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Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Another entertainer is our special person to be highlighted this week as we learn more about well known, or you could say famous people who have called Clarksville home. Actor Frank Sutton appeared in many movies, TV shows and on stage, but he will always be remembered as the most of the time frustrated Sergeant Carter on the TV series “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”

Sutton was born on October 23, 1923 in Clarksville, the only child of Frank and Thelma Sutton. The family moved to Nashville when he was a child and he graduated from East Nashville High School, where he was part of the drama club in 1941. He worked for a short time as a radio announcer after moving back to Clarksville.

He joined the U.S. Army during World War II, served in the Pacific and actually attained the rank of Sergeant in the Army before he was honorably discharged. He went on to appear on stage and it was also during this time he graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in drama. In the 1950’s Sutton guest starred in movies and over a dozen TV shows.

One of his first major movie roles was in the 1955 film “Marty” where he played the friend of Ernest Borgnine who had the title role. There were other movie, TV and stage roles but in a 1964 episode of The Andy Griffith Show Sutton took on his most remembered role as Sergeant Vince Carter with actor Jim Nabors’ character Gomer Pyle.

A spin-off series was created from the guest appearance on the Andy Griffith Show and the series, “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” with Sutton in the role as Sergeant Carter ran for five years, from 1964 until 1969. After the show was cancelled Sutton was a regular on “The Jim Nabors Hour” variety show which aired from 1969-1971.

Sutton died of a heart attack in 1974 at the age of 50 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was in Shreveport to perform in a stage play. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Clarksville

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