About

Known credits:
179
Birthday:
1880-06-16
Place of birth:
Danville, California, USA
Website:
N/A

Russell Simpson

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting
1959 The Horse Soldiers Actor Henry Goodbody 62
Fair
1957 The Tin Star Actor Clem Hall 60
Fair
1957 The Lonely Man Actor 58
Average
1956 The Brass Legend Actor Deputy 'Pop' Jackson 59
Average
1956 Friendly Persuasion Actor Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited) 60
Fair
1955 The Tall Men Actor Emigrant (uncredited) 59
Average
1955 The Last Command Actor The Parson 58
Average
1954 Broken Lance Actor Judge (uncredited) 59
Average
1954 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Actor Fred Bixby 65
Fair
1953 The Sun Shines Bright Actor Lewt Lake 59
Average
1953 Meet Me at the Fair Actor Sheriff Evans 59
Average
1952 The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon Actor Sam Stanton N/A
N/A
1952 Lone Star Actor Maynard Cole 58
Average
1952 Feudin' Fools Actor Grandpa Smith 59
Average
1952 Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair Actor Clem Johnson 58
Average
1951 Comin' Round the Mountain Actor Judge 59
Average
1950 Call of the Klondike Actor Andy McKay 59
Average
1950 Saddle Tramp Actor Pop 59
Average
1950 Wagon Master Actor Adam Perkins 60
Fair
1950 The Outriders Actor Farmer (uncredited) 59
Average
1949 Free For All Actor Farmer 59
Average
1949 The Gal Who Took the West Actor Bartender (as old Timer) 58
Average
1949 Tuna Clipper Actor Capt. Fergus MacLennan 59
Average
1948 Joan of Arc Actor Old Man with Pipe (uncredited) 59
Average
1948 Sundown in Santa Fe Actor Sheriff Jim Wyatt N/A
N/A
1948 The Untamed Breed Actor Minister 58
Average
1948 Tap Roots Actor Big Sam Dabney 58
Average
1948 Coroner Creek Actor Walt Hardison 58
Average
1948 Albuquerque Actor Abner Huggins 59
Average
1947 Bowery Buckaroos Actor Luke Barlow 59
Average
1947 The Fabulous Texan Actor Wade Clayton 59
Average
1947 The Romance of Rosy Ridge Actor Dan Yeary 59
Average
1946 A Boy and His Dog Actor Mr. Thornycroft 58
Average
1946 My Dog Shep Actor Mathew Hodgkins 59
Average
1946 My Darling Clementine Actor John Simpson 65
Fair
1946 Death Valley Actor Old Silas Bagley 58
Average
1946 Bad Bascomb Actor Elijah Walker 58
Average
1946 California Gold Rush Actor Colonel Parker 59
Average
1945 They Were Expendable Actor 'Dad' Knowland 60
Fair
1945 Along Came Jones Actor Pop de Longpre 58
Average
1945 Roughly Speaking Actor The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited) 59
Average
1944 The Big Bonanza Actor Adam Parker 59
Average
1944 Roaring Guns Actor Farmer MacKenzie N/A
N/A
1944 Texas Masquerade Actor J.K. Trimble N/A
N/A
1943 The Woman of the Town Actor Sime 59
Average
1943 Moonlight in Vermont Actor Uncle Rufus 59
Average
1943 Riding High Actor Frenchy McGuire 58
Average
1943 Colt Comrades Actor Sheriff 59
Average
1943 Border Patrol Actor Orestes Krebs 59
Average
1942 Tennessee Johnson Actor Kirby 59
Average
1942 The Spoilers Actor Flapjack 59
Average
1942 Lone Star Ranger Actor Tom Duane 58
Average
1942 Nazi Agent Actor 2nd Captain (uncredited) 59
Average
1942 Shut My Big Mouth Actor Mayor Potter 59
Average
1942 Wild Bill Hickok Rides Actor Ned Nolan 58
Average
1941 Swamp Water Actor Marty McCord 59
Average
1941 Last of the Duanes Actor Tom Duane 59
Average
1941 Wild Geese Calling Actor Marshal Len Baker 58
Average
1941 Bad Men of Missouri Actor Hank Younger 59
Average
1941 Citadel of Crime Actor Jess Meekins N/A
N/A
1941 Meet John Doe Actor (uncredited) 63
Fair
1941 Tobacco Road Actor Chief of Police 59
Average
1940 Santa Fe Trail Actor Shubel Morgan 58
Average
1940 Brigham Young Actor U.S. Army Major 58
Average
1940 Wyoming Actor Mr. Bronson 59
Average
1940 Three Faces West Actor Minister 58
Average
1940 Virginia City Actor Gaylord 59
Average
1940 The Grapes of Wrath Actor Pa Joad 71
Good
1939 Geronimo Actor Scout 58
Average
1939 Drums Along the Mohawk Actor Dr. Petry 59
Average
1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Actor Kenneth Allen (uncredited) 72
Good
1939 Desperate Trails Actor Sheriff Big Bill Tanner 58
Average
1939 The Bill of Rights Actor Frontiersman 59
Average
1939 Western Caravans Actor Winchester Thompson N/A
N/A
1939 Young Mr. Lincoln Actor Woolridge (uncredited) 62
Fair
1939 Dodge City Actor Orth 60
Fair
1938 Heart of the North Actor Dave MacMillan 58
Average
1938 Valley of the Giants Actor McKenzie 59
Average
1938 The Girl of the Golden West Actor Fred - Outrider in Prologue 58
Average
1938 Gold Is Where You Find It Actor MacKenzie 59
Average
1937 That I May Live Actor Bish Plivens 59
Average
1937 Paradise Isle Actor Baxter 59
Average
1937 Wild West Days Actor Matt Keeler N/A
N/A
1937 Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge Actor Bayliss Baynum 58
Average
1937 Parnell Actor Dead Child's Father 58
Average
1937 Mountain Justice Actor Matthew Turnbull 58
Average
1937 Green Light Actor Sheep Man 58
Average
1937 Maid of Salem Actor Village Marshal (Uncredited) 59
Average
1936 Ramona Actor Scroggs 58
Average
1936 Back to Nature Actor Sheriff N/A
N/A
1936 San Francisco Actor 'Red' Kelly 59
Average
1936 Girl of the Ozarks Actor 59
Average
1936 The Harvester Actor Abner Prewett N/A
N/A
1936 Man Hunt Actor Jeff Parkington N/A
N/A
1936 Paddy O'Day Actor Benton 59
Average
1935 Way Down East Actor Squire Amasa Bartlett 58
Average
1935 Motive for Revenge Actor McAllister 59
Average
1935 The Hoosier Schoolmaster Actor Doc Small 58
Average
1934 West of the Pecos Actor Roy Neal N/A
N/A
1934 Radio Scout Actor Pappy Tolliver N/A
N/A
1934 The World Moves On Actor Notary (1825) 58
Average
1934 Ever Since Eve Actor Jim Wood N/A
N/A
1934 Three on a Honeymoon Actor Ezra MacDuff N/A
N/A
1934 Carolina Actor Richards N/A
N/A
1934 Frontier Marshal Actor Editor Pickett 58
Average
1934 Sixteen Fathoms Deep Actor A.B. Crockett 58
Average
1933 The Power and the Glory Actor Professor (uncredited) 59
Average
1933 Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles Actor Speaker N/A
N/A
1933 Face in the Sky Actor Pa Nathan Brown 58
Average
1932 Silver Dollar Actor Hamlin 59
Average
1932 Call Her Savage Actor Old Man in Wagon Train 58
Average
1932 The Cabin in the Cotton Actor Uncle Joe 58
Average
1932 Hello Trouble Actor Jonathan Kenyon 59
Average
1932 The Honor of the Press Actor Dan Perkins 59
Average
1932 Flames Actor Jake 59
Average
1932 The Riding Tornado Actor Sheriff N/A
N/A
1932 The Famous Ferguson Case Actor Banker Craig 59
Average
1932 Lena Rivers Actor Grandfather Nichols 59
Average
1932 Law and Order Actor Judge R.W. Williams 58
Average
1932 Ridin' for Justice Actor Marshal Joseph Slyde N/A
N/A
1931 Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) Actor Doctor 59
Average
1931 Alexander Hamilton Actor Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier 58
Average
1931 The Great Meadow Actor Thomas Hall 59
Average
1930 Man to Man Actor Uncle Cal 59
Average
1930 Abraham Lincoln Actor Lincoln's Employer 58
Average
1930 Billy the Kid Actor Angus McSween 58
Average
1930 The Lone Star Ranger Actor Colonel John Aldridge 58
Average
1929 After the Fog Actor Joshua Barker 59
Average
1929 The Sap Actor The Banker N/A
N/A
1929 My Lady's Past Actor N/A
N/A
1929 All Faces West Actor Gunner Bill N/A
N/A
1929 Innocents of Paris Actor Emile Leval N/A
N/A
1928 Tropical Nights Actor Singapore Joe N/A
N/A
1927 Wild Geese Actor Caleb Gare N/A
N/A
1927 Now We're in the Air Actor Lord Abercrombie McTavish 58
Average
1927 The First Auto Actor Hank Armstrong 58
Average
1927 The Frontiersman Actor Andrew Jackson N/A
N/A
1927 Annie Laurie Actor Sandy 59
Average
1926 Lovey Mary Actor Stubbins N/A
N/A
1926 Rustlin' for Cupid Actor Hank Blatchford N/A
N/A
1926 The Earth Woman Actor Ezra Tilden N/A
N/A
1925 The Splendid Road Actor Capt. Lightfoot N/A
N/A
1925 The Eagle Actor The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited) 59
Average
1925 Why Women Love Actor Silas Martin N/A
N/A
1925 Thunder Mountain Actor Si Pace N/A
N/A
1925 Paint and Powder Actor Riley N/A
N/A
1925 Faint Perfume Actor Grandpa Crumb N/A
N/A
1925 Old Shoes Actor N/A
N/A
1925 The Narrow Street Actor Garvey N/A
N/A
1924 Painted People Actor Fred Lane N/A
N/A
1923 The Virginian Actor Trampas 58
Average
1923 Defying Destiny Actor Mr. Wilkens 59
Average
1923 The Huntress Actor Big Jack Skinner N/A
N/A
1923 Circus Days Actor Eben Holt 59
Average
1923 The Girl of the Golden West Actor Jack Rance N/A
N/A
1922 The Kingdom Within Actor Caleb Deming N/A
N/A
1922 Peg o' My Heart Actor Jim O'Connell 59
Average
1922 Rags to Riches Actor The Sheriff 58
Average
1922 Human Hearts Actor Paul Logan N/A
N/A
1922 Across the Dead-Line Actor Enoch Kidder N/A
N/A
1921 Under the Lash Actor Simeon Krillet N/A
N/A
1921 Snowblind Actor Hugh Garth N/A
N/A
1921 Bunty Pulls the Strings Actor Tammas Biggar N/A
N/A
1920 Godless Men Actor 'Black' Pawl 58
Average
1920 The Branding Iron Actor John Carver N/A
N/A
1920 Lahoma Actor 'Brick' Willock N/A
N/A
1920 The Deadlier Sex Actor Jim Willis 58
Average
1919 Desert Gold Actor Ladd N/A
N/A
1919 Bill Apperson's Boy Actor Bill Apperson N/A
N/A
1919 The Brand Actor Dan McGill N/A
N/A
1918 The Challenge Accepted Actor Uncle Zeke Sawyer N/A
N/A
1918 Riders of the Night Actor Sally's Grandfather 59
Average
1918 The Uphill Path Actor James Lawton N/A
N/A
1918 The Border Legion Actor Overland Bradley N/A
N/A
1918 Breakers Ahead Actor Captain Scudder N/A
N/A
1918 A Weaver of Dreams Actor Martin Chandler N/A
N/A
1917 Blue Jeans Actor Jacob Tutwiler 58
Average
1915 The Old Homestead Actor Sheriff N/A
N/A
1914 The Virginian Actor Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) 58
Average