
Denver Pyle
Department: Acting
Biography
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
Known For

Bonnie and Clyde
1967

Mutiny
1952

Shenandoah
1965

5 Card Stud
1968

The Alamo
1960

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962

The Great Race
1965

Hawmps!
1976

The Rounders
1965

Maverick
1994

Cheyenne Autumn
1964

Flame of Youth
1949

The Left Handed Gun
1958

The Lonely Man
1957

7th Cavalry
1956

The Man from Colorado
1948

Good Day for a Hanging
1959

Geronimo
1962

Million Dollar Pursuit
1951

To Hell and Back
1955

Once Upon a Starry Night
1978

Please Murder Me
1956

The Horse Soldiers
1959

Return from Witch Mountain
1978

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979

Rim of the Canyon
1949

Drums in the Deep South
1951

Fort Massacre
1958

Welcome to L.A.
1976

Fort Vengeance
1953

Hog Wild
1974

Legend of the Wild
1981

The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
1997

Train to Alcatraz
1948

Streets of San Francisco
1949

Winterhawk
1975

The Naked Hills
1956

Federal Agent at Large
1950

Customs Agent
1950

Terrified
1963

Incident at Phantom Hill
1966

Red Canyon
1949

Gun Duel in Durango
1957

Welcome to Hard Times
1967

Hills of Utah
1951

Marshal of Amarillo
1948

The Legend of Hillbilly John
1974

The Party Crashers
1958

Mara of the Wilderness
1965

Gunpoint
1966

Mail Order Bride
1964

Cast a Long Shadow
1959

Hitched
1973

Home from the Hill
1960

Dynamite Pass
1950

Oklahoma Annie
1952

Bandolero!
1968

Ten Wanted Men
1955

King of the Wild Stallions
1959

Cahill: United States Marshal
1973

Mercur: The Town that Can't Stay Dead
1983

The Last of Mrs. Lincoln
1976

Domino Kid
1957

Top Gun
1955

Drum Beat
1954

The Command
1954

Goldtown Ghost Riders
1953

Column South
1953

The Lone Hand
1953

Gunsmoke
1953

Desert Passage
1952

Too Late for Tears
1949

Devil Ship
1947

The Guilt of Janet Ames
1947

I Killed Wild Bill Hickok
1956

Murder or Mercy
1974

Escape to Witch Mountain
1975

Captain China
1950

Rage at Dawn
1955

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976

Yaqui Drums
1956

The Flying Saucer
1950

Tammy and the Millionaire
1967

Texas Bad Man
1953

El Paso
1949

Destination 60,000
1957

Black Like Me
1964

Something Big
1971

The Boy Who Talked to Badgers
1975

Run for Cover
1955

Mean Justice
1971

The Big Wheel
1949

The Boy from Oklahoma
1954

Johnny Guitar
1954

Father and Scout
1994

Singing Guns
1950

Jet Pilot
1957

Canyon Ambush
1952

The Adventures of Frontier Fremont
1976

Rough Riders of Durango
1951

The Old Frontier
1950

Fargo
1952

Man from the Black Hills
1952

The Maverick
1952

Guardian of the Wilderness
1976

Where the North Begins
1947

Hellfire
1949

Rebel City
1953

Topeka
1953

Vigilante Terror
1953

Ride Clear of Diablo
1954

Bitter Heritage
1958

How Bugs Bunny Won the West
1978

A Perilous Journey
1953

China Doll
1958

Return to Mayberry
1986

John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992

The Yellow Mountain
1954

Delta Fever
1987

Legend of the Northwest
1978

The Man from Colorado
1948

Death Among Friends
1975

The Andy Griffith Show
1960

L.A. Law
1986

Murder, She Wrote
1984

The Great Adventure
1963

Cheyenne
1955

Cain's Hundred
1961

Bourbon Street Beat
1959

Kung Fu
1972

The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961

Route 66
1960

The Streets of San Francisco
1972

Cybill
1995

Gunsmoke
1955

Perry Mason
1957

Lassie
1954

Cannon
1971

The Twilight Zone
1959

The Waltons
1972

Dallas
1978

Rawhide
1959

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Cimarron Strip
1967

The Dukes
1983

The Doris Day Show
1968

The High Chaparral
1967

The Millionaire
1955

Tammy
1965

The Virginian
1962

Thriller
1960

The Aquanauts
1960

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955

The Gene Autry Show
1950

Men Into Space
1959

Petrocelli
1974

Adventures of Superman
1952

Karen
1975

Bronco
1958

The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956

National Velvet
1960

The Rifleman
1958

Lawman
1958

Bat Masterson
1958

Ben Casey
1961

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

Mr. Novak
1963

Law of the Plainsman
1959

Riverboat
1959

The Texan
1958

Wichita Town
1959

The Detectives
1959

Stagecoach West
1960

The Manhunter
1974

Buffalo Bill Jr.
1955

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

The Lieutenant
1963

The Roy Rogers Show
1951

Grizzly Adams
1977

Dr. Kildare
1961

I'm the Law
1953

Frontier
1955

The Adventures of Kit Carson
1951

26 Men
1957

My Friend Flicka
1955

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955

Hopalong Cassidy
1952

Jefferson Drum
1958

The Deputy
1959

Behind Closed Doors
1958

Channing
1963

Maverick
1957

The Gene Autry Show
1950

Casey Jones
1957

The Texan
1958

Public Defender
1954

The Texan
1958

Fury
1955

The Lone Ranger
1949

The Dukes of Hazzard
1979

Bonanza
1959

The Tall Man
1960

Gunsmoke
1955

Cheyenne
1955

The Wonderful World of Disney
1954

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

The Lone Ranger
1949

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Perry Mason
1957

Barnaby Jones
1973

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

State Trooper
1956

How the West Was Won
1977

Perry Mason
1957

Annie Oakley
1954

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason
1957

Bat Masterson
1958

Cheyenne
1955

What a Cartoon!
1995

The Lone Ranger
1949

The Lone Ranger
1949

The Gene Autry Show
1950

The Gene Autry Show
1950

Bonanza
1959

The Wonderful World of Disney
1954

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955

Wagon Train
1957

Bonanza
1959

Public Defender
1954

The Wonderful World of Disney
1954

Empire
1962

The Texan
1958

Annie Oakley
1954

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964

The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955

The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955

The Wonderful World of Disney
1954

The Lone Wolf
1954

Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer
1958

Broken Arrow
1956

Bonanza
1959

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Checkmate
1960

Hondo
1967

The Love Boat
1977