Russell Simpson
Acting
Born June 16, 1880 · 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.
Films (196)
The Horse Soldiers
1959
The Tin Star
1957
The Lonely Man
1957
The Brass Legend
1956
Friendly Persuasion
1956
Oklahoma!
1955
The Tall Men
1955
The Last Command
1955
Broken Lance
1954
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
Meet Me at the Fair
1953
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
1952
Lone Star
1952
Feudin' Fools
1952
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952
Comin' Round the Mountain
1951
Call of the Klondike
1950
Saddle Tramp
1950
Wagon Master
1950
The Outriders
1950
Free For All
1949
The Gal Who Took the West
1949
Tuna Clipper
1949
Joan of Arc
1948
Sundown in Santa Fe
1948
The Untamed Breed
1948
Tap Roots
1948
Coroner Creek
1948
Albuquerque
1948
Bowery Buckaroos
1947
The Fabulous Texan
1947
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947
A Boy and His Dog
1946
My Dog Shep
1946
My Darling Clementine
1946
Death Valley
1946
Bad Bascomb
1946
California Gold Rush
1946
They Were Expendable
1945
Along Came Jones
1945
Roughly Speaking
1945
The Big Bonanza
1944
Tall in the Saddle
1944
Roaring Guns
1944
Texas Masquerade
1944
The Woman of the Town
1943
Moonlight in Vermont
1943
Riding High
1943
Colt Comrades
1943
Border Patrol
1943
Tennessee Johnson
1942
The Spoilers
1942
Lone Star Ranger
1942
Nazi Agent
1942
Shut My Big Mouth
1942
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942
Swamp Water
1941
Last of the Duanes
1941
Wild Geese Calling
1941
Bad Men of Missouri
1941
Citadel of Crime
1941
Meet John Doe
1941
Tobacco Road
1941
Santa Fe Trail
1940
Brigham Young
1940
Wyoming
1940
Three Faces West
1940
Virginia City
1940
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
Geronimo
1939
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
Desperate Trails
1939
The Bill of Rights
1939
Western Caravans
1939
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
Dodge City
1939
Heart of the North
1938
Valley of the Giants
1938
The Girl of the Golden West
1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938
That I May Live
1937
Paradise Isle
1937
Wild West Days
1937
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937
Parnell
1937
Mountain Justice
1937
Green Light
1937
Maid of Salem
1937
Ramona
1936
Back to Nature
1936
San Francisco
1936
Girl of the Ozarks
1936
The Harvester
1936
Man Hunt
1936
Paddy O'Day
1936
Way Down East
1935
Motive for Revenge
1935
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935
West of the Pecos
1934
Radio Scout
1934
The World Moves On
1934
Ever Since Eve
1934
Three on a Honeymoon
1934
Carolina
1934
Frontier Marshal
1934
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
1934
The Power and the Glory
1933
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933
Secrets
1933
Face in the Sky
1933
Silver Dollar
1932
Call Her Savage
1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932
Hello Trouble
1932
The Honor of the Press
1932
Flames
1932
The Riding Tornado
1932
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932
Lena Rivers
1932
Law and Order
1932
Ridin' for Justice
1932
Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)
1931
Alexander Hamilton
1931
The Great Meadow
1931
Man to Man
1930
Abraham Lincoln
1930
Billy the Kid
1930
The Lone Star Ranger
1930
After the Fog
1929
The Sap
1929
My Lady's Past
1929
All Faces West
1929
Noisy Neighbors
1929
Innocents of Paris
1929
Tropical Nights
1928
The Bushranger
1928
Wild Geese
1927
Now We're in the Air
1927
The First Auto
1927
The Frontiersman
1927
The Heart of the Yukon
1927
Annie Laurie
1927
Lovey Mary
1926
The Social Highwayman
1926
Rustlin' for Cupid
1926
The Earth Woman
1926
Ship of Souls
1925
The Splendid Road
1925
The Eagle
1925
Why Women Love
1925
Thunder Mountain
1925
Paint and Powder
1925
Faint Perfume
1925
Old Shoes
1925
Beauty and the Bad Man
1925
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
1925
The Narrow Street
1925
Painted People
1924
Desire
1923
Defying Destiny
1923
The Virginian
1923
The Huntress
1923
Circus Days
1923
The Girl of the Golden West
1923
Hearts Aflame
1923
The Kingdom Within
1922
Peg o' My Heart
1922
Rags to Riches
1922
Human Hearts
1922
Across the Dead-Line
1922
Under the Lash
1921
Snowblind
1921
Bunty Pulls the Strings
1921
Godless Men
1920
The Branding Iron
1920
Lahoma
1920
The Deadlier Sex
1920
Fighting Cressy
1919
Desert Gold
1919
The Blue Bandanna
1919
Bill Apperson's Boy
1919
The Brand
1919
The Challenge Accepted
1918
Oh, Johnny!
1918
Riders of the Night
1918
The Uphill Path
1918
The Border Legion
1918
Breakers Ahead
1918
A Weaver of Dreams
1918
Blue Jeans
1917
The Barrier
1917
Lovely Mary
1916
The Old Homestead
1915
The Virginian
1914