Actor Frank Sutton, best known for his role as Sergeant Carter on Gomer Pyle, USMC, died June 28, 1974. He was 50.

Sutton was born October 23, 1923 in Clarksville, Tennessee. An only child, his father moved his family to Nashville when Frank was 8. His father died in 1938 when Sutton was 15.

Sutton graduated from East High School in Nashville where he acted in several school plays. After graduation, he worked as a disc jockey in Clarksville, and then entered military service during World War II.

After his discharge, Sutton attended Columbia University where he studied acting.

He married Toby Igler in 1949. They had two children, Joseph David and Amanda Lee.

Sutton began his show business career in the 1950’s with small roles on television and the movies. He appeared in Marty, and was a guest star on several television series, including The Untouchables and Gunsmoke.

The role that made him a household word came in 1964 when he was cast as Sergeant Vincent Carter, the hard driving drill instructor in Gomer Pyle, USMC, starring Jim Nabors. The series lasted four years.

Sutton continued to act and perform in dinner theaters until his death of a heart attack on June 28, 1974 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

He was survived by his wife, children, and mother. He is buried in his hometown of Clarksville.