
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.

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