WG
Will Geer
Actor
Died April 22, 1978 (76 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Will Geer (March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons.
Geer made his Broadway debut as Pistol in a 1928 production of Much Ado About Nothing, created the role of Mr. Mister in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, played Candy in John Steinbeck's theatrical adaptation of his novella Of Mice and Men, and appeared in numerous plays and revues throughout the 1940s. From 1948 to 1951, he appeared in more than a dozen movies, including Winchester '73 (as Wyatt Earp), Broken Arrow, Comanche Territory (all 1950) and Bright Victory (1951).
Geer became a member of the Communist Party of the United States in 1934. Geer was also influential in introducing Harry Hay to organizing in the Communist Party. In 1934, Geer and Hay gave support to a labor strike of the port of San Francisco; the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike which lasted 83 days. Though marred by violence, it was an organizing triumph, one that became a model for future union strikes Geer became a reader of the West Coast Communist newspaper People's World.
Geer became a dedicated activist, touring government work camps in the 1930s with folk singers like Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie (whom he introduced to the People's World and the Daily Worker; Guthrie would go on to write a column for the latter paper). In 1956, the duo released an album together on Folkways Records, titled Bound for Glory: Songs and Stories of Woody Guthrie. In his biography, fellow organizer and homosexual rights pioneer Harry Hay described Geer's activism and outlined their activities while organizing for the strike. Geer is credited with introducing Guthrie to Pete Seeger at the 'Grapes of Wrath' benefit Geer organized in 1940 for migrant farm workers.
Geer acted with the Group Theatre (New York) studying under Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. Geer also acted in radio, appearing as Mephistopheles (the Devil) in the 1938 and 1944 productions of Norman Corwin's The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. He also acted in the radio soap opera Bright Horizon.
Geer was blacklisted in the early 1950s for refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. As a result, Geer appeared in very few films over the next decade. Among them was Salt of the Earth (1954) which was produced, directed, written, and starring blacklisted Hollywood personnel and told the story of a miners' strike in New Mexico from a pro-union standpoint. The film was denounced as "subversive" and faced difficulties in its production and distribution as a consequence.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Geer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Will Geer (March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons.
Geer made his Broadway debut as Pistol in a 1928 production of Much Ado About Nothing, created the role of Mr. Mister in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, played Candy in John Steinbeck's theatrical adaptation of his novella Of Mice and Men, and appeared in numerous plays and revues throughout the 1940s. From 1948 to 1951, he appeared in more than a dozen movies, including Winchester '73 (as Wyatt Earp), Broken Arrow, Comanche Territory (all 1950) and Bright Victory (1951).
Geer became a member of the Communist Party of the United States in 1934. Geer was also influential in introducing Harry Hay to organizing in the Communist Party. In 1934, Geer and Hay gave support to a labor strike of the port of San Francisco; the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike which lasted 83 days. Though marred by violence, it was an organizing triumph, one that became a model for future union strikes Geer became a reader of the West Coast Communist newspaper People's World.
Geer became a dedicated activist, touring government work camps in the 1930s with folk singers like Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie (whom he introduced to the People's World and the Daily Worker; Guthrie would go on to write a column for the latter paper). In 1956, the duo released an album together on Folkways Records, titled Bound for Glory: Songs and Stories of Woody Guthrie. In his biography, fellow organizer and homosexual rights pioneer Harry Hay described Geer's activism and outlined their activities while organizing for the strike. Geer is credited with introducing Guthrie to Pete Seeger at the 'Grapes of Wrath' benefit Geer organized in 1940 for migrant farm workers.
Geer acted with the Group Theatre (New York) studying under Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. Geer also acted in radio, appearing as Mephistopheles (the Devil) in the 1938 and 1944 productions of Norman Corwin's The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. He also acted in the radio soap opera Bright Horizon.
Geer was blacklisted in the early 1950s for refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. As a result, Geer appeared in very few films over the next decade. Among them was Salt of the Earth (1954) which was produced, directed, written, and starring blacklisted Hollywood personnel and told the story of a miners' strike in New Mexico from a pro-union standpoint. The film was denounced as "subversive" and faced difficulties in its production and distribution as a consequence.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Geer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Known For
Filmography
| 2019 | Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970 · as Narrator |
| 1993 | A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion · as Grandpa Zebulon Walton |
| 1987 | James Stewart: A Wonderful Life - Hosted by Johnny Carson · as Wyatt Earp (clip From Winchester '73 (1950)) |
| 1980 | The Waltons: A Decade of the Waltons · as Grandpa Zebulon 'zeb' Walton |
| 1979 | The Man Who Loved Bears · as Narrator |
| 1978 | The Mafu Cage · as Zom |
| 1978 | A Woman Called Moses (TV Series) · as Thomas Garrett |
| 1978 | CBS: On The Air- A Celebration of 50 Years (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1978 | Unknown Powers · as Host |
| 1977 | The Billion Dollar Hobo · as Choo-Choo Trayne |
| 1977 | The Love Boat (TV Series) · as Franklyn Bootherstone |
| 1977 | Eight is Enough (TV Series) |
| 1977 | |
| 1976 | |
| 1976 | Moving Violation · as Rockfield |
| 1976 | Law and Order · as Pat Crowley |
| 1976 | The Blue Bird · as Grandfather |
| 1975 | The Night That Panicked America · as Reverend Davis |
| 1975 | Starsky & Hutch (TV Series) · as Commodore Atwater |
| 1975 | The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery · as Dr. Simpson |
| 1974 | The Lives of Benjamin Franklin (TV Series) |
| 1974 | Hurricane · as Dr. Mccutcheon |
| 1974 | The Memory of Us · as Motel Manager |
| 1974 | Silence · as Crazy Jack |
| 1974 | Honky Tonk · as Judge Cotton |
| 1974 | The Hanged Man · as Nameless |
| 1973 | Executive Action · as Ferguson |
| 1973 | Isn't It Shocking? · as Lemuel Lovell |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | Harry O (TV Series) · as Len Mcneil |
| 1973 | Brock's Last Case · as J. Smiley Krenshaw |
| 1972 | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (TV Series) · as Ben |
| 1972 | The Waltons (TV Series) · as Grandfather Walton |
| 1972 | Jeremiah Johnson · as Bear Claw |
| 1972 | Napoleon and Samantha · as Grandpa |
| 1972 | The Rowdyman · as Stan |
| 1972 | Dear Dead Delilah · as Roy Jurroe |
| 1972 | Kung Fu (TV Series) |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense (TV Series) |
| 1972 | The Scarecrow · as Justice Gilead Merton |
| 1971 | The Jimmy Stewart Show (TV Series) · as Uncle Everett |
| 1971 | Cade's County (TV Series) · as Hurley Gaines |
| 1971 | Columbo (TV Series) · as Edmund Hidemann |
| 1971 | Owen Marshall, Counselor At Law (TV Series) · as Ben Hale |
| 1971 | Brother John · as Doc Thomas |
| 1971 | O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (TV Series) · as Singlefoot |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) · as Seth |
| 1970 | The Moonshine War · as Mr. Baylor |
| 1970 | Pieces of Dreams · as The Bishop |
| 1970 | The Young Rebels (TV Series) · as Mayor Larkin |
| 1970 | The Brotherhood of the Bell · as Mike Patterson |
| 1970 | The Bold Ones: The Senator (TV Series) · as Senator Homer Bryant Wydell |
| 1969 | Witchcraft '70 · as Narrator |
| 1969 | The Reivers · as Boss |
| 1969 | Night Gallery (TV Series) · as Walt Peckinpah |
| 1969 | Love, American Style (TV Series) · as Desk Clerk (segment "love And The Pulitzer Prize") |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (TV Series) · as Elliot Leveridge |
| 1969 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV Series) · as Harry I. Madison |
| 1969 | The Bill Cosby Show (TV Series) · as Mr. Kane |
| 1969 | Medical Center (TV Series) |
| 1969 | Then Came Bronson (TV Series) |
| 1969 | My Friend Tony (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1968 | Here Come the Brides (TV Series) · as Benjamin Pruitt |
| 1968 | Mayberry R.F.D. (TV Series) · as Captain Charles Wolford |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game (TV Series) · as Mac |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) · as Professor Harold Lochner |
| 1968 | Bandolero! · as Pop Chaney |
| 1968 | Of Mice and Men · as Candy |
| 1967 | The President's Analyst · as Dr. Lee-Evan |
| 1967 | In Cold Blood · as Prosecutor |
| 1967 | Garrison's Gorillas (TV Series) |
| 1967 | The Crucible · as Giles Corey |
| 1967 | The Invaders (TV Series) · as Hank Willis |
| 1966 | Seconds · as Old Man |
| 1966 | Mission: Impossible (TV Series) · as Doc |
| 1965 | Trials of O'Brien (TV Series) · as Judge Lindemann |
| 1965 | I Spy (TV Series) · as Uncle Harry |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life (TV Series) · as Judge David P. Andrews |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) · as Adam Jarrett |
| 1964 | Bewitched (TV Series) |
| 1964 | Black Like Me · as Truckdriver |
| 1963 | East Side/West Side (TV Series) · as Brian Lincoln |
| 1962 | Advise & Consent · as Senate Minority Leader |
| 1959 | |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Slocum |
| 1954 | Salt of the Earth · as Sheriff |
| 1951 | The Barefoot Mailman · as Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster |
| 1951 | F.B.I. Girl · as Mcallister |
| 1951 | The Tall Target · as Homer Crowley |
| 1951 | Bright Victory · as Mr. Nevins |
| 1951 | Double Crossbones · as Tom Botts |
| 1950 | Racket Squad (TV Series) |
| 1950 | To Please a Lady · as Jack Mackay |
| 1950 | Convicted · as Convict Mapes |
| 1950 | Broken Arrow · as Rancher |
| 1950 | Winchester '73 · as Wyatt Earp |
| 1950 | It's a Small World · as William Musk - Father |
| 1950 | Comanche Territory · as Dan'l Seeger |
| 1950 | The Kid from Texas · as O'fallon |
| 1949 | Intruder in the Dust · as Sheriff Hampton |
| 1949 | Anna Lucasta · as Noah |
| 1949 | Lust for Gold · as Deputy Ray Covin |
| 1949 | Johnny Allegro · as Schultzy |
| 1948 | Deep Waters · as Nick Driver |
| 1948 | The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (TV Series) · as Sam Hobbs |
| 1940 | The Fight for Life · as Ballou |
| 1939 | Union Pacific · as Foreman (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Becky Sharp · as Spectator (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Mystery of Edwin Drood · as Village Lamplighter |
| 1934 | Wild Gold · as Poker Player (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Spitfire · as West Fry |
| 1932 | The Misleading Lady · as Mcmahon - Asylum Guard |