Denver Pyle

Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard
Born	Denver Dell Pyle May 11, 1920(1920-05-11) Bethune, Colorado, U.S.
Died	December 25, 1997(1997-12-25) (aged 77) Burbank, California, U.S.
Years active	1947-97
Spouse	Marilee Carpenter (1955-67) (divorced) 2 children 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 attended college but dropped out to enter show business.

He 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.^[3]

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. 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.^[4] Pyle made several appearances as "Briscoe Darling", the gruff patriarch of a clan of musical hillbillies, on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show.

He 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 his early roles was 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 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 6 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.

His best-known television role may have been 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), the antagonist Frank Hamer in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Buck Webb (Doris Day's father) during the first two seasons of CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968–1970), and Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) (6 episodes). 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 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 the Baldwins' relative.

Personal life

Denver married his first wife Betty O'Brian (1919–1987) on July 4, 1942. They had a son David Matthew Pyle (born September 16, 1945) and a daughter Margaret Maude Catalano (née Pyle; born March 1949). Denver and Betty divorced on January 9, 1957.

Denver married his second wife Lucille Martino (1916–1986) on December 11, 1957. Denver had two stepsons via this marriage. Denver and Lucille divorced on July 27, 1963.

Denver married his third wife Loretta Weston (1958-) on September 5, 1983. They had one son Triston Jackson Pyle (born June 1986). They were married until Pyle's death.

Death

Pyle died of lung cancer on Christmas Day 1997. He was buried in Forreston, Texas.

References

1. ^ "Social Security Death Index". New England Historic Genealogical Society. http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=79356046. Retrieved 4 September 2010. 
2. ^ Great Character Actors
3. ^ (Source: Freedom of Information Act response, NPRC, 1991)
4. ^ "Behind Closed Doors’". ctva.biz. http://ctva.biz/US/Spy/BehindClosedDoors.htm. Retrieved September 2, 2009. 

External links

Biography portal

• Denver Pyle at the Internet Movie Database
• Denver Pyle at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Pyle, Denver
Alternative names	Pyle, Denver Dell
Short description	Actor
Date of birth	1920-05-11
Place of birth	Bethune, Colorado, U.S.
Date of death	1997-12-25
Place of death	Burbank, California