Frank Sutton
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, U.S.M.C..
Frank Sutton
June 28, 1974 (aged 50)
Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.
36°30′24.8″N 87°20′31.9″W / 36.506889°N 87.342194°W
Toby M. Igler
(m.1946–his death)
2
1943–1946
Early life[edit]
Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, Sutton developed an interest in acting, playing his first role at age nine and also starring in the drama club at East Nashville High School, where he graduated in 1941. He later said, "The first time I walked out on a stage, I had a warm feeling. I knew then I wanted to be an actor."[1]
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.[2][3] He then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific, taking part in 14 assault landings.[3] Sutton was a sergeant who served from 1943 to 1946 in the 293rd Joint Assault Signal Company. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Personal life and death[edit]
In 1946, Sutton married soap-opera writer Toby M. Igler, with whom he had two children, Joe Sutton and Amanda.[1]
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.[1] He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.