Denver Pyle

Denver Dell Pyle was born in Bethune, Kit Carson County, Colorado, on May 11, 1920. His father Ben H. Pyle was a farmer by profession and his mother’s name was Maude. Denver also had a brother named Willis Acton Pyle who worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios as well as United Productions of America.

He enrolled at the Colorado State University after completing his high school but didn’t complete his studies as he dropped out to try his luck in the show business. He was also a drummer and played in a band for a brief time and later joined the United States Navy when the US entered the World War II. He returned from war with terrible injuries.

Denver Pyle married Marilee Carpenter in 1955. She worked as a production assistant at 20th Century Fox. The couple had two sons, David, born in 1956, and Tony, born in 1957. The couple remained married until their divorce in 1970. They remained on cordial terms till his death.

After returning from the war, Denver Pyle started working for an aircraft plant in Los Angeles as a riveter and appeared in an amateur theater production where he was spotted by a talent scout. He took training under renowned personalities like Maria Ouspenskaya and Michael Chekhov before entering the film industry. He made his debut with an uncredited role in the film ‘The Guilt of Janet Ames’ in 1947 and later in the year appeared in the film ‘Devil Ship’ as ‘Carl’.

Ouspenskaya and Michael Chekhov before entering the film industry. He made his debut with an uncredited role in the film ‘The Guilt of Janet Ames’ in 1947 and later in the year appeared in the film ‘Devil Ship’ as ‘Carl’.

He also appeared in ‘Ripcord’, ‘My Friend Flicka’, NBC’s western television series ‘The Restless Gun’, Richard Boone's ‘Have Gun – Will Travel’, ‘Pony Express’, ‘The Man from Blackhawk’, ‘Tombstone Territory’, ‘Channing’, ‘Mr. Novak’, ‘Gunsmoke’, ‘Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre’, and ‘Death Valley Days’.

Denver Pyle enjoyed massive popularity when he played the role of ‘Uncle Jesse Duke’ in the American action-comedy television series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ between 1979 and 1985. He appeared in a total of 146 episodes in the series.

Denver Pyle was awarded a star in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard, on December 12, 1997.

The Texas Senate honored Pyle and his wife for their philanthropic works with the Special Olympics and the Denver Pyle's Children's Charities.

Apart from acting, Pyle did a lot of charitable works. He organized the Uncle Jesse's Fishing Tournament in Lamar County, Texas, from which he generated almost $160,000 to support different children’s programs there.