William Demarest makes exasperation funny without making the exasperated man contemptible. We rate him most highly in Preston Sturges's comedies, where a deadpan reaction can hold its own against a rush of clever dialogue.
Fi1m perspective
Demarest's exasperated face gives a comedy someone who appears to have had enough of it. As Muggsy, the suspicious bodyguard in The Lady Eve (1941), he brings a useful wariness to Preston Sturges's sharp, funny romance. We laughed at Muggsy's distrust because Demarest makes it seem a reasonable response to all that cleverness. Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda carry the romance, but there is pleasure in having this less accommodating presence alongside them. The slapstick can grow insistent; Demarest's deadpan manner is the part of his comedy we prefer.
Sturges directed him in eight films, and Sullivan's Travels (1941) makes a good case for keeping a company of supporting actors. As Mr. Jones, Demarest contributes to the bustle without becoming interchangeable with the rest of the ensemble. Robert Warwick has the same advantage: a smaller part need not mean an anonymous one. Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake keep the film human, and Demarest fits a comedy whose dialogue moves quickly without requiring everyone to advertise the joke. We recommend it warmly, with a reservation about how comfortable its defence of entertainment becomes.
The gruff character has further outings in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944), as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker, and Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), as Sergeant Heffelfinger. These roles belong to the Sturges period that gives his film work its clearest identity. Later came regular television work, including My Three Sons, in which he played Uncle Charley from 1965 to 1972.
The recurring gruffness does limit how much surprise we expect from one part to the next. What we value in Demarest is the timing, and the sense that his irritation belongs to a particular man rather than to whoever has been assigned the next interruption. He is worth noticing without being made the sole reason to watch. Start with The Lady Eve, and leave Stanwyck and Fonda some of the credit.
Biography
William Demarest was an American character actor. Born Carl William Demarest on 27 February 1892 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he died on 28 December 1983 in Palm Springs, California. He began his career in vaudeville, later appearing on Broadway before entering films in 1926.
Demarest appeared in over 140 films and numerous television productions. He was a member of director Preston Sturges's informal stock company of actors, appearing in ten films written by Sturges, including prominent roles in The Lady Eve (1941) and Sullivan's Travels (1941). Other notable film credits include Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). His best-known television role was as Uncle Charley O'Casey in the sitcom My Three Sons from 1965 to 1972.
