RS
Russell Simpson
Actor
Died December 12, 1959 (79 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Russell McCaskill Simpson (June 17, 1880, Danville, California – December 12, 1959, Woodland Hills, California) was an American character actor who appeared in over 500 movies. He is best known for his "grizzled old man" appearances. Gaunt, lanky, and rustic-sounding, Simpson was a familiar character actor for almost forty-five years, particularly as a member of the John Ford Stock Company.
At age 18 Simpson prospected for gold in Alaska. He began taking acting classes in Seattle, Washington. In 1910 he married Gertrude Alter from New York City.
By 1909, he had gone into the theatre. He appeared in at least two plays on Broadway between 1909 and 1912, and made his motion picture debut in Cecil B. DeMille's 1914 original film version of The Virginian in a bit part. By 1923, when the film was remade, Simpson had progressed to playing the lead villain.
Throughout his career, Simpson worked for 12 years in road shows, stock companies, and on Broadway. He didn't usually perform lead roles, but he did star in many movies throughout the silent movie era. He performed a lead role as the grandfather in Out of the Dust (1920).
Simpson is best known for his work in the films of John Ford and, in particular, for his portrayal of Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His final film was The Horse Soldiers, his tenth film for Ford. Simpson worked up to 1959, the year of his death.
He was the president of the Overseas Phonograph Accessories Corporation.
Filmography
| 1997 | Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years · as Actor 'The Grapes of Wrath' |
| 1959 | The Horse Soldiers · as Henry Goodbody |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1957 | The Tin Star · as Clem Hall |
| 1957 | The Lonely Man · as Red Bluff Poker Player |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Mr. Carr |
| 1956 | Friendly Persuasion · as Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited) |
| 1956 | These Wilder Years · as Farmer |
| 1956 | The Brass Legend · as Deputy 'Pop' Jackson |
| 1955 | The Tall Men · as Unknown |
| 1955 | The Last Command · as The Parson |
| 1955 | Many Rivers to Cross · as Man at Inn |
| 1955 | Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1955 | Oklahoma! · as The Minister |
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers · as Fred Bixby |
| 1954 | Broken Lance · as Judge |
| 1954 | Public Defender (TV Series) · as Lundquist |
| 1953 | The Sun Shines Bright · as Lewt Lake |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as actor |
| 1952 | Lone Star · as Maynard Cole |
| 1952 | Gang Busters (TV Series) · as George Dunkin |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) · as Judge Grant |
| 1951 | Across the Wide Missouri · as Hoback |
| 1951 | Comin' Round the Mountain · as Judge |
| 1950 | Wagon Master · as Adam Perkins |
| 1950 | The Outriders · as Farmer (uncredited) |
| 1949 | The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend · as Grandpa |
| 1949 | The Gal Who Took the West · as Bartender |
| 1949 | Tuna Clipper · as Capt. Fergus MacLennan |
| 1949 | The Lone Ranger (TV Series) · as Jack Brewster |
| 1948 | Albuquerque · as Abner Huggins |
| 1948 | Coroner Creek · as Walt Hardison |
| 1948 | Joan of Arc · as Old Man with Pipe |
| 1947 | Bowery Buckaroos · as Luke Barlow |
| 1947 | The Romance of Rosy Ridge · as Dan Yeary |
| 1946 | My Darling Clementine · as John Simpson |
| 1946 | Bad Bascomb · as Elijah Walker |
| 1946 | My Dog Shep · as Mathew Hodgkins |
| 1946 | Death Valley · as Old Silas Bagley |
| 1945 | They Were Expendable · as 'Dad' Knowland |
| 1945 | Along Came Jones · as Pop de Longpre |
| 1944 | Tall in the Saddle · as Pat Foster |
| 1943 | Colt Comrades · as Sheriff |
| 1943 | Border Patrol · as Orestes Krebs |
| 1943 | The Woman of the Town · as Sime |
| 1942 | The Spoilers · as Flapjack |
| 1941 | Tobacco Road · as Chief of Police |
| 1941 | Meet John Doe · as actor |
| 1941 | Swamp Water · as Marty McCord |
| 1940 | The Grapes of Wrath · as Pa Joad |
| 1940 | Santa Fe Trail · as Shubel Morgan |
| 1940 | Virginia City · as Gaylord |
| 1940 | Three Faces West · as Minister |
| 1940 | Brigham Young · as U.S. Army Major |
| 1939 | Young Mr. Lincoln · as Woolridge (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington · as Kenneth Allen (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Dodge City · as Orth |
| 1939 | Drums Along the Mohawk · as Dr. Petry |
| 1938 | Valley of the Giants · as McKenzie |
| 1938 | Heart of the North · as Dave MacMillan |
| 1938 | The Girl of the Golden West · as Fred - Outrider in Prologue |
| 1937 | Paradise Isle · as Baxter |
| 1937 | Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge · as Bayliss Baynum |
| 1936 | San Francisco · as 'Red' Kelly |
| 1936 | Back to Nature · as Sheriff |
| 1935 | The Hoosier Schoolmaster · as Doc Small |
| 1934 | The World Moves On · as Notary (1825) |
| 1933 | Secrets · as Doctor |
| 1933 | Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles · as Speaker |
| 1932 | The Honor of the Press · as Dan Perkins |
| 1932 | Lena Rivers · as Grandfather Nichols |
| 1932 | Flames · as Jake |
| 1930 | Abraham Lincoln · as Lincoln's Employer |
| 1930 | Billy the Kid · as Angus McSween |
| 1928 | The Trail of '98 · as Old Swede |
| 1927 | Annie Laurie · as Sandy |
| 1925 | The Eagle · as The Eagle's Lieutenant |
| 1925 | The Re-Creation of Brian Kent · as Jap Taylor |
| 1925 | Paint and Powder · as Riley |
| 1914 | The Virginian · as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |