Denver Pyle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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
213 acting credits · 1 directing credit
Acting · 213
Perry Mason
1957
Dallas
1978
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Bonanza
1959
The Love Boat
1977
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
Maverick
1957
Wagon Train
1957
Lassie
1954
The Rifleman
1958
The Twilight Zone
1959
The Waltons
1972
The Virginian
1962
Dr. Kildare
1961
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
L.A. Law
1986
Cannon
1971
Cheyenne
1955
Ben Casey
1961
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
Route 66
1960
Rawhide
1959
Lawman
1958
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
Barnaby Jones
1973
The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961
Bat Masterson
1958
Thriller
1960
Gunsmoke
1955
Cybill
1995
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979
The Lone Ranger
1949
The High Chaparral
1967
The Texan
1958
Checkmate
1960
Adventures of Superman
1952
The Detectives
1959
The Millionaire
1955
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
What a Cartoon!
1995
Bronco
1958
The Tall Man
1960
Mr. Novak
1963
Petrocelli
1974
The Deputy
1959
The Gene Autry Show
1950
Cain's Hundred
1961
How the West Was Won
1977
Riverboat
1959
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
State Trooper
1956
Fury
1955
The Doris Day Show
1968
Annie Oakley
1954
The Great Adventure
1963
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
The Lieutenant
1963
Stagecoach West
1960
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
Law of the Plainsman
1959
Public Defender
1954
Cimarron Strip
1967
26 Men
1957
Broken Arrow
1956
The Manhunter
1974
Behind Closed Doors
1958
The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951
Hopalong Cassidy
1952
National Velvet
1960
Grizzly Adams
1977
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
Hondo
1967
Men Into Space
1959
The Aquanauts
1960
Frontier
1955
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer
1958
Bonnie and Clyde
1967
The Roy Rogers Show
1951
Maverick
1994
My Friend Flicka
1955
The Lone Wolf
1954
Channing
1963
Wichita Town
1959
The Alamo
1960
Buffalo Bill Jr.
1955
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962
Casey Jones
1957
Empire
1962
The Dukes
1983
The Great Race
1965
The Horse Soldiers
1959
Shenandoah
1965
Karen
1975
I'm the Law
1953
Escape to Witch Mountain
1975
Jefferson Drum
1958
Johnny Guitar
1954
Bandolero!
1968
Cheyenne Autumn
1964
Tammy
1965
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976
Something Big
1971
Cahill: United States Marshal
1973
Gunpoint
1966
The Rounders
1965
Return from Witch Mountain
1978
The Left Handed Gun
1958
Kung Fu
1972
5 Card Stud
1968
To Hell and Back
1955
Home from the Hill
1960
Welcome to L.A.
1976
The Man from Colorado
1948
Drum Beat
1954
Rage at Dawn
1955
Good Day for a Hanging
1959
Fort Massacre
1958
Geronimo
1962
Return to Mayberry
1986
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979
7th Cavalry
1956
Mail Order Bride
1964
The Lonely Man
1957
Hellfire
1949
Drums in the Deep South
1951
Hitched
1973
Incident at Phantom Hill
1966
Run for Cover
1955
Gunsmoke
1953
Mutiny
1952
Gun Duel in Durango
1957
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
1997
Fargo
1952
The Last of Mrs. Lincoln
1976
The Command
1954
The Lone Hand
1953
Ten Wanted Men
1955
The Big Wheel
1949
Cast a Long Shadow
1959
Singing Guns
1950
Mara of the Wilderness
1965
The Yellow Mountain
1954
Too Late for Tears
1949
Ride Clear of Diablo
1954
Domino Kid
1957
A Perilous Journey
1953
How Bugs Bunny Won the West
1978
Please Murder Me
1956
Welcome to Hard Times
1967
Jet Pilot
1957
Rim of the Canyon
1949
Guardian of the Wilderness
1976
Father and Scout
1994
Winterhawk
1975
Hawmps!
1976
El Paso
1949
Top Gun
1955
Column South
1953
China Doll
1958
Captain China
1950
Mean Justice
1971
The Boy from Oklahoma
1954
The Legend of Hillbilly John
1974
Man from the Black Hills
1952
Black Like Me
1964
The Flying Saucer
1950
Red Canyon
1949
King of the Wild Stallions
1959
Fort Vengeance
1953
Death Among Friends
1975
Vigilante Terror
1953
The Old Frontier
1950
Rebel City
1953
Train to Alcatraz
1948
Oklahoma Annie
1952
The Naked Hills
1956
Marshal of Amarillo
1948
Yaqui Drums
1956
The Guilt of Janet Ames
1947
Dynamite Pass
1950
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992
Streets of San Francisco
1949
Bitter Heritage
1958
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers
1975
I Killed Wild Bill Hickok
1956
Murder or Mercy
1974
Delta Fever
1987
Rough Riders of Durango
1951
The Party Crashers
1958
Legend of the Wild
1981
Canyon Ambush
1952
Where the North Begins
1947
Federal Agent at Large
1950
Hog Wild
1974
Terrified
1963
Topeka
1953
Flame of Youth
1949
Tammy and the Millionaire
1967
The Maverick
1952
Legend of the Northwest
1978
Once Upon a Starry Night
1978
Desert Passage
1952
Devil Ship
1947
Texas Bad Man
1953
Goldtown Ghost Riders
1953
Million Dollar Pursuit
1951
Customs Agent
1950
Hills of Utah
1951
Destination 60,000
1957
The Adventures of Frontier Fremont
1976
Mercur: The Town that Can't Stay Dead
1983