Russell Simpson

Russell Simpson

Date of Birth:

Jun 16, 1880

Place of Birth:

Danville, California, USA

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:

The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights

1939

Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair

1952

Back to Nature Back to Nature

1936

Roaring Guns Roaring Guns

1944

The Lone Star Ranger The Lone Star Ranger

1930

They Were Expendable They Were Expendable

1945

The Romance of Rosy Ridge The Romance of Rosy Ridge

1947

The World Moves On The World Moves On

1934

Why Women Love Why Women Love

1925

Maid of Salem Maid of Salem

1937

Riders of the Night Riders of the Night

1918

Circus Days Circus Days

1923

The Girl of the Golden West The Girl of the Golden West

1923

Wild Geese Wild Geese

1927

Riding High Riding High

1943

The Narrow Street The Narrow Street

1925

My Lady's Past My Lady's Past

1929

Old Shoes Old Shoes

1925

Tropical Nights Tropical Nights

1928

Bill Apperson's Boy Bill Apperson's Boy

1919

Peg o' My Heart Peg o' My Heart

1922

Green Light Green Light

1937

Painted People Painted People

1924

The Huntress The Huntress

1923

Bad Men of Missouri Bad Men of Missouri

1941

The Spoilers The Spoilers

1942

Tap Roots Tap Roots

1948

Sundown in Santa Fe Sundown in Santa Fe

1948

Lone Star Ranger Lone Star Ranger

1942

Wild Bill Hickok Rides Wild Bill Hickok Rides

1942

Albuquerque Albuquerque

1948

Colt Comrades Colt Comrades

1943

The Woman of the Town The Woman of the Town

1943

A Boy and His Dog A Boy and His Dog

1946

Godless Men Godless Men

1920

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

1954

Three on a Honeymoon Three on a Honeymoon

1934

My Dog Shep My Dog Shep

1946

The Brass Legend The Brass Legend

1956

Faint Perfume Faint Perfume

1925

San Francisco San Francisco

1936

Girl of the Ozarks Girl of the Ozarks

1936

The Deadlier Sex The Deadlier Sex

1920

Last of the Duanes Last of the Duanes

1941

Breakers Ahead Breakers Ahead

1918

The Kingdom Within The Kingdom Within

1922

The Eagle The Eagle

1925

Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles

1933

Thunder Mountain Thunder Mountain

1925

The Splendid Road The Splendid Road

1925

Snowblind Snowblind

1921

The Great Meadow The Great Meadow

1931

Nazi Agent Nazi Agent

1942

Bunty Pulls the Strings Bunty Pulls the Strings

1921

The Sap The Sap

1929

Roughly Speaking Roughly Speaking

1945

The Lonely Man The Lonely Man

1957

The Fabulous Texan The Fabulous Texan

1947

The Old Homestead The Old Homestead

1915

The Brand The Brand

1919

Carolina Carolina

1934

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc

1948

Broken Lance Broken Lance

1954

Friendly Persuasion Friendly Persuasion

1956

Feudin' Fools Feudin' Fools

1952

A Weaver of Dreams A Weaver of Dreams

1918

Under the Lash Under the Lash

1921

Flames Flames

1932

The Outriders The Outriders

1950

Meet Me at the Fair Meet Me at the Fair

1953

Tennessee Johnson Tennessee Johnson

1942

Paint and Powder Paint and Powder

1925

The Riding Tornado The Riding Tornado

1932

The Tall Men The Tall Men

1955

Sixteen Fathoms Deep Sixteen Fathoms Deep

1934

Across the Dead-Line Across the Dead-Line

1922

The Border Legion The Border Legion

1918

The Hoosier Schoolmaster The Hoosier Schoolmaster

1935

Hello Trouble Hello Trouble

1932

Now We're in the Air Now We're in the Air

1927

Desert Gold Desert Gold

1919

Moonlight in Vermont Moonlight in Vermont

1943

All Faces West All Faces West

1929

The Earth Woman The Earth Woman

1926

The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon

1952

The Gal Who Took the West The Gal Who Took the West

1949

Comin' Round the Mountain Comin' Round the Mountain

1951

The First Auto The First Auto

1927

The Horse Soldiers The Horse Soldiers

1959

Face in the Sky Face in the Sky

1933

Mountain Justice Mountain Justice

1937

The Harvester The Harvester

1936

Way Down East Way Down East

1935

Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge

1937

Tuna Clipper Tuna Clipper

1949

Gold Is Where You Find It Gold Is Where You Find It

1938

After the Fog After the Fog

1929

Wild Geese Calling Wild Geese Calling

1941

Lone Star Lone Star

1952

Wild West Days Wild West Days

1937

Defying Destiny Defying Destiny

1923

Tobacco Road Tobacco Road

1941

The Cabin in the Cotton The Cabin in the Cotton

1932

Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)

1931

Man to Man Man to Man

1930

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

1930

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid

1930

That I May Live That I May Live

1937

The Girl of the Golden West The Girl of the Golden West

1938

Border Patrol Border Patrol

1943

Along Came Jones Along Came Jones

1945

Silver Dollar Silver Dollar

1932

Wagon Master Wagon Master

1950

Coroner Creek Coroner Creek

1948

Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe Trail

1940

My Darling Clementine My Darling Clementine

1946

The Tin Star The Tin Star

1957

The Power and the Glory The Power and the Glory

1933

Law and Order Law and Order

1932

Motive for Revenge Motive for Revenge

1935

Lena Rivers Lena Rivers

1932

Blue Jeans Blue Jeans

1917

Paradise Isle Paradise Isle

1937

Ramona Ramona

1936

The Sun Shines Bright The Sun Shines Bright

1953

The Big Bonanza The Big Bonanza

1944

Saddle Tramp Saddle Tramp

1950

The Branding Iron The Branding Iron

1920

Innocents of Paris Innocents of Paris

1929

Annie Laurie Annie Laurie

1927

Desperate Trails Desperate Trails

1939

Bad Bascomb Bad Bascomb

1946

The Virginian The Virginian

1914

Frontier Marshal Frontier Marshal

1934

Brigham Young Brigham Young

1940

Citadel of Crime Citadel of Crime

1941

Bowery Buckaroos Bowery Buckaroos

1947

Wyoming Wyoming

1940

Ridin' for Justice Ridin' for Justice

1932

Human Hearts Human Hearts

1922

Geronimo Geronimo

1939

West of the Pecos West of the Pecos

1934

California Gold Rush California Gold Rush

1946

Call of the Klondike Call of the Klondike

1950

Rags to Riches Rags to Riches

1922

The Virginian The Virginian

1923

Texas Masquerade Texas Masquerade

1944

Swamp Water Swamp Water

1941

Three Faces West Three Faces West

1940

Shut My Big Mouth Shut My Big Mouth

1942

Death Valley Death Valley

1946

Dodge City Dodge City

1939

Young Mr. Lincoln Young Mr. Lincoln

1939

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

Drums Along the Mohawk Drums Along the Mohawk

1939

Ever Since Eve Ever Since Eve

1934

Virginia City Virginia City

1940

The Honor of the Press The Honor of the Press

1932

The Famous Ferguson Case The Famous Ferguson Case

1932

Paddy O'Day Paddy O'Day

1936

Heart of the North Heart of the North

1938

Western Caravans Western Caravans

1939

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton

1931

The Frontiersman The Frontiersman

1927

Valley of the Giants Valley of the Giants

1938

Call Her Savage Call Her Savage

1932

Man Hunt Man Hunt

1936

Free For All Free For All

1949

The Last Command The Last Command

1955

The Untamed Breed The Untamed Breed

1948

The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath

1940

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