CW
Chill Wills
Actor
Born July 18, 1902Died December 15, 1978 (76 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American film actor, and a singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet.
He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. After appearing in a few westerns he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career.
One of his more memorable roles was that of the distinctive voice of Francis the Mule in a series of popular films. Wills' deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was matched to the personality of the cynical, sardonic mule. As was customary at the time, Wills was given no billing for his vocal work, though he was featured prominently on-screen as blustery General Ben Kaye in the fourth entry, Francis Joins the WACS. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West (1937), in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared.
Wills was cast in numerous serious film roles, including as "the city of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and that of Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956), which also features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Davy Crockett's companion "Beekeeper" in the film The Alamo (1960). However, his aggressive campaign for the award was considered tasteless by many, including the film's star/director/producer John Wayne, who publicly apologized for Wills. Wills' publicity agent, W.S. "Bow-Wow" Wojciechowicz, accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming that Wills had known nothing about it. The Oscar was instead won by Peter Ustinov for his role as Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus.
In Rory Calhoun's CBS western series The Texan, Wills appeared in the lead role in the 1960 episode entitled "The Eyes of Captain Wylie".
Wills starred in the short-run series Frontier Circus which aired for only one season (1961–62) on CBS. In 1966, he was cast in the role of a shady Texas rancher, Jim Ed Love, in the short-lived ABC comedy/western series The Rounders (reprising his role in the 1965 film The Rounders, starring Henry Fonda), with co-stars Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne and Walker Edmiston.
in 1963-64, Wills joined William Lundigan, Walter Brennan and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in making appearances on behalf of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the campaign against U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.
In 1968, Wills refused to support Richard Nixon for the presidency and served as master of ceremonies for George C. Wallace, former governor of Alabama, for the California campaign stops in Wallace's presidential campaign.[5] Wills was among the few Hollywood celebrities to endorse Wallace's bid against Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey; another was Walter Brennan.
Also in 1968, he starred in the Gunsmoke episode "A Noose for Dobie Price", where he played Elihu Gorman, a former outlaw who joins forces with Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, to track down a member of his former gang who has escaped jail. His last role was in 1978, as a janitor in Stubby Pringle's Christmas. CLR
Description above from the Wikipedia article Chill Wills, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American film actor, and a singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet.
He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. After appearing in a few westerns he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career.
One of his more memorable roles was that of the distinctive voice of Francis the Mule in a series of popular films. Wills' deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was matched to the personality of the cynical, sardonic mule. As was customary at the time, Wills was given no billing for his vocal work, though he was featured prominently on-screen as blustery General Ben Kaye in the fourth entry, Francis Joins the WACS. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West (1937), in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared.
Wills was cast in numerous serious film roles, including as "the city of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and that of Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956), which also features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Davy Crockett's companion "Beekeeper" in the film The Alamo (1960). However, his aggressive campaign for the award was considered tasteless by many, including the film's star/director/producer John Wayne, who publicly apologized for Wills. Wills' publicity agent, W.S. "Bow-Wow" Wojciechowicz, accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming that Wills had known nothing about it. The Oscar was instead won by Peter Ustinov for his role as Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus.
In Rory Calhoun's CBS western series The Texan, Wills appeared in the lead role in the 1960 episode entitled "The Eyes of Captain Wylie".
Wills starred in the short-run series Frontier Circus which aired for only one season (1961–62) on CBS. In 1966, he was cast in the role of a shady Texas rancher, Jim Ed Love, in the short-lived ABC comedy/western series The Rounders (reprising his role in the 1965 film The Rounders, starring Henry Fonda), with co-stars Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne and Walker Edmiston.
in 1963-64, Wills joined William Lundigan, Walter Brennan and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in making appearances on behalf of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the campaign against U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.
In 1968, Wills refused to support Richard Nixon for the presidency and served as master of ceremonies for George C. Wallace, former governor of Alabama, for the California campaign stops in Wallace's presidential campaign.[5] Wills was among the few Hollywood celebrities to endorse Wallace's bid against Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey; another was Walter Brennan.
Also in 1968, he starred in the Gunsmoke episode "A Noose for Dobie Price", where he played Elihu Gorman, a former outlaw who joins forces with Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, to track down a member of his former gang who has escaped jail. His last role was in 1978, as a janitor in Stubby Pringle's Christmas. CLR
Description above from the Wikipedia article Chill Wills, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Known For
Filmography
| 2008 | How the West Was Lost · as Lemuel |
| 2001 | |
| 1994 | That's Entertainment! III · as (archive Footage) |
| 1986 | Laurel & Hardy (TV Series) · as Singer (1986) |
| 1978 | Stubby Pringle's Christmas · as The Janitor |
| 1977 | Poco... Little Dog Lost · as Big Burt |
| 1977 | Mr. Billion · as Col. Clayton T. Winkle |
| 1973 | Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid · as Lemuel |
| 1973 | Guns of a Stranger · as Tom Duncan |
| 1972 | Hec Ramsey (TV Series) · as Sam Mcdade |
| 1971 | The American West of John Ford · as Actor 'rio Grande' |
| 1971 | The Steagle · as Tall Guy Mccoy |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) |
| 1970 | The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again · as Gentleman George Agnew |
| 1970 | The Liberation of L.B. Jones · as Mr. Ike |
| 1969 | Night Gallery (TV Series) · as Heppelwhite (segment "the Little Black Bag") |
| 1969 | The Over-the-Hill Gang · as Gentleman George Agnew |
| 1969 | |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) · as Sam Hill |
| 1967 | Judd for the Defense (TV Series) |
| 1966 | Tarzan (1966) (TV Series) |
| 1966 | Fireball 500 · as Big Jaw |
| 1965 | The Rounders · as Jim Ed Love |
| 1963 | The Cardinal · as Monsignor |
| 1963 | The Wheeler Dealers · as Jay Ray Spinelby |
| 1963 | McLintock! · as Drago |
| 1963 | Burke's Law (TV Series) · as Harry Riggs |
| 1963 | Hollywood: The Great Stars · as Drago |
| 1962 | Young Guns of Texas · as Preacher Sam Shelby |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) · as Pat Reedy |
| 1961 | Frontier Circus (TV Series) |
| 1961 | The Deadly Companions · as Turk |
| 1961 | The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come · as Major Buford |
| 1961 | Gold of the Seven Saints · as Doc Wilson Gates, M.d. |
| 1960 | Where the Boys Are · as Police Captain |
| 1960 | The Alamo · as Beekeeper |
| 1960 | |
| 1959 | The Sad Horse · as Capt. Connors |
| 1959 | Rawhide (TV Series) · as Sheriff Asa Tanner |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) |
| 1958 | From Hell to Texas · as Amos Bradley |
| 1957 | Trackdown (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Bije Wilcox |
| 1957 | Gun Glory · as Preacher |
| 1956 | Gun for a Coward · as Loving |
| 1956 | Giant · as Uncle Bawley |
| 1956 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Ed Pruitt |
| 1956 | Santiago · as Captain 'sidewheel' Jones |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) · as Mr. Kilmer |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Red Conniston |
| 1955 | Francis in the Navy · as Francis (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Kentucky Rifle · as Tobias Taylor |
| 1955 | Timberjack · as Steve Riika |
| 1954 | Hell's Outpost · as Kevin Russell |
| 1954 | Ricochet Romance · as Tom Williams |
| 1954 | Francis Joins the WACS · as Francis (as Francis The Talking Muke) |
| 1953 | Tumbleweed · as Sheriff Murchoree |
| 1953 | The Man from the Alamo · as John Gage |
| 1953 | Francis Covers the Big Town · as Francis (as Franis The Talking Mule) |
| 1953 | City That Never Sleeps · as Sgt. Joe, The 'voice Of Chicago' |
| 1953 | Small Town Girl · as Happy |
| 1952 | Ride the Man Down · as Ike Adams |
| 1952 | Francis Goes to West Point · as Francis (as Francis The Talking Mule) |
| 1952 | Bronco Buster · as Dan Bream |
| 1951 | Cattle Drive · as Dallas |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall Of Fame (TV Series) · as The Janitor |
| 1951 | The Sea Hornet · as Swede |
| 1951 | Francis Goes to the Races · as Francis The Talking Mule (as Francis The Talking Mule) |
| 1951 | Oh! Susanna · as Sgt. Barhydt |
| 1950 | Rio Grande · as Dr. Wilkins |
| 1950 | High Lonesome · as Boatwhistle |
| 1950 | The Gene Autry Show (TV Series) · as Sheriff Chill Wills |
| 1950 | Stella · as Chief Clark |
| 1950 | Rock Island Trail · as Hogger Mccoy |
| 1950 | Francis · as Francis The Talking Mule (voice) |
| 1950 | The Sundowners · as Sam Beers |
| 1949 | |
| 1949 | Red Canyon · as Brackton |
| 1948 | That Wonderful Urge · as Homer Beggs |
| 1948 | Loaded Pistols · as Sheriff Cramer |
| 1948 | Family Honeymoon · as Fred |
| 1948 | The Saxon Charm · as Captain Chatham |
| 1948 | Northwest Stampede · as Mileaway |
| 1948 | The Sainted Sisters · as Will Twitchell |
| 1947 | Heartaches · as 'breezie' Mann |
| 1947 | High Barbaree · as Lars |
| 1946 | The Yearling · as Buck Forrester |
| 1946 | Gallant Bess · as Chief Petty Officer |
| 1946 | The Harvey Girls · as H.h. Hartsey |
| 1945 | Leave Her to Heaven · as Leick Thome |
| 1945 | What Next, Corporal Hargrove? · as Sgt. Cramp |
| 1944 | I'll Be Seeing You · as Swanson |
| 1944 | Sunday Dinner for a Soldier · as Mr. York |
| 1944 | Meet Me in St. Louis · as Mr. Neely |
| 1944 | Barbary Coast Gent · as Sheriff Hightower |
| 1944 | See Here, Private Hargrove · as First Sgt. Cramp |
| 1943 | A Stranger in Town · as Charles Craig |
| 1943 | Best Foot Forward · as Chester Short |
| 1942 | Stand by for Action · as Mate Jenks, Chef-Bootsmann |
| 1942 | The Bugle Sounds · as Sgt. Larry Dillon |
| 1942 | Apache Trail · as 'pike' Skelton |
| 1942 | The Omaha Trail · as Henry Hawkins |
| 1942 | Her Cardboard Lover · as Judge |
| 1942 | Tarzan's New York Adventure · as Manchester Montford |
| 1941 | Honky Tonk · as The Sniper |
| 1941 | Belle Starr · as Blue Duck |
| 1941 | Billy the Kid · as Tom Patterson |
| 1941 | The Bad Man · as 'red' Giddings |
| 1941 | Western Union · as Homer Kettle |
| 1940 | Tugboat Annie Sails Again · as Shiftless |
| 1940 | Sky Murder · as Sheriff Beckwith |
| 1940 | The Westerner · as Southeast |
| 1940 | Wyoming · as Lafe |
| 1940 | Boom Town · as Harmony Jones |
| 1939 | Allegheny Uprising · as M'cammon |
| 1939 | The Day the Bookies Wept · as Man On Bus (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Timber Stampede · as Whopper Hatch |
| 1939 | Racketeers of the Range · as Whopper Hatch |
| 1939 | Sorority House · as Mr. Johnson |
| 1939 | Trouble in Sundown · as Whopper |
| 1939 | Arizona Legion · as Whopper Hatch |
| 1938 | Lawless Valley · as Deputy Speedy Mcgow |
| 1938 | Block-Heads · as Midget In Elevator |
| 1937 | Nobody's Baby · as Amateur Hour Lead Quartet Singer (as The Avalon Boys) |
| 1937 | Way Out West · as Lead Singer Of The Avalon Boys / Stan's Bass Singing (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Call of the Prairie · as Singing Cowhand |
| 1936 | Anything Goes · as Member Of The Avalon Boys |
| 1935 | Bar 20 Rides Again · as Henchman |
| 1934 | It's a Gift · as Campfire Singer |