Pyle appeared in 14 times between 1951 and 1953 on the syndicated television series The Range Rider starring Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones, and appeared as an outlaw in an episode of the television show "The Outcast" in 1951, episode 166 "The Outcast," and episode 187 "Cross of Santo Domingo."

Pyle appeared on "Loaded Guns" in 1953 as the wrongfully accused killer, ranch-hand Tom Larrabee, on The Roy Rogers Show (S2 E11, "Loaded Guns" in 1953. Pyle appeared in episode 46 of The Adventures of Superman in 1953 as Emil Hatch. He appeared in "Mother of the Brave" and "The Voyage of Captain Castle" in 1955 Audie Murphy's To Hell and Back, and appeared twice on NBC's 1956 Western anthology film Frontier (in "Mother of the Brave" and "The Voyage of Captain Castle" (unique). Pyle appeared in Duncan Renaldo's syndicated Western film The Cisco Kid twice as an unidentified bank robber. In Stories of the Century, he was cast as a henchman of the outlaw Sam Bass.

Pyle appeared on CBS' The Public Defender twice in the role of George Hansen and three times on ABC's Crossroads on ABC. In the 1956 film noir Please Murder Me, starring Raymond Burr, he played a police detective.

Pyle appeared in the 1955 episode "Joey's Father" on Fury. In the episode "The Fire Watchers" of the same film three years ago, he appeared as an arsonist. Pyle appeared as Vance Kiley in the television Western film The Lone Ranger's episode "Quicksand" in 1956. In S2E12's "Poor Pearl" on Gunsmoke, he played "Willie Calhoun," a lovestruck and soon to be murderer. Pyle appeared with Judith Evelyn in the episode "Man in the Moon" of the NBC docudrama about the Cold War Behind Closed Doors, starring Bruce Gordon in 1958.

In the 1959 episode "Moonquake," he appeared as a professor. He played a suicidal chutist in an episode of Ripcord.

Pyle appeared on CBS Western series My Friend Flicka and NBC's The Restless Gun with John Payne twice each. In the 1959 episode "Tumbleweed Ranger" of Tris Coffin's syndicated Western series 26 Men, he guest-starred with Grant Withers and was billed as true stories of the Arizona Rangers. He appeared on Richard Boone's CBS Western Have Gun – Will Travel, his last on the program in 1960 as Croft in "The Puppeteer."

In 1960, he appeared in many other Westerns, including Pony Express, The Man from Blackhawk, and Tombstone Territory. In the episode "Trail of the Dead," Rod Cameron's modern Western syndicated series State Trooper's story of five missing prospectors, he guest-starred. In the episode "Resurrection" of the syndicated American Civil War drama, The Gray Ghost, he appeared with Sammy Jackson. In the 1959 episode "Woman in the River" of the ABC/Warner Bros. detective series Bourbon Street Beat, starring Andrew Duggan and Richard Long, he was cast as Big Red. Briscoe Darling Jr. on The Andy Griffith Exhibition made several appearances as Briscoe Darling Jr.

Pyle appeared in several Western films by John Ford, including The Horse Soldiers with William Holden and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. In John Wayne's The Alamo (1960), he played a Tennessee soldier (called Thimblerig). In several episodes of CBS' The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Sam Houston appeared. He appeared in Jim Davis' other syndicated series Rescue 8, as well as in an episode of ABC sitcom The Real McCoys.

Pyle appeared in ABC's Stagecoach West's 1960 episode "Three Wise Men" as an outlaw who promises to turn himself into the authorities if he can spend Christmas with his family. Pyle appeared in William Bendix's 1960 NBC Western series Overland Trail's segment "Lawyer in Petticoats" and then in 1961 in "Hand of Vengeance" of the syndicated Western series Two Faces West, at this point. In the 1961 episode "The Tramp" of the NBC family drama series National Velvet, Pyle was cast as Jed Corrigan.

Martin Milner and George Maharis appeared on Route 66 in 1961 and again in 1962 in "A Long Piece of Mischief." In the dystopian episode "Black Leather Jackets" of The Twilight Zone, he appeared as the father of the doomed family.

Pyle appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show as Uncle George in 1963's "Uncle George."

Channing appeared in ABC's drama about college life from 1963 to 1964. In the 1964 episode "Johnny Ride the Pony: One, Two, Three," NBC education drama series Mr. Novak, starring James Franciscus, he portrayed Brill. Pyle appeared on Gunsmoke, seven times on Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, and twice on Frontier Justice, all on CBS. On ABC Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, he appeared in seven episodes (and twice as other characters).

In the 1966 episode "The Resurrection of Deadwood Dick" on the syndicated anthology film Death Valley Days, Pyle played the frontier character Deadwood Dick.

Clint Walker appeared in Cheyenne twice. In the episode "The Enemy" of the James Arness ABC series How the West Was Won, he played Sergeant Tripp. On The Rifleman, Pyle also had guest starring roles.

On the last original Perry Mason TV show "The Case of the Final Fadeout," he was also known for portraying both the perpetrator and the murder victim. He was one of 11 actors to appear in Perry Mason's series, portraying a victim, a prosecutor, and the actual murderer (in previous episodes) on the series, which he did in five appearances. In "The Case of the Deadly Abduction" in 1958, Robert Crane played prosecutors Robert Crane, a forensic journalist who acted in "The Case of the Jealous Journalist" (both 1961) and murderer Emery Fillmore in "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox" (both 1960).

In all 26 episodes of Tammy from 1965-1966, Pyle portrayed Grandpa Tarleton. In the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, Pyle portrayed the vengeful Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. He had also appeared on a episode of The High Chaparral as a general who had lost his son.

In the episode "The Price of Tomatoes" in the sitcom Gomer Pyle, Washington, D.C., Titus Purcell, patriarch of a family of homesteaders, appeared in 1968. Jim Nabors' appearance as Gomer Pyle, a spin-off from The Andy Griffith Exhibition, was his first time working with him... On Death Valley Days, he also produced "The Great Diamond Mines" in 1968.

Pyle appeared on The Streets of San Francisco in 1973. Walt Disney Productions released a film based on the book Escape to Witch Mountain in 1975. Tony and Tia were portrayed by Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards, Lucas Deranian by Donald Pleasence, and Pyle's Uncle Bené. He appeared on Barnaby Jones in a film called "Stalking Horse" in 1976. In the first-season episode of Kung Fu titled "Ancient Warrior," he appeared as Mayor residing in Purgatory. He appeared in the second season of "Crossies" as a doctor. Pyle appeared on The Love Boat in 1985 (season 9, episode 8).

Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1966) was one of Pyle's most memorable appearances. Pyle played the patriarch of the Darling family, a group of sons (all portrayed by The Dillards), and one daughter, Charlene, was portrayed by Maggie Peterson. He appeared in seven episodes, six written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum's comedy writing staff.

Mad Jack appeared in 36 episodes of NBC's The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977–1988). During the first two seasons of CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968-1970), he appeared on Buck Webb (Doris Day's television series father). In 1968, he said he based his acting in that role on his father's characteristics.

He did some writing and directing for Jeanette Nolan's short-lived half-hour western Dirty Sally, which appeared on CBS in the first half of 1974. He appeared on The Waltons as a distant cousin of the Baldwin sisters for a short time.

Uncle Jesse Duke appeared in the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985) (146 episodes). Pyle's most well-known and longest-running television role was on Uncle Jesse Duke.

Pyle spent his remaining time in cameo television roles and was banned from full-time acting. In the 1994 film Maverick, he appeared in his last film role. Jesse Duke was the most well-known actor in the 1997 CBS made-for-television film The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!

Source