Russell Simpson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- June 16, 1880
- Died
- December 12, 1959
- Birthplace
- 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 Horse Soldiers 1959
as Henry Goodbody
The Tin Star 1957
as Clem Hall
The Lonely Man 1957
Actor
The Brass Legend 1956
as Deputy 'Pop' Jackson
Friendly Persuasion 1956
as Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited)
Oklahoma! 1955
as The Minister (uncredited)
The Tall Men 1955
as Emigrant (uncredited)
The Last Command 1955
as The Parson
Broken Lance 1954
as Judge (uncredited)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 1954
as Fred Bixby
The Sun Shines Bright 1953
as Lewt Lake
Meet Me at the Fair 1953
as Sheriff Evans
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon 1952
as Sam Stanton
Lone Star 1952
as Maynard Cole
Feudin' Fools 1952
as Grandpa Smith
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair 1952
as Clem Johnson
Comin' Round the Mountain 1951
as Judge
Call of the Klondike 1950
as Andy McKay
Saddle Tramp 1950
as Pop
Wagon Master 1950
as Adam Perkins
The Outriders 1950
as Farmer (uncredited)
Free For All 1949
as Farmer
The Gal Who Took the West 1949
as Bartender (as old Timer)
Tuna Clipper 1949
as Capt. Fergus MacLennan
Joan of Arc 1948
as Old Man with Pipe (uncredited)
Sundown in Santa Fe 1948
as Sheriff Jim Wyatt
The Untamed Breed 1948
as Minister
Tap Roots 1948
as Big Sam Dabney
Coroner Creek 1948
as Walt Hardison
Albuquerque 1948
as Abner Huggins
Bowery Buckaroos 1947
as Luke Barlow
The Fabulous Texan 1947
as Wade Clayton
The Romance of Rosy Ridge 1947
as Dan Yeary
A Boy and His Dog 1946
as Mr. Thornycroft
My Dog Shep 1946
as Mathew Hodgkins
My Darling Clementine 1946
as John Simpson
Death Valley 1946
as Old Silas Bagley
Bad Bascomb 1946
as Elijah Walker
California Gold Rush 1946
as Colonel Parker
They Were Expendable 1945
as 'Dad' Knowland
Along Came Jones 1945
as Pop de Longpre
Roughly Speaking 1945
as The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited)
The Big Bonanza 1944
as Adam Parker
Tall in the Saddle 1944
as Pat Foster (uncredited)
Roaring Guns 1944
as Farmer MacKenzie
Texas Masquerade 1944
as J.K. Trimble
The Woman of the Town 1943
as Sime
Moonlight in Vermont 1943
as Uncle Rufus
Riding High 1943
as Frenchy McGuire
Colt Comrades 1943
as Sheriff
Border Patrol 1943
as Orestes Krebs
Tennessee Johnson 1942
as Kirby
The Spoilers 1942
as Flapjack
Lone Star Ranger 1942
as Tom Duane
Nazi Agent 1942
as 2nd Captain (uncredited)
Shut My Big Mouth 1942
as Mayor Potter
Wild Bill Hickok Rides 1942
as Ned Nolan
Swamp Water 1941
as Marty McCord
Last of the Duanes 1941
as Tom Duane
Wild Geese Calling 1941
as Marshal Len Baker
Bad Men of Missouri 1941
as Hank Younger
Citadel of Crime 1941
as Jess Meekins
Meet John Doe 1941
as (uncredited)
Tobacco Road 1941
as Chief of Police
Santa Fe Trail 1940
as Shubel Morgan
Brigham Young 1940
as U.S. Army Major
Wyoming 1940
as Mr. Bronson
Three Faces West 1940
as Minister
Virginia City 1940
as Gaylord
The Grapes of Wrath 1940
as Pa Joad
Geronimo 1939
as Scout
Drums Along the Mohawk 1939
as Dr. Petry
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939
as Kenneth Allen (uncredited)
Desperate Trails 1939
as Sheriff Big Bill Tanner
The Bill of Rights 1939
as Frontiersman
Western Caravans 1939
as Winchester Thompson
Young Mr. Lincoln 1939
as Woolridge (uncredited)
Dodge City 1939
as Orth
Heart of the North 1938
as Dave MacMillan
Valley of the Giants 1938
as McKenzie
The Girl of the Golden West 1938
as Fred - Outrider in Prologue
Gold Is Where You Find It 1938
as MacKenzie
That I May Live 1937
as Bish Plivens
Paradise Isle 1937
as Baxter
Wild West Days 1937
as Matt Keeler
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge 1937
as Bayliss Baynum
Parnell 1937
as Dead Child's Father
Mountain Justice 1937
as Matthew Turnbull
Green Light 1937
as Sheep Man
Maid of Salem 1937
as Village Marshal (Uncredited)
Ramona 1936
as Scroggs
Back to Nature 1936
as Sheriff
San Francisco 1936
as 'Red' Kelly
Girl of the Ozarks 1936
as Bascomb Rogers
The Harvester 1936
as Abner Prewett
Man Hunt 1936
as Jeff Parkington
Paddy O'Day 1936
as Benton
Way Down East 1935
as Squire Amasa Bartlett
Motive for Revenge 1935
as McAllister
The Hoosier Schoolmaster 1935
as Doc Small
West of the Pecos 1934
as Roy Neal
Radio Scout 1934
as Pappy Tolliver
The World Moves On 1934
as Notary (1825)
Ever Since Eve 1934
as Jim Wood
Three on a Honeymoon 1934
as Ezra MacDuff
Carolina 1934
as Richards
Frontier Marshal 1934
as Editor Pickett
Sixteen Fathoms Deep 1934
as A.B. Crockett
The Power and the Glory 1933
as Professor (uncredited)
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles 1933
as Speaker
Secrets 1933
as Doctor (uncredited)
Face in the Sky 1933
as Pa Nathan Brown
Silver Dollar 1932
as Hamlin
Call Her Savage 1932
as Old Man in Wagon Train
The Cabin in the Cotton 1932
as Uncle Joe
Hello Trouble 1932
as Jonathan Kenyon
The Honor of the Press 1932
as Dan Perkins
Flames 1932
as Jake
The Riding Tornado 1932
as Sheriff
The Famous Ferguson Case 1932
as Banker Craig
Lena Rivers 1932
as Grandfather Nichols
Law and Order 1932
as Judge R.W. Williams
Ridin' for Justice 1932
as Marshal Joseph Slyde
Susan Lenox 1931
as Doctor
Alexander Hamilton 1931
as Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier
The Great Meadow 1931
as Thomas Hall
Man to Man 1930
as Uncle Cal
Abraham Lincoln 1930
as Lincoln's Employer
Billy the Kid 1930
as Angus McSween
The Lone Star Ranger 1930
as Colonel John Aldridge
After the Fog 1929
as Joshua Barker
The Sap 1929
as The Banker
My Lady's Past 1929
Actor
All Faces West 1929
as Gunner Bill
Noisy Neighbors 1929
as Ebenezer
Innocents of Paris 1929
as Emile Leval
Tropical Nights 1928
as Singapore Joe
- The Bushranger
The Bushranger 1928
as Sir Eric
- Life's Mockery
Life's Mockery 1928
as Wolf Miller
Wild Geese 1927
as Caleb Gare
Now We're in the Air 1927
as Lord Abercrombie McTavish
The First Auto 1927
as Hank Armstrong
The Frontiersman 1927
as Andrew Jackson
- The Heart of the Yukon
The Heart of the Yukon 1927
as 'Cash' Cynon
Annie Laurie 1927
as Sandy
Lovey Mary 1926
as Stubbins
The Social Highwayman 1926
as The Mayor's Partner
Rustlin' for Cupid 1926
as Hank Blatchford
The Earth Woman 1926
as Ezra Tilden
- Ship of Souls
Ship of Souls 1925
as Angus Garth
The Splendid Road 1925
as Capt. Lightfoot
The Eagle 1925
as The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited)
Why Women Love 1925
as Silas Martin
Thunder Mountain 1925
as Si Pace
Paint and Powder 1925
as Riley
Faint Perfume 1925
as Grandpa Crumb
- Old Shoes
Old Shoes 1925
Actor
Beauty and the Bad Man 1925
as Chuckwalla Bill
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent 1925
as Jap Taylor
The Narrow Street 1925
as Garvey
Painted People 1924
as Fred Lane
Desire 1923
as Patrick Ryan
The Virginian 1923
as Trampas
- Defying Destiny
Defying Destiny 1923
as Mr. Wilkens
The Huntress 1923
as Big Jack Skinner
Circus Days 1923
as Eben Holt
The Girl of the Golden West 1923
as Jack Rance
Hearts Aflame 1923
as Black Joe
- The Kingdom Within
The Kingdom Within 1922
as Caleb Deming
Peg o' My Heart 1922
as Jim O'Connell
Rags to Riches 1922
as The Sheriff
Human Hearts 1922
as Paul Logan
Across the Dead-Line 1922
as Enoch Kidder
Under the Lash 1921
as Simeon Krillet
Snowblind 1921
as Hugh Garth
Bunty Pulls the Strings 1921
as Tammas Biggar
Godless Men 1920
as 'Black' Pawl
The Branding Iron 1920
as John Carver
Lahoma 1920
as 'Brick' Willock
The Deadlier Sex 1920
as Jim Willis
Fighting Cressy 1919
as Hiram McKinstry
Desert Gold 1919
as Ladd
The Blue Bandanna 1919
as Jim Yancy
Bill Apperson's Boy 1919
as Bill Apperson
The Brand 1919
as Dan McGill
The Challenge Accepted 1918
as Uncle Zeke Sawyer
Oh, Johnny! 1918
as Adele's Father
Riders of the Night 1918
as Sally's Grandfather
- The Uphill Path
The Uphill Path 1918
as James Lawton
The Border Legion 1918
as Overland Bradley
Breakers Ahead 1918
as Captain Scudder
A Weaver of Dreams 1918
as Martin Chandler
Salt of the Earth 1917
as Sinful John
Blue Jeans 1917
as Jacob Tutwiler
The Food Gamblers 1917
as Samuel Sloane
The Barrier 1917
as John Gaylord / John Tale
Lovely Mary 1916
as Peter Nelson
- The Old Homestead
The Old Homestead 1915
as Sheriff
The Virginian 1914
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Credits from TMDB.