Denver Dell Pyle was born on the 11th May 1920 in Bethune, Kit Carson County, Colorado USA, and was a film and television actor best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in “The Dukes of Hazzard” (1979 – 1985). Pyle was active in the entertainment industry from 1947 to 1997 when he passed away.
How much was the net worth of Denver Pyle? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of his wealth was as much as $5 million, converted to the present day.
Denver Pyle Net Worth $5 Million
To begin with, Pyle was the son of farmers Ben H. Pyle (1895-1988) and Maude (1899-1985). After matriculating from high school, Pyle attended college but dropped out to enter show business. He was a band drummer until World War II started, and he enlisted in the Merchant Marine.
After the war, Pyle pursued his film career, appearing in several films and on television during the 1950s and ‘60s, including a role in the noted film “To Hell and Back” (1955). He appeared in “The CBS Public Defender” in the role of George Hansen, and in the series “Crossroads” aired on ABC. In 1954, Pyle played a trusted man of Sam Bass in the syndicated series “Stories of the Century”, and in 1958 starred opposite Judith Evelyn in an episode of the NBC docudrama “Cold War”. He also appeared in the John Ford western series, including “The Man Who Killed Liberty Valance”, and was also known for playing both the suspect and the victim in the last episode of TV’s “Perry Mason”. All contributed steadily to his net worth.
He was the grandfather Tarleton in the 26 episodes of “Tammy” (1965 – 1966), and created the role of General Sam Houston in several episodes of “The Adventures of Jim Bowie”. His best known role on television may have been as Uncle Jesse Duke in the CBS series “The Dukes of Hazzard” (1979-1985) in which he appeared in 146 episodes. In addition, Pyle played the role of Mad Jack in the NBC series “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams” (1977 – 1978). He also created Frank Hamer’s antagonist in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), Buck Webb in the television series “Show Doris Day” (1968 – 1970), and Briscoe Darling in “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960 – 1968). He also did some writing and directing for the series “Sally West” (1974).
In his later life, Pyle played mostly minor television roles, and retired from full time acting. His last film role was alongside Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner in “Maverick” (1994), playing a card cheat who jumps off a boat to maintain his dignity rather than being evicted. His last known role was that of Jesse Duke in the film “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” (1997).
Finally, in the personal life of the actor, Denver was married to Betty O’Brian (1949-57) and they had a son and a daughter. Then, Denver married Lucille Martino-Walton in 1957, inheriting two stepchildren, but they divorced in 1963. Denver married Loretta Weston in 1983; they had a son, and were married until Pyle died on the 25th December 1997 in Burbank, California, from lung cancer.
