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Frank Spencer Sutton (October 23, 1923 – June 28, 1974) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Gunnery sergeant Vince Carter on the CBS television series Gomer Pyle – USMC.
After high school, Sutton returned to Clarksville to become a radio announcer. During World War II, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, but he was medically rejected due to his color blindness. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific, taking part in 14 assault landings. Sutton was a sergeant who served from 1943 to 1946 in the 6th Infantry Division'
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Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Sutton played small roles in television shows such as Decoy, Route 66, Naked City, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Fugitive, The Goldbergs, 87th Precinct, Gunsmoke, , Empire, The Twilight Zone, and The Untouchables. He had a continuing role as Cadet Eric Rattison, the great rival of the Polaris Unit manned by the series' heroes, in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, he received his big break in the Academy Award-winning movie Marty, in which he played the title character's friend, Ralph. He also had a role in The Satan Bug, a 1965 spy thriller. He returned to the stage in The Andersonville Trial in the early 1960s. Having primarily acted in dramas, Sutton's breakthrough role was on Gomer Pyle – USMC, a 1964 episode of The Andy Griffith Show, in which he played the cynical and easily exasperated Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter opposite Jim Nabors' character Gomer Pyle. This episode was the pilot for a spin-off TV comedy, Gomer Pyle – USMC, where Sutton continued the role for five seasons, until the show ended its run in 1969. He also appeared in public service announcements in the role of Gunnery Sergeant Carter. After Gomer Pyle ceased production, Sutton appeared regularly on Nabors' variety show The Jim Nabors Hour with Gomer Pyle co-star Ronnie Schell. Sutton played the brother-in-law of Nabors' character in comedy sketches. Sutton performed in dinner theater, playing, among other roles, the father in Norman, Is That You? and made guest appearances on other television programs.
On June 28, 1974, while preparing for a performance in the comedy play Luv at the Beverly Barn Dinner Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana, Sutton died of a heart attack. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.
Filmography
Uncredited Television movie released posthumously (final film role) Lead role in the episode "To Move a Mountain" (1960) One-time role – The Trap (1962) One-time role in episode "The Dummy" – The Chateau (1963)
One-time role in episode 3 "The Other Side of the Mountain" Episode: Diamond Field Jack aired October 1, 1963 One-time role in episode "Gomer Pyle – USMC" Game show contestant / Celebrity guest star Episodes:
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Categories: 1923 Births, 1974 Deaths, 20th-century American Male Actors, American Male Film Actors, American Male Soap Opera Actors, American Male Television Actors, Columbia University School Of General Studies Alumni, Male Actors From Tennessee, Military Personnel From Tennessee, People From Clarksville, Tennessee, United States Army Non-commissioned Officers, United States Army Personnel Of World War Ii
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