Denver Pyle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denver Pyle
Pyle in 1962
Born	Denver Dell Pyle (1920-05-11)May 11, 1920 Bethune, Colorado, U.S.
Died	December 25, 1997(1997-12-25) (aged 77) Burbank, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forreston Cemetery, Forreston, Texas
Occupation	Actor director
Years active	1947–1997
Spouse(s)	Marilee Carpenter ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1970)​ Tippie Johnston ​ ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	2

Denver Dell Pyle (born May 11, 1920 – died December 25, 1997) was an American actor and director. He was famous for his many roles on TV shows from the 1960s to the 1980s. You might know him as Uncle Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard. He also played Briscoe Darling Jr. in The Andy Griffith Show and Mad Jack in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. He often played characters who were in charge or tough, father-like figures, sometimes adding humor to the show.

His most well-known movie role was as Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in the film Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

Early Life

Denver Pyle was born in Bethune, Colorado, on May 11, 1920. His father, Ben H. Pyle, was a farmer. Denver's brother, Willis, became a famous animator who worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios. After high school, Denver went to Colorado State University for a short time. But he soon left to start a career in entertainment. He moved to Los Angeles in 1940 and worked as a drummer in a band. His plans changed when the United States entered World War II. He served in the military, possibly in the U.S. Navy or the Merchant Marines.

Acting Career

After the war, Denver Pyle began his long career in movies and television. He started with many small parts before getting bigger roles in the 1950s and 1960s.

Famous Roles

One of Denver Pyle's most loved roles was Briscoe Darling Jr. on The Andy Griffith Show. He played the leader of the Darling family, who were known for their music. He appeared in seven episodes of this popular show.

He also played Mad Jack in 36 episodes of the NBC series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977–1978). Another important role was Buck Webb, Doris Day's father on The Doris Day Show (1968–1970). Pyle said he based this character on his own father.

His most famous and longest-running TV role was Uncle Jesse Duke in the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard. He appeared in 146 episodes from 1979 to 1985. Uncle Jesse was a wise and caring guardian to the Duke cousins.

Other Appearances

Denver Pyle was a very busy actor. He guest-starred many times on the TV series The Range Rider and The Lone Ranger. He also appeared in the film To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy.

He was in several Western shows like Frontier, The Cisco Kid, and Stories of the Century. Pyle also appeared in the crime drama The Public Defender. He played a police detective in the 1956 movie Please Murder Me.

Pyle appeared in many episodes of Gunsmoke, a famous Western TV show. He was also in The Twilight Zone and The Dick Van Dyke Show. He played different characters in the Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.

In 1967, he played the Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in the movie Bonnie and Clyde. He also directed an episode of Death Valley Days in 1968. Later, he appeared in The Streets of San Francisco and the Disney film Escape to Witch Mountain.

Denver Pyle played the main character, Galen Clark, in the 1976 movie Guardian of the Wilderness. This film told the true story of how Clark helped protect the Yosemite area and its giant sequoia trees. This effort helped create the American national parks system.

Later Years

In his later life, Denver Pyle took on fewer acting roles. He mostly appeared in small parts on TV. His last movie role was in Maverick in 1994. His very last acting job was playing Uncle Jesse Duke again in the 1997 TV movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!.

Beyond Acting

Helping Others

Denver Pyle cared a lot about helping children. He started "Uncle Jesse's Fishing Tournament" in Lamar County, Texas. Over 10 years, this tournament raised more than $160,000 to support programs for kids. The tournament is still held today and continues to help children's charities.

Special Honors

Denver Pyle has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was placed there on December 12, 1997, to honor his work in movies. In 1991, the Texas Senate also honored Pyle and his wife for their support of the Special Olympics and children's charities.

Smart Investments

After his time on The Andy Griffith Show, Denver Pyle started investing in oil. He bought oil wells that were thought to be almost empty. At the time, oil was cheap. But new technology allowed more oil to be taken from the wells. Also, the 1973 oil crisis caused oil prices to go up a lot. By 1981, he had become very wealthy from his oil investments. He made much more money from oil than he did from acting. He said he kept acting because it was fun and provided money for his oil investments.

Personal Life

In 1955, Denver Pyle married Marilee Carpenter, who worked in film production. They had two sons, David and Tony. They divorced in 1970. On November 5, 1983, Pyle married Tippie X. Johnston. They stayed married until his death.

Passing Away

Denver Pyle died on Christmas Day, December 25, 1997, from lung cancer. A memorial service was held in Texas. He is buried in an unmarked grave at the Forreston Cemetery in Forreston, Texas.

Selected television

See also

In Spanish: Denver Pyle para niños