Denver Pyle

Stars

Denver Pyle played the grizzled, good old boy Uncle Jesse on "The Dukes of Hazzard" after years of tackling character roles in films and spaghetti westerns.

Pyle's lanky frame brought a western authenticity to parts in such movies as "The Alamo," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Cahill: United States Marshal."

Pyle, originally from Bethune, Colo., was a veteran of TV, playing Caleb on "Gunsmoke" and Mr. Darlin' on "The Andy Griffith Show." He also was a cast member on "The Doris Day Show" in the late 1960s and early '70s, and "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" in the '70s. Pyle also appeared in the popular series "Bonanza."

On "The Dukes of Hazzard," which ran from 1979 to 1985, Pyle played a cranky but good-hearted relative, who offered sage advice to two Southern country cousins — Bo and Luke Duke — as they crossed paths with the law in their souped-up car. Pyle appeared in a "Dukes" reunion TV movie in 1997.

— Los Angeles Times Dec. 28, 1997

Related

• Denver Pyle; Uncle in 'Dukes of Hazzard'