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