Denver Pyle
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Denver Dell Pyle (May 11, 1920 – December 25, 1997) was an American film and television actor. He was known for portraying Briscoe Darling Jr. in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and playing Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979-85.
Pyle was born in Bethune, Colorado on May 11, 1920 to farmer Ben H. Pyle and his wife Maude; His brother, Willis, was an animator known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios and UPA. After graduating from high school, Pyle briefly attended Colorado State University, but dropped out to enter show business, moving to Los Angeles in 1940. He worked as a drummer and band member until the United States entered World War II, when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Pyle was wounded in action in the Battle of Guadalcanal and received a medical discharge in 1942. Near the end of the war, he served in the United States Merchant Marine.
In 1955, Pyle married Marilee Carpenter, a production assistant at 20th Century Fox. They had sons David and Tony. Marilee and Denver divorced in 1970. In 1983, Pyle married Tippie Johnston. That union lasted until his death.
Pyle died of lung cancer on Christmas 1997. Memorial services were held January 6, 1998, at First Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Texas. He is buried in an unmarked grave at the Forreston Cemetery in Forreston, Texas. His remains are interred beside those of his second wife's parents, J.T. Johnston and Erin Birch Johnston. CLR
Known for
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
Ben Thompson
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
Hoss Mackey
The Andy Griffith Show
Briscoe Darling
Lassie
The Texan
The Texan
Sheriff
The Texan
Chip Andrews
The Texan
Houston Blackston
Murder, She Wrote
Eben Connors
The Rifleman
The Twilight Zone
Stu Tillman
Dallas
Blackie Callahan
Fury
Carter
L.A. Law
Harold Nordoff
Dr. Kildare
R. E. Lenger
Wagon Train
Bragg
Bonanza
Price Buchanan
Bonanza
Claude Roman
Bonanza
Sheriff Ed
Bonanza
Marcus Caldwell
Annie Oakley
Dr. Barnes
Annie Oakley
Tom Malloy
Cannon
Law of the Plainsman
Burke Carew
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Have Gun, Will Travel
Have Gun, Will Travel
Pete Hollister
Have Gun, Will Travel
Clay Sommers
Have Gun, Will Travel
McKay
Have Gun, Will Travel
Advent
The Waltons
Route 66
The Lieutenant
The Lone Ranger
Deputy French
The Lone Ranger
Colby
The Lone Ranger
Stack
The Lone Ranger
Deputy Allen
Perry Mason
Robert Crane
Perry Mason
Jackson Sidemark
Perry Mason
Tom Quincy
Perry Mason
Tilden Stuart
Perry Mason
Emery Fillmore
Perry Mason
Frank Honer
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Uncle George
Maverick
Thriller
Ortho Wheeler
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
John Baker
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Marshal Quimby
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Sheriff
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Sheriff Tom
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Seth Robson
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Marshal Joe Sully
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Nat Sledge
State Trooper
Mark Schmedler
Petrocelli
Barnaby Jones
Stayley Kircher
The Adventures of Kit Carson
The Dukes of Hazzard
Jesse Duke
Public Defender
Tom Gayley
Public Defender
George Hansen
Ben Casey
The Detectives
The Streets of San Francisco
The Lone Wolf
Kargar
Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cyrus Burton
Cheyenne
John Hanson
Bat Masterson
Dan Morgan
Bat Masterson
Walsh (uncredited)
Broken Arrow
Fred Graf
Bronco
The Guns of Will Sonnett
The Doris Day Show
Buck Webb
Rawhide
John Wesley 'Daddy' Quade
Jefferson Drum
Bart Resdake
Cain's Hundred
Chief Amos Trask
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Titus Purcell
National Velvet
The Aquanauts
Captain Leo Stohl
The Manhunter
Frontier
Wichita Town
Mr. Novak
Brill
Stagecoach West
The Wonderful World of Disney
Mr. Royal (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of Disney
Dr. Larson
The Wonderful World of Disney
Amos Briggs (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of Disney
Ben as an Adult (voice)
What a Cartoon!
Podunk Possum (voice)
Men Into Space
The Deputy
Akins
Bourbon Street Beat
Channing
Sam Riddle
Riverboat
Jim Bledsoe
Buffalo Bill Jr.
Hopalong Cassidy
Behind Closed Doors
Roger Woodson
How the West Was Won
Sgt. Tripp
The Millionaire
Arthur Darner
The Virginian
Pico Brown
Adventures of Superman
Emile Hatch
Grizzly Adams
The High Chaparral
General Warren
The Great Adventure
Gen. Mills
The Roy Rogers Show
Cybill
Empire
Tom Rawling
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Lester
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Charley
I'm the Law
Gunsmoke
Willie Calhoun
Gunsmoke
Hank Shinn
Gunsmoke
Mike Blocker
Gunsmoke
Gus
Gunsmoke
Haggen
Gunsmoke
Aaron
Gunsmoke
Pa
Gunsmoke
Caleb
Gunsmoke
Claudius
Gunsmoke
Clab Chummer
Gunsmoke
Caleb Nash
Gunsmoke
Dr. Henry S. Rand
Gunsmoke
Judge Blent
Gunsmoke
Cyrus Himes
Lawman
Tammy
Mordecai Tarleton
26 Men
The Tall Man
Marshal Dave Leggert
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Amos Carruthers
The Dukes
Uncle Jesse (voice)
Karen
Cimarron Strip
The Gene Autry Show
The Gene Autry Show
Frank Blake
The Gene Autry Show
Burr Ramsey
The Gene Autry Show
Dodge Hartman
Hondo
Bonnie and Clyde
Frank Hamer
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer
Braddock
Maverick
Old Gambler on Riverboat
My Friend Flicka
Alec
The Great Race
Sheriff
Casey Jones
Frank Reeder
The Horse Soldiers
Jackie Jo
Kung Fu
Dr. Joseph Colton
The Alamo
Thimblerig (the Gambler)
Rage at Dawn
Clint Reno
Johnny Guitar
Posseman (uncredited)
Cahill: United States Marshal
Denver
The Left Handed Gun
Ollinger
Escape to Witch Mountain
Uncle Bene
Bandolero!
Muncie Carter
Mutiny
Gunner / Mutineer (uncredited)
Cheyenne Autumn
Sen. Henry (uncredited)
Return from Witch Mountain
Uncle Bene
Please Murder Me
Det. Lt. Bradley
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
The Indian Agent (McLaughlin)
Too Late for Tears
Young Man at Union Station (uncredited)
Geronimo
Senator Conrad
Gunpoint
Cap
Shenandoah
Pastor Bjoerling
The Rounders
Bull
The Naked Hills
Bert Killian / Narrator
5 Card Stud
Sig Evers
Drums in the Deep South
Union Soldier Breaking Window (uncredited)
To Hell and Back
Thompson
The Man from Colorado
Easy Jarrett
The Man from Colorado
Easy Jarrett (uncredited)
The Big Wheel
Track Intern
Something Big
Junior Frisbee
Ten Wanted Men
Oklahoma Annie
Skip
The Lonely Man
Brad, Red Bluff Sheriff
Welcome to L.A.
Carl Barber
Good Day for a Hanging
Deputy Ed Moore
Cast a Long Shadow
Preacher Harrison
Incident at Phantom Hill
1st Hunter
7th Cavalry
Dixon
The Command
Infantryman (uncredited)
Ride Clear of Diablo
Reverend Moorehead
Home from the Hill
Mr. Bradley
Welcome to Hard Times
Alfie - Stage Driver
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
Uncle Jesse Duke
Hellfire
Rex
The Boy from Oklahoma
Bagley
Return to Mayberry
Briscoe Darling
Gunsmoke
Greasy (uncredited)
Run for Cover
Harvey (uncredited)
Domino Kid
Bill Dragger
El Paso
Vigilante (uncredited)
Winterhawk
Arkansas
Jet Pilot
Mr. Simpson
Gun Duel In Durango
Ranger Captain
Top Gun
Hank Spencer (uncredited)
How Bugs Bunny Won the West
Narrator
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
Self
Vigilante Terror
Henchman Sperry
Drum Beat
Fairchild (uncredited)
The Lone Hand
Regulator (uncredited)
Fort Massacre
Collins
The Yellow Mountain
(uncredited)
King of the Wild Stallions
MacGuire's Henchman
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
Singing Guns
Richards Henchman
Customs Agent
Al
China Doll
Col. Wiley
Rim of the Canyon
Cash Collins (uncredited)
The Party Crashers
Mr. Bickford
Red Canyon
Hutch
Mean Justice
Tom Rawling
Canyon Ambush
Tom Carlton-Replaced (credit only)
Mail Order Bride
Preacher Pope
Father and Scout
George Rosebrock
Fargo
Carey
Captain China
Steve
Guardian of the Wilderness
Galen Clark
Mara of the Wilderness
Kelly
I Killed Wild Bill Hickok
Jim Bailey
Hawmps!
Col. Seymour Hawkins
Federal Agent at Large
'Jumpy' Jordan
Column South
Confederate Spy in Yankee Uniform (uncredited)
Streets of San Francisco
Ed Quinn
Hitched
Ben Barnstable
The Last of Mrs. Lincoln
Senator Austin
Topeka
Jonas Bailey
Fort Vengeance
Rider Warning About Wagon Train (uncredited)
Train to Alcatraz
Hutch Hutchins
A Perilous Journey
Bartender
Hog Wild
Dr. Larson
Rebel City
Greeley
The Flying Saucer
Turner
Marshal of Amarillo
The Night Clerk
Hills of Utah
Bowie French
Goldtown Ghost Riders
Bernie Malloy (uncredited)
Man from the Black Hills
Glenn Hartley
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers
Ben as an Adult
The Guilt of Janet Ames
Man in Opening Scene (uncredited)
Black Like Me
Man in pick-up truck
Desert Passage
Allen
The Legend of Hillbilly John
Grandpappy John
Delta Fever
Walt
Terrified
Sheriff Dixon
Legend of the Northwest
Tammy and the Millionaire
Grandpa Mordecai Tarleton
Dynamite Pass
Henchman
The Old Frontier
Henchman George
Legend of the Wild
Narrator (Voice)
Murder or Mercy
Amos Champion
Yaqui Drums
Lefty Barr
The Maverick
Bud Karnes
Texas Bad Man
Tench
Million Dollar Pursuit
Nick Algren
Bitter Heritage
Sam Wheeler
Flame of Youth
Lytz
Where the North Begins
Jim Rockwell
Rough Riders of Durango
Henchman Lacey
Once Upon a Starry Night
Mad Jack
Destination 60,000
Mickey Hill
Mercur: The Town that Can't Stay Dead
Narrator
The Adventures of Frontier Fremont
Old mountain man
Devil Ship
Carl