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.
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 | Mackenzie's Raiders (TV Series) · as Albert Penn |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) · as Zeb Waters |
| 1957 | The Tin Star · as Clem Hall |
| 1957 | The Court of Last Resort (TV Series) · as Glover |
| 1957 | The Gray Ghost (TV Series) · as Slocum |
| 1957 | Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) · as Mr. Austin |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Mr. Carr |
| 1957 | |
| 1956 | The Brass Legend · as Deputy 'pop' Jackson |
| 1956 | Friendly Persuasion · as Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited) |
| 1956 | These Wilder Years · as Farmer |
| 1955 | The Tall Men · as Emigrant (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Oklahoma! · as The Minister |
| 1955 | Crossroads (1955) (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1955 | The 20th Century-Fox Hour (TV Series) · as Old Man |
| 1955 | Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (TV Series) |
| 1955 | The Last Command · as The Parson |
| 1955 | Many Rivers to Cross · as Man At Inn |
| 1955 | The Millionaire (TV Series) · as Frank Mackeever |
| 1955 | TV Reader's Digest (TV Series) · as Sheriff Jim Roberts |
| 1954 | Broken Lance · as Judge (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers · as Fred Bixby |
| 1954 | Gypsy Colt · as Mr. Minter |
| 1954 | Public Defender (TV Series) · as Lundquist |
| 1953 | The Sun Shines Bright · as Lewt Lake |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1953 | Meet Me at the Fair · as Sheriff Evans |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) · as Quatermaster |
| 1952 | Feudin' Fools · as Grandpa Smith |
| 1952 | Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair · as Clem Johnson |
| 1952 | Gang Busters (TV Series) · as George Dunkin |
| 1952 | Lone Star · as Maynard Cole |
| 1951 | Across the Wide Missouri · as Hoback |
| 1951 | Comin' Round the Mountain · as Judge |
| 1951 | Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (TV Series) · as Sam |
| 1950 | Call of the Klondike · as Andy Mckay |
| 1950 | Saddle Tramp · as Pop |
| 1950 | Wagon Master · as Adam Perkins |
| 1950 | The Outriders · as Farmer (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Free for All · as Farmer |
| 1949 | The Lone Ranger (TV Series) · as Jack Brewster |
| 1949 | The Gal Who Took the West · as Bartender (as Old Timer) |
| 1949 | The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend · as Grandpa |
| 1949 | Tuna Clipper · as Capt. Fergus Maclennan |
| 1948 | Tap Roots · as Big Sam Dabney |
| 1948 | Joan of Arc · as Old Man With Pipe (uncredited) |
| 1948 | Sundown in Santa Fe · as Sheriff Jim Wyatt |
| 1948 | The Untamed Breed · as Minister |
| 1948 | Coroner Creek · as Walt Hardison |
| 1948 | Albuquerque · as Abner Huggins |
| 1947 | Bowery Buckaroos · as Luke Barlow |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Texan · as Wade Clayton |
| 1947 | The Romance of Rosy Ridge · as Dan Yeary |
| 1947 | The Millerson Case · as Squire Tuttle |
| 1946 | My Darling Clementine · as John Simpson |
| 1946 | My Dog Shep · as Mathew Hodgkins |
| 1946 | Bad Bascomb · as Elijah Walker |
| 1946 | Lady Luck · as Daniel Boone |
| 1946 | Death Valley · as Old Silas Bagley |
| 1946 | California Gold Rush · as Colonel Parker |
| 1945 | They Were Expendable · as 'dad' Knowland |
| 1945 | Incendiary Blonde · as Jenkins |
| 1945 | Along Came Jones · as Pop De Longpre |
| 1945 | Roughly Speaking · as The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Big Bonanza · as Adam Parker |
| 1944 | Tall in the Saddle · as Pat Foster |
| 1944 | Man from Frisco · as Dr. Hershey |
| 1944 | Texas Masquerade · as J.k. Trimble |
| 1943 | The Woman of the Town · as Sime |
| 1943 | Moonlight in Vermont · as Uncle Rufus |
| 1943 | Riding High · as Frenchy Mcguire |
| 1943 | Colt Comrades · as Sheriff |
| 1943 | Border Patrol · as Orestes Krebs |
| 1942 | Tennessee Johnson · as Kirby |
| 1942 | The Spoilers · as Flapjack |
| 1942 | Nazi Agent · as 2nd Captain (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Shut My Big Mouth · as Mayor Potter |
| 1942 | Wild Bill Hickok Rides · as Ned Nolan |
| 1941 | Swamp Water · as Marty Mccord |
| 1941 | Wild Geese Calling · as Marshal Len Baker |
| 1941 | Bad Men of Missouri · as Hank Younger |
| 1941 | Meet John Doe · as (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Tobacco Road · as Chief Of Police |
| 1940 | Santa Fe Trail · as Shubel Morgan |
| 1940 | Brigham Young · as U.s. Army Major |
| 1940 | Wyoming · as Mr. Bronson |
| 1940 | Three Faces West · as Minister |
| 1940 | Virginia City · as Gaylord |
| 1940 | The Grapes of Wrath · as Pa Joad |
| 1939 | Geronimo · as Scout |
| 1939 | Drums Along the Mohawk · as Dr. Petry |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington · as Kenneth Allen (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Desperate Trails · as Sheriff Big Bill Tanner |
| 1939 | Land of Liberty · as Cast |
| 1939 | Young Mr. Lincoln · as Woolridge (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Dodge City · as Orth |
| 1938 | Heart of the North · as Dave Macmillan |
| 1938 | The Sisters · as First Sailor |
| 1938 | Valley of the Giants · as Mckenzie |
| 1938 | The Girl of the Golden West · as Fred - Outrider In Prologue |
| 1938 | Gold Is Where You Find It · as Mackenzie |
| 1937 | Paradise Isle · as Baxter |
| 1937 | Wild West Days · as Matt Keeler |
| 1937 | Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge · as Bayliss Baynum |
| 1937 | Parnell · as Dead Child's Father |
| 1937 | Mountain Justice · as Matthew Turnbull |
| 1937 | Green Light · as Sheep Man |
| 1937 | Maid of Salem · as Village Marshal (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Wild Brian Kent · as Race Judge |
| 1936 | Ramona · as Scroggs |
| 1936 | The Crime of Dr. Forbes · as Sheriff Neil |
| 1936 | San Francisco · as 'red' Kelly |
| 1936 | Man Hunt · as Jeff Parkington |
| 1936 | Paddy O'Day · as Benton |
| 1935 | Way Down East · as Squire Amasa Bartlett |
| 1935 | Motive for Revenge · as Mcallister |
| 1935 | The Hoosier Schoolmaster · as Doc Small |
| 1934 | The World Moves On · as Notary (1825) |
| 1934 | Carolina · as Richards |
| 1934 | Sixteen Fathoms Deep · as A.b. Crockett |
| 1933 | The Power and the Glory · as Professor (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles · as Speaker |
| 1933 | Secrets · as Doctor |
| 1933 | Face in the Sky · as Pa Nathan Brown |
| 1932 | Silver Dollar · as Hamlin |
| 1932 | Call Her Savage · as Old Man In Wagon Train |
| 1932 | The Cabin in the Cotton · as Uncle Joe |
| 1932 | White Eagle · as Gray Wolf |
| 1932 | Lena Rivers · as Grandfather Nichols |
| 1932 | The Honor of the Press · as Dan Perkins |
| 1932 | |
| 1932 | Flames · as Jake |
| 1932 | The Famous Ferguson Case · as Banker Craig |
| 1932 | The Riding Tornado · as Sheriff |
| 1932 | Law and Order · as Judge R.w. Williams |
| 1932 | Ridin' for Justice · as Marshal Joseph Slyde |
| 1931 | Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) · as Doctor |
| 1931 | Alexander Hamilton · as Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier |
| 1931 | The Great Meadow · as Thomas Hall |
| 1930 | Man to Man · as Uncle Cal |
| 1930 | Billy the Kid · as Angus Mcsween |
| 1930 | Abraham Lincoln · as Lincoln's Employer |
| 1930 | The Lone Star Ranger · as Colonel John Aldridge |
| 1929 | The Big Diamond Robbery · as Stagecoach Driver |
| 1928 | The Trail of '98 · as Old Swede |
| 1927 | Now We're in the Air · as Lord Abercrombie Mctavish |
| 1927 | The First Auto · as Hank Armstrong |
| 1927 | Annie Laurie · as Sandy |
| 1925 | The Eagle · as The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited) |
| 1925 | Why Women Love · as Silas Martin |
| 1925 | Paint and Powder · as Riley |
| 1925 | The Re-Creation of Brian Kent · as Jap Taylor |
| 1923 | The Virginian · as Trampas |
| 1922 | Peg o' My Heart · as Jim O'connell |
| 1917 | Blue Jeans · as Jacob Tutwiler |
| 1914 | The Virginian · as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |