Russell Simpson
Acting
1880-06-16 · 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 · Movie
The Texan
1958 · Series
The Tin Star
1957 · Movie
Wagon Train
1957 · Series
The Lonely Man
1957 · Movie
The Brass Legend
1956 · Movie
Friendly Persuasion
1956 · Movie
Oklahoma!
1955 · Movie
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955 · Series
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955 · Series
The Tall Men
1955 · Movie
The Last Command
1955 · Movie
Broken Lance
1954 · Movie
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954 · Movie
Public Defender
1954 · Series
The Sun Shines Bright
1953 · Movie
General Electric Theater
1953 · Series
Meet Me at the Fair
1953 · Movie
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
1952 · Movie
Lone Star
1952 · Movie
Cavalcade of America
1952 · Series
Feudin' Fools
1952 · Movie
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952 · Movie
Comin' Round the Mountain
1951 · Movie
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951 · Series
Call of the Klondike
1950 · Movie
Saddle Tramp
1950 · Movie
Wagon Master
1950 · Movie
The Outriders
1950 · Movie
Free For All
1949 · Movie
The Lone Ranger
1949 · Series
The Gal Who Took the West
1949 · Movie
Tuna Clipper
1949 · Movie
Joan of Arc
1948 · Movie
Sundown in Santa Fe
1948 · Movie
The Untamed Breed
1948 · Movie
Tap Roots
1948 · Movie
Coroner Creek
1948 · Movie
Albuquerque
1948 · Movie
Bowery Buckaroos
1947 · Movie
The Fabulous Texan
1947 · Movie
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947 · Movie
A Boy and His Dog
1946 · Movie
My Dog Shep
1946 · Movie
My Darling Clementine
1946 · Movie
Death Valley
1946 · Movie
Bad Bascomb
1946 · Movie
California Gold Rush
1946 · Movie
They Were Expendable
1945 · Movie
Along Came Jones
1945 · Movie
Roughly Speaking
1945 · Movie
The Big Bonanza
1944 · Movie
Tall in the Saddle
1944 · Movie
Roaring Guns
1944 · Movie
Texas Masquerade
1944 · Movie
The Woman of the Town
1943 · Movie
Moonlight in Vermont
1943 · Movie
Riding High
1943 · Movie
Colt Comrades
1943 · Movie
Border Patrol
1943 · Movie
Tennessee Johnson
1942 · Movie
The Spoilers
1942 · Movie
Lone Star Ranger
1942 · Movie
Nazi Agent
1942 · Movie
Shut My Big Mouth
1942 · Movie
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942 · Movie
Swamp Water
1941 · Movie
Last of the Duanes
1941 · Movie
Wild Geese Calling
1941 · Movie
Bad Men of Missouri
1941 · Movie
Citadel of Crime
1941 · Movie
Meet John Doe
1941 · Movie
Tobacco Road
1941 · Movie
Santa Fe Trail
1940 · Movie
Brigham Young
1940 · Movie
Wyoming
1940 · Movie
Three Faces West
1940 · Movie
Virginia City
1940 · Movie
The Grapes of Wrath
1940 · Movie
Geronimo
1939 · Movie
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939 · Movie
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939 · Movie
Desperate Trails
1939 · Movie
The Bill of Rights
1939 · Movie
Western Caravans
1939 · Movie
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939 · Movie
Dodge City
1939 · Movie
Heart of the North
1938 · Movie
Valley of the Giants
1938 · Movie
The Girl of the Golden West
1938 · Movie
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938 · Movie
That I May Live
1937 · Movie
Paradise Isle
1937 · Movie
Wild West Days
1937 · Movie
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937 · Movie
Parnell
1937 · Movie
Mountain Justice
1937 · Movie
Green Light
1937 · Movie
Maid of Salem
1937 · Movie
Ramona
1936 · Movie
Back to Nature
1936 · Movie
San Francisco
1936 · Movie
Girl of the Ozarks
1936 · Movie
The Harvester
1936 · Movie
Man Hunt
1936 · Movie
Paddy O'Day
1936 · Movie
Way Down East
1935 · Movie
Motive for Revenge
1935 · Movie
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935 · Movie
West of the Pecos
1934 · Movie
Radio Scout
1934 · Movie
The World Moves On
1934 · Movie
Ever Since Eve
1934 · Movie
Three on a Honeymoon
1934 · Movie
Carolina
1934 · Movie
Frontier Marshal
1934 · Movie
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
1934 · Movie
The Power and the Glory
1933 · Movie
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933 · Movie
Secrets
1933 · Movie
Face in the Sky
1933 · Movie
Silver Dollar
1932 · Movie
Call Her Savage
1932 · Movie
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932 · Movie
Hello Trouble
1932 · Movie
The Honor of the Press
1932 · Movie
Flames
1932 · Movie
The Riding Tornado
1932 · Movie
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932 · Movie
Lena Rivers
1932 · Movie
Law and Order
1932 · Movie
Ridin' for Justice
1932 · Movie
Susan Lenox
1931 · Movie
Alexander Hamilton
1931 · Movie
The Great Meadow
1931 · Movie
Man to Man
1930 · Movie
Abraham Lincoln
1930 · Movie
Billy the Kid
1930 · Movie
The Lone Star Ranger
1930 · Movie
After the Fog
1929 · Movie
The Sap
1929 · Movie
My Lady's Past
1929 · Movie
All Faces West
1929 · Movie
Noisy Neighbors
1929 · Movie
Innocents of Paris
1929 · Movie
Tropical Nights
1928 · Movie
The Bushranger
1928 · Movie
Life's Mockery
1928 · Movie
Wild Geese
1927 · Movie
Now We're in the Air
1927 · Movie
The First Auto
1927 · Movie
The Frontiersman
1927 · Movie
The Heart of the Yukon
1927 · Movie
Annie Laurie
1927 · Movie
Lovey Mary
1926 · Movie
The Social Highwayman
1926 · Movie
Rustlin' for Cupid
1926 · Movie
The Earth Woman
1926 · Movie
Ship of Souls
1925 · Movie
The Splendid Road
1925 · Movie
The Eagle
1925 · Movie
Why Women Love
1925 · Movie
Thunder Mountain
1925 · Movie
Paint and Powder
1925 · Movie
Faint Perfume
1925 · Movie
Old Shoes
1925 · Movie
Beauty and the Bad Man
1925 · Movie
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
1925 · Movie
The Narrow Street
1925 · Movie
Painted People
1924 · Movie
Desire
1923 · Movie
Defying Destiny
1923 · Movie
The Virginian
1923 · Movie
The Huntress
1923 · Movie
Circus Days
1923 · Movie
The Girl of the Golden West
1923 · Movie
Hearts Aflame
1923 · Movie
The Kingdom Within
1922 · Movie
Peg o' My Heart
1922 · Movie
Rags to Riches
1922 · Movie
Human Hearts
1922 · Movie
Across the Dead-Line
1922 · Movie
Under the Lash
1921 · Movie
Snowblind
1921 · Movie
Bunty Pulls the Strings
1921 · Movie
Godless Men
1920 · Movie
The Branding Iron
1920 · Movie
Lahoma
1920 · Movie
The Deadlier Sex
1920 · Movie
Fighting Cressy
1919 · Movie
Desert Gold
1919 · Movie
The Blue Bandanna
1919 · Movie
Bill Apperson's Boy
1919 · Movie
The Brand
1919 · Movie
The Challenge Accepted
1918 · Movie
Oh, Johnny!
1918 · Movie
Riders of the Night
1918 · Movie
The Uphill Path
1918 · Movie
The Border Legion
1918 · Movie
Breakers Ahead
1918 · Movie
A Weaver of Dreams
1918 · Movie
Blue Jeans
1917 · Movie
The Food Gamblers
1917 · Movie
The Barrier
1917 · Movie
Lovely Mary
1916 · Movie
The Old Homestead
1915 · Movie
The Virginian
1914 · Movie