Russell Simpson
Born
June 16, 1880
Died
December 12, 1959 (79 years old)
Known For
Acting
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.
Known For
The Horse Soldiers
Henry Goodbody
1959
The Texan
Zeb Waters · (1 episode)
1958
The Tin Star
Clem Hall
1957
Wagon Train
Mr. Carr · (1 episode)
1957
The Lonely Man
1957
The Brass Legend
Deputy 'Pop' Jackson
1956
Friendly Persuasion
Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited)
1956
Oklahoma!
The Minister (uncredited)
1955
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Old Man · (1 episode)
1955
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
(1 episode)
1955
The Tall Men
Emigrant (uncredited)
1955
The Last Command
The Parson
1955
Broken Lance
Judge (uncredited)
1954
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Fred Bixby
1954
Public Defender
Lundquist · (1 episode)
1954
The Sun Shines Bright
Lewt Lake
1953
General Electric Theater
(1 episode)
1953
Meet Me at the Fair
Sheriff Evans
1953
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
Sam Stanton
1952
Lone Star
Maynard Cole
1952
Cavalcade of America
Quatermaster · (1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952
Cavalcade of America
Judge Grant · (1 episode)
1952
Feudin' Fools
Grandpa Smith
1952
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
Clem Johnson
1952
Comin' Round the Mountain
Judge
1951
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Sam · (1 episode)
1951
Call of the Klondike
Andy McKay
1950
Saddle Tramp
Pop
1950
Wagon Master
Adam Perkins
1950
The Outriders
Farmer (uncredited)
1950
Free For All
Farmer
1949
The Lone Ranger
Jack Brewster · (1 episode)
1949
The Gal Who Took the West
Bartender (as old Timer)
1949
Tuna Clipper
Capt. Fergus MacLennan
1949
Joan of Arc
Old Man with Pipe (uncredited)
1948
Sundown in Santa Fe
Sheriff Jim Wyatt
1948
The Untamed Breed
Minister
1948
Tap Roots
Big Sam Dabney
1948
Coroner Creek
Walt Hardison
1948
Albuquerque
Abner Huggins
1948
Bowery Buckaroos
Luke Barlow
1947
The Fabulous Texan
Wade Clayton
1947
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
Dan Yeary
1947
A Boy and His Dog
Mr. Thornycroft
1946
My Dog Shep
Mathew Hodgkins
1946
My Darling Clementine
John Simpson
1946
Death Valley
Old Silas Bagley
1946
Bad Bascomb
Elijah Walker
1946
California Gold Rush
Colonel Parker
1946
They Were Expendable
'Dad' Knowland
1945
Along Came Jones
Pop de Longpre
1945
Roughly Speaking
The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited)
1945
The Big Bonanza
Adam Parker
1944
Roaring Guns
Farmer MacKenzie
1944
Texas Masquerade
J.K. Trimble
1944
The Woman of the Town
Sime
1943
Moonlight in Vermont
Uncle Rufus
1943
Riding High
Frenchy McGuire
1943
Colt Comrades
Sheriff
1943
Border Patrol
Orestes Krebs
1943
Tennessee Johnson
Kirby
1942
The Spoilers
Flapjack
1942
Lone Star Ranger
Tom Duane
1942
Nazi Agent
2nd Captain (uncredited)
1942
Shut My Big Mouth
Mayor Potter
1942
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Ned Nolan
1942
Swamp Water
Marty McCord
1941
Last of the Duanes
Tom Duane
1941
Wild Geese Calling
Marshal Len Baker
1941
Bad Men of Missouri
Hank Younger
1941
Citadel of Crime
Jess Meekins
1941
Meet John Doe
(uncredited)
1941
Tobacco Road
Chief of Police
1941
Santa Fe Trail
Shubel Morgan
1940
Brigham Young
U.S. Army Major
1940
Wyoming
Mr. Bronson
1940
Three Faces West
Minister
1940
Virginia City
Gaylord
1940
The Grapes of Wrath
Pa Joad
1940
Geronimo
Scout
1939
Drums Along the Mohawk
Dr. Petry
1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Kenneth Allen (uncredited)
1939
Desperate Trails
Sheriff Big Bill Tanner
1939
The Bill of Rights
Frontiersman
1939
Western Caravans
Winchester Thompson
1939
Young Mr. Lincoln
Woolridge (uncredited)
1939
Dodge City
Orth
1939
Heart of the North
Dave MacMillan
1938
Valley of the Giants
McKenzie
1938
The Girl of the Golden West
Fred - Outrider in Prologue
1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
MacKenzie
1938
That I May Live
Bish Plivens
1937
Paradise Isle
Baxter
1937
Wild West Days
Matt Keeler
1937
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
Bayliss Baynum
1937
Parnell
Dead Child's Father
1937
Mountain Justice
Matthew Turnbull
1937
Green Light
Sheep Man
1937
Maid of Salem
Village Marshal (Uncredited)
1937
Ramona
Scroggs
1936
Back to Nature
Sheriff
1936
San Francisco
'Red' Kelly
1936
Girl of the Ozarks
Bascomb Rogers
1936
The Harvester
Abner Prewett
1936
Man Hunt
Jeff Parkington
1936
Paddy O'Day
Benton
1936
Way Down East
Squire Amasa Bartlett
1935
Motive for Revenge
McAllister
1935
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
Doc Small
1935
West of the Pecos
Roy Neal
1934
Radio Scout
Pappy Tolliver
1934
The World Moves On
Notary (1825)
1934
Ever Since Eve
Jim Wood
1934
Three on a Honeymoon
Ezra MacDuff
1934
Carolina
Richards
1934
Frontier Marshal
Editor Pickett
1934
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
A.B. Crockett
1934
The Power and the Glory
Professor (uncredited)
1933
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
Speaker
1933
Face in the Sky
Pa Nathan Brown
1933
Silver Dollar
Hamlin
1932
Call Her Savage
Old Man in Wagon Train
1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
Uncle Joe
1932
Hello Trouble
Jonathan Kenyon
1932
The Honor of the Press
Dan Perkins
1932
Flames
Jake
1932
The Riding Tornado
Sheriff
1932
The Famous Ferguson Case
Banker Craig
1932
Lena Rivers
Grandfather Nichols
1932
Law and Order
Judge R.W. Williams
1932
Ridin' for Justice
Marshal Joseph Slyde
1932
Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)
Doctor
1931
Alexander Hamilton
Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier
1931
The Great Meadow
Thomas Hall
1931
Man to Man
Uncle Cal
1930
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln's Employer
1930
Billy the Kid
Angus McSween
1930
The Lone Star Ranger
Colonel John Aldridge
1930
After the Fog
Joshua Barker
1929
The Sap
The Banker
1929
My Lady's Past
1929
All Faces West
Gunner Bill
1929
Innocents of Paris
Emile Leval
1929
Tropical Nights
Singapore Joe
1928
Wild Geese
Caleb Gare
1927
Now We're in the Air
Lord Abercrombie McTavish
1927
The First Auto
Hank Armstrong
1927
The Frontiersman
Andrew Jackson
1927
Annie Laurie
Sandy
1927
Lovey Mary
Stubbins
1926
Rustlin' for Cupid
Hank Blatchford
1926
The Earth Woman
Ezra Tilden
1926
Ship of Souls
Angus Garth
1925
The Splendid Road
Capt. Lightfoot
1925
The Eagle
The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited)
1925
Why Women Love
Silas Martin
1925
Thunder Mountain
Si Pace
1925
Paint and Powder
Riley
1925
Faint Perfume
Grandpa Crumb
1925
Old Shoes
1925
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
Jap Taylor
1925
The Narrow Street
Garvey
1925
Painted People
Fred Lane
1924
Defying Destiny
Mr. Wilkens
1923
The Virginian
Trampas
1923
The Huntress
Big Jack Skinner
1923
Circus Days
Eben Holt
1923
The Girl of the Golden West
Jack Rance
1923
The Kingdom Within
Caleb Deming
1922
Peg o' My Heart
Jim O'Connell
1922
Rags to Riches
The Sheriff
1922
Human Hearts
Paul Logan
1922
Across the Dead-Line
Enoch Kidder
1922
Under the Lash
Simeon Krillet
1921
Snowblind
Hugh Garth
1921
Bunty Pulls the Strings
Tammas Biggar
1921
Godless Men
'Black' Pawl
1920
The Branding Iron
John Carver
1920
Lahoma
'Brick' Willock
1920
The Deadlier Sex
Jim Willis
1920
Desert Gold
Ladd
1919
Bill Apperson's Boy
Bill Apperson
1919
The Brand
Dan McGill
1919
The Challenge Accepted
Uncle Zeke Sawyer
1918
Riders of the Night
Sally's Grandfather
1918
The Uphill Path
James Lawton
1918
The Border Legion
Overland Bradley
1918
Breakers Ahead
Captain Scudder
1918
A Weaver of Dreams
Martin Chandler
1918
Blue Jeans
Jacob Tutwiler
1917
The Old Homestead
Sheriff
1915
The Virginian
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
1914