Russell Simpson (actor)

Russell Simpson
File:Russell Simpson in The Grapes of Wrath trailer.jpg Simpson in The Grapes of Wrath.
Born	(1880-06-17)June 17, 1880 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Years active	1914–1959
Spouse(s)	Gertrude Aller (1910–1959) (his death) 1 child
Children	Russell Jr. Roberta (b. 1918)

Russell McCaskill Simpson (June 17, 1880 – December 12, 1959) was an American character actor.

Biography

Born in San Francisco, California, 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 in 1940.

Simpson reportedly prospected for gold in Alaska in his youth, but by 1909 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.

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. He worked up to 1959, the year of his death. His final film was The Horse Soldiers, his tenth film for Ford. He died in Woodland Hills, California.

Selected filmography

• The Virginian (1914) (uncredited)
• Lovely Mary (1916)
• Blue Jeans (1917)
• A Weaver of Dreams (1918)
• Riders of the Night (1918)
• The Border Legion (1918)
• The Deadlier Sex (1920)
• Godless Men (1920)
• Under the Lash (1921)
• Across the Dead-Line (1922)
• Peg o' My Heart (1922)
• The Girl of the Golden West (1923)
• The Virginian (1923)
• The Narrow Street (1925)
• The Social Highwayman (1926)
• The Splendid Road (1926)
• The Earth Woman (1926)
• Annie Laurie (1927)
• The First Auto (1927)
• Now We're in the Air (1927)
• The Bushranger (1928)
• The Trail of '98 (1928)
• Noisy Neighbors (1929)
• Innocents of Paris (1929)
• Abraham Lincoln (1930)
• Billy the Kid (1930)
• Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931) as Doctor
• Ridin' for Justice (1932)
• Law and Order (1932)
• Call Her Savage (1932)
• Silver Dollar (1932)
• Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
• The Riding Tornado (1932)
• Hello Everybody! (1933)
• Frontier Marshal (1934)
• The World Moves On (1934)
• Carolina (1934)
• Way Down East (1935)
• Ramona (1936)
• The Harvester (1936)
• Man Hunt (1936)
• Paddy O'Day (1936)
• San Francisco (1936)
• Green Light (1937)
• Mountain Justice (1937)
• Wild West Days (1937 serial)
• Valley of the Giants (1938)
• Gold is Where You Find It (1938)
• Heart of the North (1938)
• Dodge City (1939)
• Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
• Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
• The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
• Virginia City (1940)
• Santa Fe Trail (1940)
• Three Faces West (1940)
• Tobacco Road (1941)
• Wild Geese Calling (1941)
• Swamp Water (1941)
• Badman of Missouri (1941)
• The Spoilers (1942)
• Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)
• Border Patrol (1943)
• Moonlight in Vermont (1943)
• Man from Frisco (1944)
• Bad Bascomb (1945)
• Along Came Jones (1945)
• They Were Expendable (1945)
• A Boy and His Dog (1946)
• My Darling Clementine (1946)
• Bowery Buckaroos (1947)
• The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)
• Coroner Creek (1948)
• Tap Roots (1948)
• Albuquerque (1948)
• Tuna Clipper (1949)
• The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)
• Saddle Tramp (1950)
• Call of the Klondike (1950)
• The Outriders (1950)
• Wagon Master (1950)
• Lone Star (1950)
• Comin' Round the Mountain (1951)
• Across the Wide Missouri (1951)
• The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
• The Last Command (1955)
• The Tall Men (1955)
• The Tin Star (1957)
• The Horse Soldiers (1959)

External links

• Russell Simpson at the Internet Movie Database
• Russell Simpson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Russell Simpson at Find a Grave
• Russell Simpson papers at Harold B. Lee Library, BYU