List of the best William Demarest movies: The First Legion(1951), The Miracle of Morgan's Creek(1944), The Strip(1951), The Jolson Story(1946), Jolson Sings Again(1949), Salty O'Rourke(1945), The Private War of Major Benson(1955), Never a Dull Moment(1950), Behave Yourself(1951), Sullivan's Travels(1941), Christmas in July(1940), Sorrowful Jones(1949) ... ...
Drama
USA
1951
86 Minutes
priest brother church elder doctor disabled person attorney emotional uplifting melodramatic church house seminary hill miracles faith doubt investigation spiritual crisis career discovery
Father Fulton prepares to abandon his vocation despite pleas from Father Arnoux. Then a series of seemingly miracles occur including to the young Terri. Fulton has his doubts and wonders about the role of Dr. Morrell.
Comedy
USA
1944
99 Minutes
Constable Kockenlocker
Eddie Bracken Betty Hutton William Demarest Diana Lynn Brian Donlevy Akim Tamiroff Porter Hall Almira Sessions Jimmy Conlin
pregnant woman daughter father soldier suitor amusing madcap hilarious america small town household pregnancy marriage romance love father/daughter relationship world war ii pursuit love adventure
After an all-night send-off party for the troops, a small-town girl wakes up to find herself married and pregnant, but with no memory of her husband's identity.
Musical
UK
1951
85 Minutes
Fluff
Mickey Rooney Sally Forrest William Demarest James Craig Kay Brown Tommy Rettig Tom Powers Jonathan Cott Tommy Farrell
A violent fugitive and a mistreated small boy team up to flee from authority.
Biography
USA
1946
128 Minutes
Steve Martin
Larry Parks Evelyn Keyes William Demarest Bill Goodwin Ludwig Donath Tamara Shayne John Alexander Jo-Carroll Dennison Ernest Cossart Scotty Beckett William Forrest
cantor singer actor vaudevillian performer entertainer charming endearing playful rousing synagogue theater nightclub movie studio washington, d.c. backstage al jolson father/son relationship show business career vs. family
This movie shows the idealized career of the singer Al Jolson, a little Jewish boy who goes against the will of his father in order to be in showbiz. He becomes a star, falls in love with a... See full summary »
Biography
USA
1949
96 Minutes
Steve Martin
entertainer wife agent producer nurse cheery melodramatic spirited household nightclub racetrack alaska hospital california al jolson show business marriage father/son relationship mother/daughter relationship obsession
In this sequel to The Jolson Story, we pick up the singer's career just as he has returned to the stage after a premature retirement. But his wife has left him and the appeal of the ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1945
99 Minutes
Smitty
Alan Ladd Gail Russell William Demarest Bruce Cabot Stanley Clements Spring Byington Rex Williams Darryl Hickman Marjorie Woodworth
gambler gangster jockey trainer henchman schoolteacher suspenseful gritty fiery new orleans california racetrack horse racing organized crime theft double-cross debt quest revenge love
Salty owes money to Doc Baxter; he and his pal Smitty have one month to pay up. They get a race horse and a disbarred jockey, Johnny Cates, who must fake his identity to race. Johnny and ... See full summary »
Comedy, Drama
USA
1955
105 Minutes
John
Charlton Heston Julie Adams William Demarest Tim Considine Sal Mineo Nana Bryant Kay Stewart Mary Field Tim Hovey Donald Keeler Don Haggerty
As a disciplinary measure, the Army transfers a heavy-handed Major to a ROTC academy where he must shape-up cadets and improve the school's overall ratings.
Comedy
USA
1950
89 Minutes
Mears
Irene Dunne Fred MacMurray William Demarest Andy Devine Gigi Perreau Natalie Wood Philip Ober Ann Doran Margaret Gibson
songwriter cowboy widower ex-girlfriend newlywed daughter lighthearted charming new york city wyoming ranch countryside dance hall studio city vs. country marriage water supply neighbors accident relocation
Sophisticated, successful New York City songwriter Kay Kingsley falls in love with Chris Heyward, a widower rancher she meets at the Madison Square Garden Rodeo, and they get married, and ... See full summary »
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
1951
81 Minutes
Officer O'Ryan
Farley Granger Shelley Winters William Demarest Francis L. Sullivan Margalo Gilmore Lon Chaney Sheldon Leonard Marvin Kaplan Henry Corden Glenn Anders Allen Jenkins
husband wife dog mother-in-law mobster police officer amusing spirited los angeles household street crime dogs marriage mobsters murder investigation discovery rivalry mystery
A couple (Farley Granger, Shelley Winters) find a specially trained lost dog and answer an ad placed by gangsters for its return.
Comedy
USA
1941
91 Minutes
Mr. Jones
Joel McCrea Veronica Lake Robert Warwick William Demarest Franklin Pangborn Porter Hall Byron Foulger Margaret Hayes Robert Greig Eric Blore
director actress butler spinster warden tramp heartwarming hilarious somber powerful hollywood, calif. mansion train las vegas small town movie making chain gangs wealth mistaken identity love
A Hollywood director, John L Sullivan, sets out to experience life as a poor, homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.
Comedy
USA
1940
67 Minutes
Mr. Bildocker
Dick Powell Ellen Drew Raymond Walburn William Demarest Ernest Truex Franklin Pangborn Harry Hayden Rod Cameron Adrian Morris Harry Rosenthal Georgia Caine
clerk girlfriend mother businessman coworker lighthearted endearing new york city office household aspirations romance deception practical jokes contest discovery love 1940s
When the co-workers of an ambitious clerk trick him into thinking he has won $25,000 in a slogan contest, he begins to use the money to fulfill his dreams. What will happen when the ruse is discovered?
Comedy
USA
1949
88 Minutes
Regret
Bob Hope Lucille Ball Mary Jane Saunders William Demarest Bruce Cabot Thomas Gomez Tom Pedi Paul Lees Houseley Stevenson Ben Welden Emmett Vogan
A young girl is left with the notoriously cheap Sorrowful Jones as a marker for a bet. When her father doesn't return, he learns that taking care of a child interferes with his ... See full summary »
Western
USA
1953
98 Minutes
Campbell
William Holden Eleanor Parker John Forsythe William Demarest William Campbell Polly Bergen Richard Anderson Carl Benton Reid John Lupton Howard McNear Alex Montoya
warden soldier indian pretty woman gutsy spirited thrilling arizona desert pow camp american civil war prisoners of war survival betrayal escape rescue pursuit 1860s
During the Civil War, a group of Confederates escapes from the Union POW camp at Fort Bravo but has to contend with the desert, the Mescalero Apaches and the pursuing Union troops.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1947
96 Minutes
George "Mac" McGuire
Betty Hutton John Lund Billy De Wolfe William Demarest Constance Collier Frank Faylen William Farnum Snub Pollard Creighton Hale Chester Conklin James Finlayson
woman starlet director best friend mentor actor hilarious endearing inspiring new york city stage movie set hollywood, calif. movie studio sweatshop silent movies rags to riches show business second chance friendship
The real life story of actress Pearl White during her rise to fame in silent serials.
Crime, Drama
USA
1941
75 Minutes
Inspector Pierson
Lloyd Nolan Mary Beth Hughes Sheila Ryan William Demarest Ben Carter Virginia Brissac Erwin Kalser Henry Daniell Dick Rich Milton Parsons Charles Arnt
Detective Michael Shayne and his girlfriend Joanne are on their way to be married when a scream from a nearby hotel room draws his attention to a pair of theatrical murders.
Musical
USA
1964
86 Minutes
Mr. Martin
Elvis Presley Ann-Margret Cesare Danova William Demarest Nicky Blair Dallas Johann Rickey Murray Robert Aiken
race car driver swimming instructor count father assistant pretty woman playful wild las vegas casino hotel track garage romance song and dance auto racing gambling competition love pursuit
A race car driver preparing for the Grand Prix, wiles his time in Las Vegas working as a waiter to pay for his new engine. Soon, he strikes up a romance with a beautiful young woman.
Biography
USA
1944
83 Minutes
Eben Frost
Joel McCrea Betty Field Harry Carey William Demarest Louis Jean Heydt Julius Tannen Edwin Maxwell Porter Hall Franklin Pangborn Grady Sutton Harry Hayden
The biography of Dr. W. T. Morgan, a 19th century Boston dentist, during his quest to have anesthesia, in the form of ether, accepted by the public and the medical and dental establishment.
Western
USA
1954
77 Minutes
Jackpot Wray
Lex Barker Mala Powers Howard Duff William Demarest John McIntire Leo Gordon
Frontier drama about two gold prospectors who hope to strike it rich in the mines of Nevada.
Comedy, Drama
1952
111 Minutes
Cpl. Kiper
James Cagney Dan Dailey Corinne Calvet William Demarest Craig Hill Robert Wagner Marisa Pavan Casey Adams James Gleason Wally Vernon Henri Letondal
captain sergeant marine barmaid playful spirited france village battlefield world war i competition love triangle battle friendship quest rivalry 1910s
Capt. Flagg (James Cagney) rivals Sgt. Quirt (Dan Dailey) for an innkeeper's daughter (Corinne Calvet) in World War I France.
Comedy
1944
101 Minutes
Sgt. Heppelfinger
Eddie Bracken Ella Raines Raymond Walburn William Demarest Bill Edwards Elizabeth Patterson Jimmy Conlin Franklin Pangborn Jack Norton Paul Porcasi Alan Bridge
good guy soldier mother girlfriend mayor playful charming military base small town bar world war ii love triangle deception temptation growing up transformation 1940s
Preston Sturges' satire about a sickly soldier discharged from duty and mistaken for a war hero when he returns home.
Romance
USA
1941
97 Minutes
Muggsy (Ambrose Murgatroyd)
Barbara Stanwyck Henry Fonda Charles Coburn Eugene Pallette William Demarest Eric Blore Melville Cooper Martha O'Driscoll Janet Beecher Robert Greig Dora Clement
con artist father heir cardsharp amusing charming winsome witty ship train new york city household love deception romance crime father/daughter relationship love rivalry revenge
A trio of classy card sharks targets the socially awkward heir to brewery millions for his money, until one of them falls in love with him.
Comedy
USA
1940
82 Minutes
The Politician
Brian Donlevy Muriel Angelus Akim Tamiroff Allyn Joslyn William Demarest Louis Jean Heydt Arthur Hoyt Harry Rosenthal Libby Taylor Steffi Duna Esther Howard
bartender political boss secretary man hilarious cheeky outlandish bar city prison police corruption marriage impersonation ambition family transformation rise fall love 1930s
Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1948
80 Minutes
Lieut. Shawn
Edward G. Robinson Gail Russell John Lund Virginia Bruce William Demarest Richard Webb Jerome Cowan Onslow Stevenson Jon Alexander Roman Bohnen Luis Van Rooten
When phony stage mentalist Triton mysteriously acquires supernatural powers of precognition, he becomes frightened and abandons his act to live of anonymity.
Western
USA
1948
88 Minutes
Bill Dansing
Alan Ladd Robert Preston Donald Crisp Brenda Marshall William Demarest Fay Holden Murvyn Vye Frank Faylen John Eldredge Ward Wood J. Farrell MacDonald
police officer railroad worker friend ex-wife gang leader train robber brash gutsy train railroad tracks wild west friendship work-life balance train robbery romance conflict of interest rivalry forbidden love adventure 19th century
Legendary railroad detective Whispering Smith becomes convinced that old friend and colleague Murray Sinclair has joined a criminal band to loot the railroad.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1939
70 Minutes
Charles Dale
John Barrymore Peter Holden Virginia Weidler Donald MacBride William Demarest Katharine Alexander Bennie Bartlett Brandon Tynan Elisabeth Risdon Granville Bates Luis Alberni
professor daughter son teacher mayor political boss engaging bleak heartwarming uplifting small town college household office family political corruption education small-town life self-esteem transformation
In 1923, Gregory Vance, a widower with two children, is a former scholar who has turned from book-to-bottle. He works, slightly, as a night-watchman and his children, who know him for what ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1938
68 Minutes
Eckbart
Donald Woods Patricia Ellis Grace Bradley Edward Brophy William Demarest Craig Reynolds Andrew Tombes Bert Roach Leon Weaver Edwin Maxwell Granville Bates
A man has the knack for finding stolen items. Then returns them to the insurance company. Finds some fake jewels and turns them in. Antics ensue.
Romance
USA
1955
104 Minutes
Charles Madden
Jane Wyman Charlton Heston Claire Trevor Thelma Ritter William Demarest Wallace Ford Tom Helmore Gloria Talbott James Westerfield Mary Field Joel Fluellen
fashion designer rancher soldier banker passionate emotional charming texas united states shop fashion romance love adventure 20th century
The success story of a dressmaker who comes to run a group of fashion shops at the expense of her love life.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1951
82 Minutes
Harvey Bullitt
Red Skelton Sally Forrest Macdonald Carey Monica Lewis William Demarest Raymond Walburn Jane Darwell Lillian Bronson Herb Anderson Paul Harvey
inventor girlfriend pretty woman rival amusing lighthearted indiana small town inventions cars competition romance song and dance rivalry quest discovery love 1890s
Joe, inventor in an American Small town of 1895 has problems with his new invention, a car, driven with a gasoline motor. Everybody is making fun about his "crazy invention", only his girl ... See full summary »
Drama, History
USA
1955
108 Minutes
Sgt. Gass
Fred MacMurray Charlton Heston Donna Reed Barbara Hale William Demarest Alan Reed Eduardo Noriega Larry Pennell Argentina Brunetti Julia Montoya Ralph Moody
thomas jefferson meriwether lewis william clark sacajawea native american striking thrilling united states wilderness frontier louisiana purchase expedition water route teamwork love triangle daunting task quest discovery adventure 1800s
After purchasing Louisiana from France, the USA sends surveyors Lewis and Clark, assisted by a Shoshone guide, to chart the new territory.
Romance
USA
1946
83 Minutes
Peanuts Schultz
Gail Russell Diana Lynn Brian Donlevy James Brown Bill Edwards William Demarest Billy De Wolfe Sharon Douglas Mary Hatcher Sara Haden Mikhail Rasumny
Cornelia and Emily, at college in the early 1920s, have triangle trouble with their beaus. Their affairs become entangled with those of a chance-met, kindly bootlegger. Much of the humor ... See full summary »
Musical
USA
1927
97 Minutes
Al Jolson May McAvoy Warner Oland Eugenie Besserer Otto Lederer William Demarest Roscoe Karns Richard Tucker Nat Carr William Walling Robert Gordon
cantor singer lover mother neighbor father melodramatic winsome uplifting lower east side manhattan, n.y. ghetto stage cabaret family home singing family traditions defiance acceptance father/son relationship
The son of a Jewish Cantor must defy the traditions of his religious father in order to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz singer.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1953
95 Minutes
Pa Higgins
Esther Williams Fernando Lamas Jack Carson Charlotte Greenwood Denise Darcel William Demarest Donna Corcoran Barbara Whiting Bunny Waters Henri Letondal Paul Bryar
salesman swimmer frenchman farmer beautiful woman amusing campy charming lighthearted english channel farm france swimming farming cartoons love triangle love growing up rivalry 1950s
A young woman enters a contest to be the first to swim the English Channel.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1953
78 Minutes
Dennis Logan
Bob Hope Tony Martin Arlene Dahl Rosemary Clooney Millard Mitchell William Demarest Fred Clark Robert Strauss Zamah Cunningham Frank Orth Johnny Downs
performer starlet boyfriend fan killer girlfriend cheeky rousing spectacular backstage broadway theater ferry family home new york city show business broadway murder plot success obsession deception
A clumsy, full-of-himself chorus boy gets a chance at Broadway stardom when he's a stand in for a leading actor threatened by an infamous killer.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1942
86 Minutes
Flower Pot Policeman
Kay Kyser Ellen Drew Jane Wyman Robert Armstrong Helen Westley William Demarest Una O'Connor Lionel Royce Moroni Olsen George Cleveland
Kay Kyser is late to his wedding. He is taking a short cut through Central Park when he finds out that he is in the army and is due to check in that afternoon. It turns out that the army ... See full summary »
Comedy
1937
62 Minutes
Larry "Horace" Tucker
Guy Kibbee Una Merkel Lynne Overman Thurston Hall Guinn "Big Boy" Williams William Demarest Lucille Ball Harry Tyler Bradley Page Si Jenks Charles West
Con men use an honest front man (Guy Kibbee) to get a farmer (Lynne Overman) to promote their gold mine.
Comedy
USA
1942
84 Minutes
Det. Kendall
Bud Abbott Lou Costello Virginia Bruce Robert Paige Lionel Atwill Leif Erickson William Demarest Samuel S. Hinds Four Ink Spots
A pair of bus drivers accidentally steal their own bus. With the company issuing a warrant for their arrest, they tag along with a playboy on a boat trip that finds them on a tropical island, where a jewel thief has sinister plans for them.
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
USA
1965
116 Minutes
Mr. William MacDougall
Hayley Mills Dean Jones Dorothy Provine Roddy McDowall Neville Brand Elsa Lanchester William Demarest Frank Gorshin Richard Eastham Grayson Hall Ed Wynn
young woman sister cat fbi agent bank robber bank teller amusing lighthearted united states household apartment cats siblings investigation kidnapping romance mystery discovery 1960s
After a kidnapped bank teller uses a neighbor's wandering cat to send an S.O.S., the F.B.I. assigns a cat-allergic Agent to the case.
Crime, Drama
USA
1935
73 Minutes
Police Detective
Constance Bennett Clark Gable Stuart Erwin Billie Burke Harvey Stephens Henry Travers William Demarest Katharine Alexander
Hard-hitting news editor Jim Branch falls for high-society type Sharon Norwood but can't get to first base as he continually makes use of her knowledge of the rich and famous to try to ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1940
84 Minutes
Constable Tom Thorpe
Kay Francis Jack Oakie Jimmy Lydon George Bancroft Ann Gillis Carl Esmond William Demarest Richard Nichols Casey Johnson Francesca Santoro Johnny Burke
headmistress teacher child con artist bank robber cheery spirited boarding school boarding-school life childhood foreclosure sacrifice underdog growing up 1870s
Jo March and her husband Professor Bhaer operate the Plumfield School for poor boys. When Dan, a tough street kid, comes to the school, he wins Jo's heart despite his hard edge, and she ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1937
86 Minutes
Wallace Whistling
Jean Arthur Edward Arnold Ray Milland Luis Alberni Mary Nash Franklin Pangborn Barlowe Borland William Demarest Andrew Tombes Esther Dale Harlan Briggs
office worker wealthy man son wife hotel owner stockbroker cheeky playful frenetic new york city bus office hotel automat chance meeting class distinctions misunderstanding great depression rags to riches romance
A wealthy banker throws his wife's expensive fur coat off the roof of a building; it lands on the head of a stenographer, leading to everyone assuming she is his mistress and has access to his millions.
Drama
USA
1942
107 Minutes
Sunshine
Humphrey Bogart Conrad Veidt Kaaren Verne Jane Darwell Frank McHugh Peter Lorre Judith Anderson William Demarest Jackie Gleason Phil Silvers Wallace Ford
spy gambler nazi singer partner thrilling charming new york city murder espionage nazism gambling mystery adventure 1940s
Runyonesque Broadway gamblers turn patriotic when they stumble onto a cell of Nazi saboteurs.
Musical
USA
1938
80 Minutes
Henry Kipper
Shirley Temple Randolph Scott Jack Haley Gloria Stuart Phyllis Brooks Helen Westley Slim Summerville William Demarest
young girl advertising executive announcer cousin aunt farmer charming lighthearted winsome city radio station apartment farmhouse office studio advertising radio singing child custody romance
Rebecca's Uncle Harry leaves her with Aunt Miranda who forbids her to associate with show people. But neighbor Anthony Kent is a talent scout who secretly set it up for her to broadcast.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1961
102 Minutes
Desmond Slocum
David Janssen Jeanne Crain Dina Merrill Agnes Moorehead Brad Dexter Robert Strauss Jacques Aubuchon William Demarest
A famous movie star's fan club secretary has been brutally murdered. She has in her office old newspaper clippings regarding a missing heiress. Did the secretary know something about the mystery of the heiress? David Janssen investigates.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1950
112 Minutes
Happy
Bing Crosby Coleen Gray Charles Bickford Margaret Hamilton Frances Gifford James Gleason Raymond Walburn William Demarest Ward Bond Clarence Muse Percy Kilbride
patriarch sibling horse trainer heiress young man sister heartwarming rousing uplifting horse track house restaurant horse racing arranged marriage sister relationship family business love interest coming of age underdog love
A horse trainer who has fallen on hard times looks to his horse, Broadway Bill, to finally win the big race.
Comedy
1936
80 Minutes
Editor Lees Berger
Joan Crawford Clark Gable Franchot Tone Reginald Owen Mona Barrie Ivan Lebedeff Charles Judels William Demarest
heiress prince journalist millionaire wife madcap lighthearted london paris new york city airplane train journalism wedding wealth romance love adventure rivalry 1930s
Rival newsmen (Clark Gable, Franchot Tone) and an American heiress (Joan Crawford) get mixed up with spies in Europe.
Crime, Drama
USA
1935
70 Minutes
"Red" Maguire
Spencer Tracy Virginia Bruce Lionel Atwill Harvey Stephens Robert Barrat James Stewart William Collier Bobby Watson William Demarest John Sheehan Lucien Littlefield
newspaper reporter gossip columnist police officer business partner father editor dark brooding shocking suspenseful newsroom sing sing correctional facility new york city shooting gallery newspapers murder investigation father/son relationship deception cover-up mystery
When a crooked businessman is fatally shot, a hotshot New York newspaper reporter specializing in murder stories narrows in on the dead man's associate.
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
USA
1943
81 Minutes
Detective Gatling
Allyn Joslyn Evelyn Keyes Edmund Lowe John Hubbard Anita Louise Frank Craven Michael Duane Ann Savage William Demarest Hobart Cavanaugh Frank Sully
detective friend writer photographer socialite wife witty cool frenetic photography studio dressing room house murder inheritance deception greed investigation mystery temptation pursuit
A crime fiction writer and his wife investigate murders that are occurring at a fashion photography studio.
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
USA
1938
61 Minutes
Red Miller
Michael Whalen Jean Rogers Chick Chandler Robert Kellard Joan Woodbury Harold Huber Marc Lawrence Sidney Blackmer William Demarest
Newspaperman (Whalen) looks into the deaths of bond-carriers while romancing a show girl (Rogers).
Drama
USA
1937
80 Minutes
Mr. Beecher
Spencer Tracy Luise Rainer Charley Grapewin Janet Beecher Eddie Quillan Victor Varconi Oscar O'Shea Helen Troy William Demarest John Arledge Irving Bacon
cab driver husband wife brother immigrant mobster melodramatic new york city garage taxi ship hideout gangsters mistaken identity corruption bombing taxicab business deportation pursuit rivalry
Julius Trent, the founder and president of Trent Mills objects to the plans of his manager, Walford Andrews, to manufacture a synthetic wool called Woolex. Finding Julius behind the times, ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1935
83 Minutes
Detective
Joe E. Brown Ann Dvorak Patricia Ellis William Gargan Joseph Cawthorn Arthur Treacher Gordon Westcott Joseph Crehan William Demarest
Joe and Fay Wilson are a happily married vaudeville team. But when a reporter discovers, that one of the chorus girls in the troupe is a slightly eccentric heiress, who bugs sometimes out ... See full summary »