Russell Simpson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jun 16, 1880
- Died
- Dec 12, 1959 (aged 79)
- Place of birth
- Danville, California, USA
- Credits
- 207
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
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939Movie
Kenneth Allen (uncredited)
The Grapes of Wrath
1940Movie
Pa Joad
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954Movie
Fred Bixby
My Darling Clementine
1946Movie
John Simpson
The Horse Soldiers
1959Movie
Henry Goodbody
Meet John Doe
1941Movie
(uncredited)
Filmography
The Horse Soldiers
1959Movie
Henry Goodbody
The Texan
1958TV
Zeb Waters
The Tin Star
1957Movie
Clem Hall
Wagon Train
1957TV
Mr. Carr
The Lonely Man
1957Movie
The Brass Legend
1956Movie
Deputy 'Pop' Jackson
Friendly Persuasion
1956Movie
Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited)
Oklahoma!
1955Movie
The Minister (uncredited)
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955TV
Old Man
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955TV
The Tall Men
1955Movie
Emigrant (uncredited)
The Last Command
1955Movie
The Parson
Broken Lance
1954Movie
Judge (uncredited)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954Movie
Fred Bixby
Public Defender
1954TV
Lundquist
The Sun Shines Bright
1953Movie
Lewt Lake
General Electric Theater
1953TV
Meet Me at the Fair
1953Movie
Sheriff Evans
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
1952Movie
Sam Stanton
Lone Star
1952Movie
Maynard Cole
Cavalcade of America
1952TV
Quatermaster, Judge Grant
Feudin' Fools
1952Movie
Grandpa Smith
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952Movie
Clem Johnson
Comin' Round the Mountain
1951Movie
Judge
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951TV
Sam
Call of the Klondike
1950Movie
Andy McKay
Saddle Tramp
1950Movie
Pop
Wagon Master
1950Movie
Adam Perkins
The Outriders
1950Movie
Farmer (uncredited)
Free For All
1949Movie
Farmer
The Lone Ranger
1949TV
Jack Brewster
The Gal Who Took the West
1949Movie
Bartender (as old Timer)
Tuna Clipper
1949Movie
Capt. Fergus MacLennan
Joan of Arc
1948Movie
Old Man with Pipe (uncredited)
Sundown in Santa Fe
1948Movie
Sheriff Jim Wyatt
The Untamed Breed
1948Movie
Minister
Tap Roots
1948Movie
Big Sam Dabney
Coroner Creek
1948Movie
Walt Hardison
Albuquerque
1948Movie
Abner Huggins
Bowery Buckaroos
1947Movie
Luke Barlow
The Fabulous Texan
1947Movie
Wade Clayton
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947Movie
Dan Yeary
A Boy and His Dog
1946Movie
Mr. Thornycroft
My Dog Shep
1946Movie
Mathew Hodgkins
My Darling Clementine
1946Movie
John Simpson
Death Valley
1946Movie
Old Silas Bagley
Bad Bascomb
1946Movie
Elijah Walker
California Gold Rush
1946Movie
Colonel Parker
They Were Expendable
1945Movie
'Dad' Knowland
Along Came Jones
1945Movie
Pop de Longpre
Roughly Speaking
1945Movie
The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited)
The Big Bonanza
1944Movie
Adam Parker
Tall in the Saddle
1944Movie
Pat Foster (uncredited)
Roaring Guns
1944Movie
Farmer MacKenzie
Texas Masquerade
1944Movie
J.K. Trimble
The Woman of the Town
1943Movie
Sime
Moonlight in Vermont
1943Movie
Uncle Rufus
Riding High
1943Movie
Frenchy McGuire
Colt Comrades
1943Movie
Sheriff
Border Patrol
1943Movie
Orestes Krebs
Tennessee Johnson
1942Movie
Kirby
The Spoilers
1942Movie
Flapjack
Lone Star Ranger
1942Movie
Tom Duane
Nazi Agent
1942Movie
2nd Captain (uncredited)
Shut My Big Mouth
1942Movie
Mayor Potter
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942Movie
Ned Nolan
Swamp Water
1941Movie
Marty McCord
Last of the Duanes
1941Movie
Tom Duane
Wild Geese Calling
1941Movie
Marshal Len Baker
Bad Men of Missouri
1941Movie
Hank Younger
Citadel of Crime
1941Movie
Jess Meekins
Meet John Doe
1941Movie
(uncredited)
Tobacco Road
1941Movie
Chief of Police
Santa Fe Trail
1940Movie
Shubel Morgan
Brigham Young
1940Movie
U.S. Army Major
Wyoming
1940Movie
Mr. Bronson
Three Faces West
1940Movie
Minister
Virginia City
1940Movie
Gaylord
The Grapes of Wrath
1940Movie
Pa Joad
Geronimo
1939Movie
Scout
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939Movie
Dr. Petry
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939Movie
Kenneth Allen (uncredited)
Desperate Trails
1939Movie
Sheriff Big Bill Tanner
The Bill of Rights
1939Movie
Frontiersman
Western Caravans
1939Movie
Winchester Thompson
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939Movie
Woolridge (uncredited)
Dodge City
1939Movie
Orth
Heart of the North
1938Movie
Dave MacMillan
Valley of the Giants
1938Movie
McKenzie
The Girl of the Golden West
1938Movie
Fred - Outrider in Prologue
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938Movie
MacKenzie
That I May Live
1937Movie
Bish Plivens
Paradise Isle
1937Movie
Baxter
Wild West Days
1937Movie
Matt Keeler
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937Movie
Bayliss Baynum
Parnell
1937Movie
Dead Child's Father
Mountain Justice
1937Movie
Matthew Turnbull
Green Light
1937Movie
Sheep Man
Maid of Salem
1937Movie
Village Marshal (Uncredited)
Ramona
1936Movie
Scroggs
Back to Nature
1936Movie
Sheriff
San Francisco
1936Movie
'Red' Kelly
Girl of the Ozarks
1936Movie
Bascomb Rogers
The Harvester
1936Movie
Abner Prewett
Man Hunt
1936Movie
Jeff Parkington
Paddy O'Day
1936Movie
Benton
Way Down East
1935Movie
Squire Amasa Bartlett
Motive for Revenge
1935Movie
McAllister
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935Movie
Doc Small
West of the Pecos
1934Movie
Roy Neal
Radio Scout
1934Movie
Pappy Tolliver
The World Moves On
1934Movie
Notary (1825)
Ever Since Eve
1934Movie
Jim Wood
Three on a Honeymoon
1934Movie
Ezra MacDuff
Carolina
1934Movie
Richards
Frontier Marshal
1934Movie
Editor Pickett
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
1934Movie
A.B. Crockett
The Power and the Glory
1933Movie
Professor (uncredited)
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933Movie
Speaker
Secrets
1933Movie
Doctor (uncredited)
Face in the Sky
1933Movie
Pa Nathan Brown
Silver Dollar
1932Movie
Hamlin
Call Her Savage
1932Movie
Old Man in Wagon Train
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932Movie
Uncle Joe
Hello Trouble
1932Movie
Jonathan Kenyon
The Honor of the Press
1932Movie
Dan Perkins
Flames
1932Movie
Jake
The Riding Tornado
1932Movie
Sheriff
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932Movie
Banker Craig
Lena Rivers
1932Movie
Grandfather Nichols
Law and Order
1932Movie
Judge R.W. Williams
Ridin' for Justice
1932Movie
Marshal Joseph Slyde
Susan Lenox
1931Movie
Doctor
Alexander Hamilton
1931Movie
Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier
The Great Meadow
1931Movie
Thomas Hall
Man to Man
1930Movie
Uncle Cal
Abraham Lincoln
1930Movie
Lincoln's Employer
Billy the Kid
1930Movie
Angus McSween
The Lone Star Ranger
1930Movie
Colonel John Aldridge
After the Fog
1929Movie
Joshua Barker
The Sap
1929Movie
The Banker
My Lady's Past
1929Movie
All Faces West
1929Movie
Gunner Bill
Noisy Neighbors
1929Movie
Ebenezer
Innocents of Paris
1929Movie
Emile Leval
Tropical Nights
1928Movie
Singapore Joe
The Bushranger
1928Movie
Sir Eric
Life's Mockery
1928Movie
Wolf Miller
Wild Geese
1927Movie
Caleb Gare
Now We're in the Air
1927Movie
Lord Abercrombie McTavish
The First Auto
1927Movie
Hank Armstrong
The Frontiersman
1927Movie
Andrew Jackson
The Heart of the Yukon
1927Movie
'Cash' Cynon
Annie Laurie
1927Movie
Sandy
Lovey Mary
1926Movie
Stubbins
The Social Highwayman
1926Movie
The Mayor's Partner
Rustlin' for Cupid
1926Movie
Hank Blatchford
The Earth Woman
1926Movie
Ezra Tilden
Ship of Souls
1925Movie
Angus Garth
The Splendid Road
1925Movie
Capt. Lightfoot
The Eagle
1925Movie
The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited)
Why Women Love
1925Movie
Silas Martin
Thunder Mountain
1925Movie
Si Pace
Paint and Powder
1925Movie
Riley
Faint Perfume
1925Movie
Grandpa Crumb
Old Shoes
1925Movie
Beauty and the Bad Man
1925Movie
Chuckwalla Bill
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
1925Movie
Jap Taylor
The Narrow Street
1925Movie
Garvey
Painted People
1924Movie
Fred Lane
Desire
1923Movie
Patrick Ryan
Defying Destiny
1923Movie
Mr. Wilkens
The Virginian
1923Movie
Trampas
The Huntress
1923Movie
Big Jack Skinner
Circus Days
1923Movie
Eben Holt
The Girl of the Golden West
1923Movie
Jack Rance
Hearts Aflame
1923Movie
Black Joe
The Kingdom Within
1922Movie
Caleb Deming
Peg o' My Heart
1922Movie
Jim O'Connell
Rags to Riches
1922Movie
The Sheriff
Human Hearts
1922Movie
Paul Logan
Across the Dead-Line
1922Movie
Enoch Kidder
Under the Lash
1921Movie
Simeon Krillet
Snowblind
1921Movie
Hugh Garth
Bunty Pulls the Strings
1921Movie
Tammas Biggar
Godless Men
1920Movie
'Black' Pawl
The Branding Iron
1920Movie
John Carver
Lahoma
1920Movie
'Brick' Willock
The Deadlier Sex
1920Movie
Jim Willis
Fighting Cressy
1919Movie
Hiram McKinstry
Desert Gold
1919Movie
Ladd
The Blue Bandanna
1919Movie
Jim Yancy
Bill Apperson's Boy
1919Movie
Bill Apperson
The Brand
1919Movie
Dan McGill
The Challenge Accepted
1918Movie
Uncle Zeke Sawyer
Oh, Johnny!
1918Movie
Adele's Father
Riders of the Night
1918Movie
Sally's Grandfather
The Uphill Path
1918Movie
James Lawton
The Border Legion
1918Movie
Overland Bradley
Breakers Ahead
1918Movie
Captain Scudder
A Weaver of Dreams
1918Movie
Martin Chandler
Blue Jeans
1917Movie
Jacob Tutwiler
The Food Gamblers
1917Movie
Samuel Sloane
The Barrier
1917Movie
John Gaylord / John Tale
Lovely Mary
1916Movie
Peter Nelson
The Old Homestead
1915Movie
Sheriff
The Virginian
1914Movie
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)