Russell Simpson
Biography
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.
Acting (176 movies)
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
Santa Fe Trail
1940
My Darling Clementine
1946
The Tin Star
1957
The Earth Woman
1926
Bunty Pulls the Strings
1921
Carolina
1934
Desert Gold
1919
Now We're in the Air
1927
Wagon Master
1950
Coroner Creek
1948
The Girl of the Golden West
1938
The Border Legion
1918
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935
Hello Trouble
1932
Border Patrol
1943
Along Came Jones
1945
Silver Dollar
1932
Joan of Arc
1948
The Power and the Glory
1933
Broken Lance
1954
Law and Order
1932
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
Feudin' Fools
1952
The Big Bonanza
1944
Friendly Persuasion
1956
Saddle Tramp
1950
Ramona
1936
Paradise Isle
1937
Motive for Revenge
1935
Lena Rivers
1932
The Splendid Road
1925
Blue Jeans
1917
That I May Live
1937
Billy the Kid
1930
Sundown in Santa Fe
1948
Snowblind
1921
Way Down East
1935
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937
Tuna Clipper
1949
Mountain Justice
1937
The Great Meadow
1931
Comin' Round the Mountain
1951
The First Auto
1927
The Brand
1919
The Horse Soldiers
1959
Face in the Sky
1933
After the Fog
1929
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938
Thunder Mountain
1925
Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)
1931
Man to Man
1930
Innocents of Paris
1929
Abraham Lincoln
1930
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932
Wild West Days
1937
Tobacco Road
1941
Wild Geese Calling
1941
Lone Star
1952
The Branding Iron
1920
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933
The Sap
1929
Roughly Speaking
1945
Last of the Duanes
1941
The Honor of the Press
1932
Breakers Ahead
1918
The Lonely Man
1957
The Eagle
1925
Paddy O'Day
1936
Virginia City
1940
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932
Ever Since Eve
1934
Dodge City
1939
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
Nazi Agent
1942
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939
The Fabulous Texan
1947
Heart of the North
1938
Western Caravans
1939
Free For All
1949
The Last Command
1955
The Untamed Breed
1948
Alexander Hamilton
1931
The Frontiersman
1927
Call Her Savage
1932
Man Hunt
1936
Valley of the Giants
1938
Death Valley
1946
Bowery Buckaroos
1947
Shut My Big Mouth
1942
Wyoming
1940
Annie Laurie
1927
Brigham Young
1940
Desperate Trails
1939
Frontier Marshal
1934
Bad Bascomb
1946
The Virginian
1914
Human Hearts
1922
Ridin' for Justice
1932
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