Russell 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.
207 acting credits
Acting · 207
Wagon Train
1957
The Lone Ranger
1949
The Texan
1958
Cavalcade of America
1952
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951
Public Defender
1954
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955
General Electric Theater
1953
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
Oklahoma!
1955
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
They Were Expendable
1945
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954
The Horse Soldiers
1959
My Darling Clementine
1946
The Tin Star
1957
The Tall Men
1955
Friendly Persuasion
1956
Meet John Doe
1941
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939
Santa Fe Trail
1940
Wagon Master
1950
Joan of Arc
1948
Dodge City
1939
The Spoilers
1942
Abraham Lincoln
1930
Tobacco Road
1941
Lone Star
1952
Broken Lance
1954
Nazi Agent
1942
Tall in the Saddle
1944
Swamp Water
1941
The Outriders
1950
San Francisco
1936
The Brass Legend
1956
The Last Command
1955
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
Virginia City
1940
The Eagle
1925
Paddy O'Day
1936
Way Down East
1935
Call Her Savage
1932
Valley of the Giants
1938
Tap Roots
1948
Maid of Salem
1937
Secrets
1933
Hello Trouble
1932
Albuquerque
1948
Ramona
1936
The Gal Who Took the West
1949
California Gold Rush
1946
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
Brigham Young
1940
Geronimo
1939
Roaring Guns
1944
Silver Dollar
1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932
Three Faces West
1940
Texas Masquerade
1944
Tennessee Johnson
1942
Lena Rivers
1932
Carolina
1934
West of the Pecos
1934
Along Came Jones
1945
Comin' Round the Mountain
1951
The Lonely Man
1957
Law and Order
1932
Saddle Tramp
1950
Tropical Nights
1928
Motive for Revenge
1935
Coroner Creek
1948
Painted People
1924
Call of the Klondike
1950
Roughly Speaking
1945
Shut My Big Mouth
1942
Colt Comrades
1943
Free For All
1949
Frontier Marshal
1934
Back to Nature
1936
Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)
1931
Border Patrol
1943
Parnell
1937
Bad Men of Missouri
1941
Bowery Buckaroos
1947
Western Caravans
1939
Billy the Kid
1930
Mountain Justice
1937
Wild Geese
1927
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
1925
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947
Death Valley
1946
Tuna Clipper
1949
Man Hunt
1936
The World Moves On
1934
Wild West Days
1937
The First Auto
1927
Annie Laurie
1927
The Harvester
1936
The Virginian
1923
The Honor of the Press
1932
The Deadlier Sex
1920
The Bill of Rights
1939
The Big Bonanza
1944
Riding High
1943
Face in the Sky
1933
Meet Me at the Fair
1953
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942
The Brand
1919
The Power and the Glory
1933
The Girl of the Golden West
1938
The Woman of the Town
1943
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935
Feudin' Fools
1952
The Untamed Breed
1948
My Dog Shep
1946
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952
Heart of the North
1938
Alexander Hamilton
1931
Thunder Mountain
1925
Citadel of Crime
1941
Blue Jeans
1917
Green Light
1937
Wild Geese Calling
1941
The Fabulous Texan
1947
Noisy Neighbors
1929
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932
Wyoming
1940
Fighting Cressy
1919
The Huntress
1923
Human Hearts
1922
Man to Man
1930
Faint Perfume
1925
Bad Bascomb
1946
Sundown in Santa Fe
1948
Snowblind
1921
Desperate Trails
1939
Godless Men
1920
The Branding Iron
1920
The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon
1952
Why Women Love
1925
Bill Apperson's Boy
1919
Old Shoes
1925
The Social Highwayman
1926
The Challenge Accepted
1918
The Uphill Path
1918
Lone Star Ranger
1942
The Splendid Road
1925
That I May Live
1937
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933
Peg o' My Heart
1922
Ever Since Eve
1934
The Frontiersman
1927
Lovey Mary
1926
The Virginian
1914
The Old Homestead
1915
A Boy and His Dog
1946
The Lone Star Ranger
1930
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
1937
The Great Meadow
1931
Defying Destiny
1923
Lahoma
1920
Bunty Pulls the Strings
1921
The Sap
1929
Breakers Ahead
1918
The Narrow Street
1925
Now We're in the Air
1927
Across the Dead-Line
1922
Desire
1923
Sixteen Fathoms Deep
1934
Rags to Riches
1922
Paradise Isle
1937
Riders of the Night
1918
After the Fog
1929
Life's Mockery
1928
The Earth Woman
1926
Circus Days
1923
Last of the Duanes
1941
Ridin' for Justice
1932
Three on a Honeymoon
1934
Paint and Powder
1925
Flames
1932
Under the Lash
1921
Rustlin' for Cupid
1926
The Heart of the Yukon
1927
Innocents of Paris
1929
The Kingdom Within
1922
Desert Gold
1919
The Barrier
1917
The Food Gamblers
1917
The Riding Tornado
1932
Hearts Aflame
1923
Oh, Johnny!
1918
The Girl of the Golden West
1923
The Bushranger
1928
All Faces West
1929
My Lady's Past
1929
Ship of Souls
1925
The Border Legion
1918
Girl of the Ozarks
1936
A Weaver of Dreams
1918
Radio Scout
1934
Beauty and the Bad Man
1925
Moonlight in Vermont
1943
Lovely Mary
1916
The Blue Bandanna
1919