Acting
Russell Simpson
EN, XX cinema · 198 credits
Born
16 June 1880
Died
12 December 1959 (aged 79)
Birthplace
Danville, California, USA
Also known as Russell McCaskill Simpson · Russel Simpson
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
Filmography
The Horse Soldiers
as Henry Goodbody
The Tin Star
as Clem Hall
Friendly Persuasion
as Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited)
The Brass Legend
as Deputy 'Pop' Jackson
The Last Command
as The Parson
The Tall Men
as Emigrant (uncredited)
Oklahoma!
as The Minister (uncredited)
Broken Lance
as Judge (uncredited)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
as Fred Bixby
The Sun Shines Bright
as Lewt Lake
Meet Me at the Fair
as Sheriff Evans
Feudin' Fools
as Grandpa Smith
Lone Star
as Maynard Cole
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
as Sam Stanton
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
as Clem Johnson
Wagon Master
as Adam Perkins
Saddle Tramp
as Pop
Call of the Klondike
as Andy McKay
The Outriders
as Farmer (uncredited)
Tuna Clipper
as Capt. Fergus MacLennan
Free For All
as Farmer
The Gal Who Took the West
as Bartender (as old Timer)
Coroner Creek
as Walt Hardison
Joan of Arc
as Old Man with Pipe (uncredited)
Sundown in Santa Fe
as Sheriff Jim Wyatt
The Untamed Breed
as Minister
Albuquerque
as Abner Huggins
Tap Roots
as Big Sam Dabney
The Fabulous Texan
as Wade Clayton
Bowery Buckaroos
as Luke Barlow
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
as Dan Yeary
My Darling Clementine
as John Simpson
Death Valley
as Old Silas Bagley
Bad Bascomb
as Elijah Walker
California Gold Rush
as Colonel Parker
My Dog Shep
as Mathew Hodgkins
A Boy and His Dog
as Mr. Thornycroft
Along Came Jones
as Pop de Longpre
Roughly Speaking
as The Colonel - Drill Instructor (uncredited)
They Were Expendable
as 'Dad' Knowland
The Big Bonanza
as Adam Parker
Texas Masquerade
as J.K. Trimble
Roaring Guns
as Farmer MacKenzie
Tall in the Saddle
as Pat Foster (uncredited)
Border Patrol
as Orestes Krebs
Colt Comrades
as Sheriff
Riding High
as Frenchy McGuire
Moonlight in Vermont
as Uncle Rufus
Nazi Agent
as 2nd Captain (uncredited)
Shut My Big Mouth
as Mayor Potter
Lone Star Ranger
as Tom Duane
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
as Ned Nolan
The Spoilers
as Flapjack
Tennessee Johnson
as Kirby
Tobacco Road
as Chief of Police
Wild Geese Calling
as Marshal Len Baker
Last of the Duanes
as Tom Duane
Citadel of Crime
as Jess Meekins
Swamp Water
as Marty McCord
Meet John Doe
as (uncredited)
Bad Men of Missouri
as Hank Younger
The Grapes of Wrath
as Pa Joad
Santa Fe Trail
as Shubel Morgan
Virginia City
as Gaylord
Wyoming
as Mr. Bronson
Brigham Young
as U.S. Army Major
Three Faces West
as Minister
Dodge City
as Orth
Young Mr. Lincoln
as Woolridge (uncredited)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Kenneth Allen (uncredited)
Drums Along the Mohawk
as Dr. Petry
Western Caravans
as Winchester Thompson
Desperate Trails
as Sheriff Big Bill Tanner
Geronimo
as Scout
The Bill of Rights
as Frontiersman
The Girl of the Golden West
as Fred - Outrider in Prologue
Gold Is Where You Find It
as MacKenzie
Heart of the North
as Dave MacMillan
Valley of the Giants
as McKenzie
Paradise Isle
as Baxter
That I May Live
as Bish Plivens
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
as Bayliss Baynum
Mountain Justice
as Matthew Turnbull
Wild West Days
as Matt Keeler
Green Light
as Sheep Man
Maid of Salem
as Village Marshal (Uncredited)
Parnell
as Dead Child's Father
Ramona
as Scroggs
The Harvester
as Abner Prewett
Paddy O'Day
as Benton
Man Hunt
as Jeff Parkington
San Francisco
as 'Red' Kelly
Back to Nature
as Sheriff
Girl of the Ozarks
as Bascomb Rogers
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
as Doc Small
Motive for Revenge
as McAllister
Way Down East
as Squire Amasa Bartlett
Carolina
as Richards
Ever Since Eve
as Jim Wood
Frontier Marshal
as Editor Pickett
West of the Pecos
as Roy Neal
Three on a Honeymoon
as Ezra MacDuff
The World Moves On
as Notary (1825)
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
as A.B. Crockett
Radio Scout
as Pappy Tolliver
The Power and the Glory
as Professor (uncredited)
Face in the Sky
as Pa Nathan Brown
Secrets
as Doctor (uncredited)
Hello Trouble
as Jonathan Kenyon
Silver Dollar
as Hamlin
Law and Order
as Judge R.W. Williams
Lena Rivers
as Grandfather Nichols
The Cabin in the Cotton
as Uncle Joe
The Honor of the Press
as Dan Perkins
The Famous Ferguson Case
as Banker Craig
Call Her Savage
as Old Man in Wagon Train
Ridin' for Justice
as Marshal Joseph Slyde
The Riding Tornado
as Sheriff
Flames
as Jake
The Great Meadow
as Thomas Hall
Susan Lenox
as Doctor
Alexander Hamilton
as Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier
Billy the Kid
as Angus McSween
Man to Man
as Uncle Cal
Abraham Lincoln
as Lincoln's Employer
The Lone Star Ranger
as Colonel John Aldridge
After the Fog
as Joshua Barker
Innocents of Paris
as Emile Leval
The Sap
as The Banker
All Faces West
as Gunner Bill
Noisy Neighbors
as Ebenezer
Tropical Nights
as Singapore Joe
Life's Mockery
1928
Life's Mockery
as Wolf Miller
Now We're in the Air
as Lord Abercrombie McTavish
The First Auto
as Hank Armstrong
The Frontiersman
as Andrew Jackson
Annie Laurie
as Sandy
Wild Geese
as Caleb Gare
The Heart of the Yukon
1927
The Heart of the Yukon
as 'Cash' Cynon
The Earth Woman
as Ezra Tilden
Rustlin' for Cupid
as Hank Blatchford
Lovey Mary
as Stubbins
The Social Highwayman
as The Mayor's Partner
The Splendid Road
as Capt. Lightfoot
Thunder Mountain
as Si Pace
The Eagle
as The Eagle's Lieutenant / Coach Driver (uncredited)
Faint Perfume
as Grandpa Crumb
Why Women Love
as Silas Martin
The Narrow Street
as Garvey
Paint and Powder
as Riley
Ship of Souls
1925
Ship of Souls
as Angus Garth
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
as Jap Taylor
Beauty and the Bad Man
as Chuckwalla Bill
Painted People
as Fred Lane
Defying Destiny
1923
Defying Destiny
as Mr. Wilkens
The Virginian
as Trampas
The Huntress
as Big Jack Skinner
Circus Days
as Eben Holt
The Girl of the Golden West
as Jack Rance
Hearts Aflame
as Black Joe
Desire
as Patrick Ryan
The Kingdom Within
1922
The Kingdom Within
as Caleb Deming
Human Hearts
as Paul Logan
Rags to Riches
as The Sheriff
Peg o' My Heart
as Jim O'Connell
Across the Dead-Line
as Enoch Kidder
Bunty Pulls the Strings
as Tammas Biggar
Snowblind
as Hugh Garth
Under the Lash
as Simeon Krillet
The Branding Iron
as John Carver
Lahoma
as 'Brick' Willock
Godless Men
as 'Black' Pawl
The Deadlier Sex
as Jim Willis
Desert Gold
as Ladd
The Brand
as Dan McGill
Bill Apperson's Boy
as Bill Apperson
The Blue Bandanna
as Jim Yancy
Fighting Cressy
as Hiram McKinstry
The Border Legion
as Overland Bradley
Breakers Ahead
as Captain Scudder
Riders of the Night
as Sally's Grandfather
A Weaver of Dreams
as Martin Chandler
The Uphill Path
1918
The Uphill Path
as James Lawton
The Challenge Accepted
as Uncle Zeke Sawyer
Oh, Johnny!
as Adele's Father
Blue Jeans
as Jacob Tutwiler
The Barrier
as John Gaylord / John Tale
The Food Gamblers
as Samuel Sloane
Lovely Mary
as Peter Nelson
The Virginian
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)