Russell Simpson (actor)
Russell Simpson | |
---|---|
Simpson in The Grapes of Wrath. | |
Born |
San Francisco, California, U.S. | June 17, 1880
Died |
December 12, 1959 79) Woodland Hills, California, U.S. | (aged
Years active | 1914–1959 |
Spouse(s) | Gertrude Aller (1910–1959) (his death) 1 child |
Children |
Russell Jr. Roberta (b. 1918) |
Russell McCaskill Simpson (June 17, 1880 – December 12, 1959) was an American character actor.
Biography
Born in San Francisco, California, 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 in 1940.
Simpson reportedly prospected for gold in Alaska in his youth, but by 1909 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.
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. He worked up to 1959, the year of his death. His final film was The Horse Soldiers, his tenth film for Ford. He died in Woodland Hills, California.
He was survived by his wife Gertrude. They had two children, Russell Jr. and Roberta.[1]
Selected filmography
- The Virginian (1914) (uncredited)
- Lovely Mary (1916)
- Blue Jeans (1917)
- A Weaver of Dreams (1918)
- Riders of the Night (1918)
- The Border Legion (1918)
- The Deadlier Sex (1920)
- Godless Men (1920)
- Under the Lash (1921)
- Peg o' My Heart (1922)
- The Virginian (1923)
- The Narrow Street (1925)
- The Social Highwayman (1926)
- The Earth Woman (1926)
- Annie Laurie (1927)
- The First Auto (1927)
- Now We're in the Air (1927)
- The Trail of '98 (1928)
- Abraham Lincoln (1930)
- Billy the Kid (1930)
- Ridin' for Justice (1932)
- Law and Order (1932)
- Call Her Savage (1932)
- The Riding Tornado (1932)
- Frontier Marshal (1934)
- The World Moves On (1934)
- Way Down East (1935)
- Wild West Days (1937 serial)
- Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
- The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
- Virginia City (1940)
- Three Faces West (1940)
- Swamp Water (1941)
- The Spoilers (1942)
- Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)
- Border Patrol (1943)
- Moonlight in Vermont (1943)
- Man from Frisco (1944)
- They Were Expendable (1945)
- A Boy and His Dog (1946)
- My Darling Clementine (1946)
- Bowery Buckaroos (1947)
- The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)
- Coroner Creek (1948)
- Tap Roots (1948)
- Albuquerque (1948)
- Tuna Clipper (1949)
- Saddle Tramp (1950)
- Call of the Klondike (1950)
- Wagon Master (1950)
- The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
- The Last Command (1955)
- The Tin Star (1957)
- The Horse Soldiers (1959)
References
- ↑ U.S. Census for 1920, Los Angeles, California, Sheet 10B
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Russell Simpson (actor). |
- Russell Simpson at the Internet Movie Database
- Russell Simpson at the Internet Broadway Database
- Russell Simpson at Find a Grave
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