Frank Sutton Appreciation Society

What the hell, I'm going to presumptuously nominate myself to be president of the Frank Sutton Appreciation Society.   In his role as the bombastic Sgt. Carter on the CBS program Gomer Pyle - USMC, Sutton produced a richly hilarious body of work that deserves to be remembered. 

I know the reference books all list Jim Nabors as the star of the show, but I'm going to have to disagree and assert that Sutton was main reason to tune in.  I don't want to slam Nabors, who did a fine job with his role as an irritating moron with a good heart, but I think Sutton's contributions to the program cannot be overestimated.  Without Sutton's blustery and explosive reactions to Pyle's relentless stupidity, the show would have been lifeless and dull.  But Sutton was nothing if not versatile within the limited confines of the Sgt. Carter role.  Witness one of his trademark slow burn double-takes in the clip below.

And since Friday will mark the 85th anniversary of Sutton's birth I figured that this would be a fine time to salute him by sharing a bunch of magazine and newspaper clippings about him that I acquired via eBay.  Seems that some guy was auctioning off his dad's archives and his father just happened to have been in the publicity business in the 1960s and 70s, so he was making room for what I can only imagine was clutter of a far lower caliber.

Sutton was born in Clarkesville, Tennessee in 1923 and grew up in various towns in Tennessee and Kentucky.  After completing his studies at East Nashville High School he joined the Army in 1943 (after being rejected by the other branches of the military due to colorblindness).  Sutton was sent to the Pacific theater where he participated in 14 landings, including Luzon, Battan and Corregidor.

After returning from the war, he briefly attended Peabody College in Nashville before heading to NYC where he enrolled in Columbia University, eventually earning a degree in drama.  Following college, Sutton worked in theater productions and live television, and broke into feature films with a notable role in  Marty (1955) which won four Oscars, including the award for Best Picture.

His TV work continued with appearances on Gunsmoke, Naked City, Route 66, Combat! and The Untouchables, among others.  Finally in 1964, he landed the role of Sgt. Carter, a job that lasted until 1969 when CBS pulled the plug on the show (despite good ratings) in an effort to make their lineup less hick-centric.  Following Gomer Pyle, Sutton was seen frequently on the Jim Nabors Hour, a variety show,  and Love American Style.

On June 28, 1974 he died of a heart attack just before going onstage at the Beverly Barn Dinner Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana.

UPDATE 1025/09:  Thanks to a comment below from Mike In Nashville (aka "I Should Be At The Fair") I have now updated the post to include Tone Set's musical tribute to Sgt. Carter.  This is a definite high water mark for the field of techno pop music.

Tone Set  -  Out Out  (4:00)

Why I Take My Son To "Dirty" Movies:       

Frank Sutton: My Favorite Jokes (Parade, 1972):   

TV Guide, 1964:     

Jim Nabors' Tough Sarge Makes A Pal Of Son Joey:     

Entertaining in Vietnam, July 1966:    

Sutton in Vietnam:     
 

New Baby: 

Signing Autographs After Traffic Accident:   

Frank Sutton, Pussycat. TV Radio, 1968:         

Behind The Blustery Bombast, TV Guide, 1967:      

All About Baby, 1966 and 1968:      

Profile from TV Picture Life, 1965:           

Frank Sutton's Fame Goes To His Cigars:     

1966 Profile:               

Villain In A Successful Feud, 1965:

Christmas At The Suttons, Photoplay, 1970:       

Sutton Family Terrorized!  TV & Movie Screen, 1970:         

Private Life Differs From TV Image, 1968:      

At Home With The Suttons, NY Sunday News, 11/30/69:   

Discussing The Pill:         

MISC:                          

And before we conclude, here's one more great clip, this one showing Sgt. Carter in full-blown rage-a-holic mode in the midst of one of his most volcanic temper explosions. This never gets old.

Comments

[spazz]

All hail the President of the Frank Sutton Appreciation Society!

[Listener Ralphine]

Let us not forget Sutton's final (and perhaps finest) performance, as Bert Pearson in the 1974 made-for-TV classic, "Hurricane." Pearson foolishly hosted a hurricane party and either was killed or was the sole survivor, I can't recall which.

Is there a Ronnie Schell Appreciation Society somewhere, too?

[sid bators]

does anyone remember the 80's song that "sampled" him yelling "PYLE!" and "WHAT STINKS?!" pat duncan used to play it all the time...I believe the band was SMERSH.

[Listener Greg G.]

Sid - I think I used to have a cassette with this song on it, but I'd completely forgotten about it. Not my favorite style of music, but enjoybable nevertheless, as I recall.

Thanks to your tip, I found this: http://weescoosa.blogspot.com/2009/10/smersh.html

Scroll down to the 1984 release A Murder Of Crows. I'm going to check it out asap.

[sid bators]

Thanks right back, Greg.

[boil]

Outstanding post. Thanks.

[Rick Garcia]

Fascinating stuff. Very interesting.

[Debbie D]

The Christmas at the Suttons photo would make a great Christmas card!!

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000403631495]

I belong to a Yahoo group for Gomer Pyle USMC fans. This is fantastic! As the unofficial "scrounger" of the group, I can't wait to post this to the other members!

Would anyone happen to also know...I'm constantly looking for behind-the-scenes info on sets and locations, bloopers, outakes, comments from writers and producers...whatever. Please let me know.

Currently I'm in the process of writing Jim Nabors, but we'll see just how genuine that address I have for him is.

Your all welcome to join our little group too. There's only about 20 members so far, but were all nuts about the show. Me especially since I'm ex-Army.

Contact me through Facebook if your interested in our group.

[KK]

Wonderful tribute..thank you!
I'd like to make one correction. "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." was NOT a victim of CBS de-hickifying its programming. That happened the following year in 1970 when they dispatched "Petticoat Junction" and 1971 when they jettisoned "Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" off of the schedule. Despite finishing in the ratings top ten nearly every week, Jim Nabors was the one who called it quits because he wanted to do a variety show to showcase his amazing voice. The network offered to continue the show, renaming it "Sergeant Carter U.S.M.C." but Frank declined the offer.
We'll never know if it would have been as good as the Gomer Pyle episodes but Frank will live in our hearts forever with the incredible work he did in this series.

[I should be at the fair]

@ SID BATORS.
Not sure about your guess but there is for sure a Frank Sutton sampled track on the legendary compilation album "Amuck". The artist attributed is named "Tone Set" they track is called "out out out" The sample is Frank saying "You're like a thorn in my side - I dont know from one day to the next what stupid lamebrain stunt your gonna pull - now get outta here - out out out" to paraphrase

You can grab a copy of an album by them on the Mutant Sounds blog here:
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/04/tone-set-calibrate-mlp1983usa.html

Gotta run! Clarksville, Tn is just up the road - time to look for his childhood home~

mike in nashville

[Rick Nelson]

Is Mr. Sutton family still alive?

[billybulldogboxer]

I LOVED Frank Sutton and that incredible show.Things will never be like that ... never again.
Im gutted that he died so young....

I can put in a Gomer Pyle dvd and literally ... have my spirits lifted.
What a great classic of 1960's tv.
RIP Frank.He will never know the happiness that he and Jim brought to so many of us young sprats in the 60's.....

[Michaela]

lol! I love those scenes! I have the first four seasons of Gomer Pyle at home, and i watch them constantly... I think you're right, Jim Nabors is so funny, but without Frank Sutton it wouldn't go anywhere. I think he's hilarious. Man, he died so young!

[Mark Vaughan Hendrson]

Frank Sutton an absolute legend. Left us to so gone but never forgotten.Great tribute many thanks for your efforts.

[Stephen P. Mers]

Frank audited our Platoons (318) basic training @ MCRD San Diego spring 1964, I have pictures!

And the producers used our Guideon (flag) for the opening scenes of the episodes when the show first aired.
These were changed to other units in later years.

[Facebook Connect]

FRan sutton will never be forgotten in this world. much appreciated of your tribute to Frank Sutton

[Andy]

Frank Sutton's daughter, Amanda, is now Amanda Schott and lives in Naples Florida. She has 2 young daughters and is a therapist.