RUSSELL SIMPSON
In The Horse Soldiers
Information From IMDb
Date of Birth
17 June 1880, Danville, California, USA
Date of Death
12 December 1959, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name
Russell McCaskill Simpson
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
Spouse
Gertrude Aller (1910 - 12 December 1959) (his death) 1 child
Trivia
Daughter: Roberta Hope (c. 1918)
Erroneously reported in some sources to be the brother of stuntman Barlow Simpson, but U.S. Census records clearly indicate different parents and no readily apparent relationship.
With six Technicolor films through 1939, he apparently holds the record for work in early Technicolor. They include Ramona, Gold is Where you Find it, Heart of the North, Valley of the Giants, Dodge City, and Drums Along the Mohawk.
Mini Biography
His grim, beady-eyed, sharp-nosed, weatherbeaten face was always familiar despite the small roles he appeared in. Every once in a while character actor Russell Simpson would stand out in a small scene, but his main purpose seemed to be adding rustic authenticity to his westerns or small-town dramas. Born on June 17, 1880 in San Francisco, California, Simpson was involved in the Alaska gold rush as a teenager before settling upon an acting career. A member of a number of touring companies, he eventually made it to Broadway. His silent film debut in The Virginian (1914) was unbilled, but he went on to appear in occasional leads and top support roles in many others, with such roles as Trampas in the remake of The Virginian (1923) and President Andrew Jackson in The Frontiersman (1927) highlighting his silent era. Simpson's parts grew smaller with the advent of sound and his gents grew increasingly grizzled, stubborn and cranky. In the late 1930s he became a stock player in director John Ford's company of actors, which culminated in one of his finest roles as Pa Joad in the classic The Grapes of Wrath (1940). He appeared in other Ford pictures, including Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Tobacco Road (1941), They Were Expendable (1945), My Darling Clementine (1946) and The Sun Shines Bright (1953). He would continue acting to the very end, making his last film (naturally) for Ford: The Horse Soldiers (1959). Appearing in hundreds of films over a span of four decades, he graced TV westerns as well with roles on "The Lone Ranger" (1949) and "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" (1951) to his credit. His more than 40-year marriage to Gertrude Aller produced a daughter, Roberta. Simpson passed away on December 12, 1959 of natural causes in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 79.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh
Filmography
Actor
1. The Horse Soldiers (1959) .... Acting Sheriff Henry Goodbody
2. "The Texan" .... Zeb Waters (1 episode, 1959)
- The Man Behind the Star (1959) TV episode .... Zeb Waters
3. "The Court of Last Resort" .... Glover (1 episode, 1958)
- The Joel Sheldon Case (1958) TV episode .... Glover
4. "The Gray Ghost" .... Slocum (1 episode, 1958)
- Epidemic (1958) TV episode .... Slocum
5. "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" .... Jonah (1 episode, 1957)
- The Old Timer (1957) TV episode .... Jonah
6. The Tin Star (1957) .... Clem Hall
7. "Wagon Train" .... Mr. Carr (1 episode, 1957)
- The Ruth Owens Story (1957) TV episode .... Mr. Carr
8. The Lonely Man (1957) (uncredited) .... Red Bluff Poker Player
9. The Brass Legend (1956) .... Deputy 'Pop' Jackson
10. Friendly Persuasion (1956) (uncredited) .... Elder (Brother Griffith)
11. These Wilder Years (1956) (uncredited) .... Farmer
12. "Crossroads" (1 episode, 1956)
- Anatole of the Bayous (1956) TV episode
13. "The 20th Century-Fox Hour" .... Old Man (1 episode, 1955)
- The Ox-Bow Incident (1955) TV episode .... Old Man
14. Oklahoma! (1955) (uncredited) .... The Minister
15. The Tall Men (1955) .... Emigrant
16. The Last Command (1955) .... The Parson
... aka "San Antonio de Bexar" - USA (alternative title)
17. Many Rivers to Cross (1955) (uncredited) .... Man at Inn
18. "TV Reader's Digest" .... Jim Roberts (1 episode, 1955)
- The Last of the Old Time Shooting Sheriffs (1955) TV episode .... Jim Roberts
19. "Cavalcade of America" .... Judge Grant / ... (3 episodes, 1953-1954)
... aka "DuPont Presents the Cavalcade Theatre" - USA (fourth season title)
... aka "DuPont Theater" - USA (fifth season title)
- The Forge (1954) TV episode .... Judge Grant
- Young Andy Jackson (1954) TV episode
- Night Strike (1953) TV episode .... Quatermaster
20. Broken Lance (1954) (uncredited) .... Judge
21. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) .... Fred Bixby
22. Gypsy Colt (1954) (uncredited) .... Mr. Minter
23. "The Lone Ranger" .... Jack Brewster (1 episode, 1953)
- The Old Cowboy (1953) TV episode .... Jack Brewster
24. The Sun Shines Bright (1953) .... Dr. Lewt Lake
25. Meet Me at the Fair (1953) .... Sheriff Evans
26. Feudin' Fools (1952) .... Grandpa Smith
... aka "Down on the Farm" - USA (alternative title)
27. Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) .... Clem Johnson
... aka "Ma and Pa Kettle at the County Fair" - USA (alternative title)
28. Lone Star (1952) .... Maynard Cole
29. Across the Wide Missouri (1951) (uncredited) .... Hoback
30. Comin' Round the Mountain (1951) .... Judge
31. "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" .... Sam Overman (1 episode, 1951)
- Ghost Town Story (1951) TV episode .... Sam Overman
32. Call of the Klondike (1950) .... Andy McKay
33. Saddle Tramp (1950) .... Pop
34. Wagon Master (1950) .... Adam Perkins
35. The Outriders (1950) (uncredited) .... The Farmer
36. Free for All (1949) .... Farmer
37. The Gal Who Took the West (1949) .... Bartender (Old-Timer)
38. The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949) (uncredited) .... Grandpa
39. Tuna Clipper (1949) .... Capt. Fergus MacLennan
40. Joan of Arc (1948) (uncredited) .... Old Man with Pipe
41. Sundown in Santa Fe (1948) .... Sheriff Jim Wyatt
42. The Untamed Breed (1948) (uncredited) .... The Minister
43. Tap Roots (1948) .... Big Sam Dabney
44. Coroner Creek (1948) .... Walt Hardison
45. Silver City (1948) .... Abner Huggins
... aka "Albuquerque" - USA (original title)
46. The Fabulous Texan (1947) .... Wade Clayton
... aka "The Texas Uprising" - USA (reissue title)
47. Bowery Buckaroos (1947) .... Sheriff Luke Barlow
48. The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) .... Dan Yeary
49. The Millerson Case (1947) (uncredited) .... Squire Tuttle
50. A Boy and His Dog (1946) .... Mr. Thornycroft
51. My Darling Clementine (1946) .... John Simpson
... aka "John Ford's My Darling Clementine" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)
52. My Dog Shep (1946) .... Matt Hodgkins
53. Lady Luck (1946) (uncredited) .... Daniel Boone
54. Death Valley (1946) .... Old Silas Bagley
55. Bad Bascomb (1946) .... Elijah Walker
56. California Gold Rush (1946) .... Colonel Parker
57. They Were Expendable (1945) .... 'Dad' Knowland
58. Incendiary Blonde (1945) (uncredited) .... Jenkins
59. Along Came Jones (1945) .... Pop de Longpre
60. Roughly Speaking (1945) (uncredited) .... The Colonel - Drill Instructor
61. The Big Bonanza (1944) .... Adam Parker
62. Tall in the Saddle (1944) (uncredited) .... Pat Foster
63. Man from Frisco (1944) .... Dr. Hershey
64. Roaring Guns (1944) .... Farmer MacKenzie
65. Texas Masquerade (1944) .... J.K. Trimble
66. The Woman of the Town (1943) .... Sime
67. Moonlight in Vermont (1943) .... Uncle Rufus
68. Melody Inn (1943) (uncredited) .... Frenchy McQuire
... aka "Riding High" - USA (original title)
69. Colt Comrades (1943) (uncredited) .... Sheriff
70. Border Patrol (1943) .... Mayor Orestes Krebs
71. The Man on America's Conscience (1942) .... Kirby
... aka "Tennessee Johnson" - USA (original title)
72. The Spoilers (1942) .... Flapjack Sims
73. Lone Star Ranger (1942) .... Tom Duane
74. Shut My Big Mouth (1942) .... Mayor Potter
75. Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942) .... Edward 'Ned' Nolan
76. Nazi Agent (1942) (uncredited) .... 2nd Captain
77. The Man Who Came Back (1941) .... Marty McCord
... aka "Swamp Water" - USA (original title)
78. Last of the Duanes (1941) .... Tom Duane
79. Wild Geese Calling (1941) .... Marshal Len Baker
80. Bad Men of Missouri (1941) .... Henry 'Hank' Younger
81. Citadel of Crime (1941/I) .... Jess Meekins
82. John Doe, Dynamite (1941) (uncredited)
... aka "Meet John Doe" - USA (original title)
... aka "Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe'" - USA (complete title)
83. Tobacco Road (1941) .... Chief of Police
84. Santa Fe Trail (1940) .... Shubel Morgan
85. Bad Man of Wyoming (1940) (uncredited) .... Mr. Bronson
... aka "Wyoming" - USA (original title)
86. Brigham Young: Frontiersman (1940) .... U.S. Army Major
... aka "Brigham Young" - USA (original title)
87. The Refugee (1940) .... Minister
... aka "Three Faces West" - USA (original title)
88. Virginia City (1940) .... Frank Gaylord
89. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) .... Pa Joad
90. Geronimo (1939) (uncredited) .... Scout
91. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) .... Dr. Petry
92. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (uncredited) .... Kenneth Allen
... aka "Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" - USA (complete title)
93. Desperate Trails (1939) .... Sheriff Bill Tanner
94. The Bill of Rights (1939) (uncredited) .... Frontiersman
95. Silver Sands (1939) .... Winchester Thompson
... aka "Western Caravans" - USA (original title)
96. Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) (uncredited) .... Woolridge
97. Dodge City (1939) .... Orth
98. Heart of the North (1938) .... Dave MacMillan
99. The Sisters (1938) (uncredited) .... First Sailor
100. Valley of the Giants (1938) .... 'Mac' McKenzie
101. Sons of the Plains (1938)
102. The Girl of the Golden West (1938) (uncredited) .... Fred - Outrider in Prologue
103. Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) .... Farmer John 'Mac' McKenzie
104. Paradise Isle (1937) .... Baxter
... aka "Siren of the South Seas" - USA (reissue title)
105. Wild West Days (1937) .... Matt Keeler
106. Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge (1937) .... Bayliss Baynum
107. Parnell (1937) (uncredited) .... Father of Dead Child
108. That I May Live (1937) .... Bish Plivens
109. Mountain Justice (1937) .... Mr. Matthew Turnbull
110. Maid of Salem (1937) .... Village Marshal
111. Green Light (1937) .... Sheep Man
112. Wild Brian Kent (1936) (uncredited) .... Race Judge
113. Ramona (1936) .... Scroggs
114. Back to Nature (1936) (uncredited) .... Sheriff
115. The Crime of Dr. Forbes (1936) .... Sheriff Neil
116. San Francisco (1936) .... 'Red' Kelly
117. Girl of the Ozarks (1936) .... Bascomb Rogers
118. The Harvester (1936) .... Abner Prewett
119. Man Hunt (1936) .... Jeff Parkington
120. Paddy O'Day (1935) .... Benton
121. Way Down East (1935) .... Squire Amasa Bartlett
122. Motive for Revenge (1935) .... McAllister
123. The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1935) .... Doc Small
124. The County Chairman (1935) .... Vance Jimmison
125. West of the Pecos (1934) .... Roy Neal
126. The World Moves On (1934) .... Notary (1825)
127. Ever Since Eve (1934) .... Jim Wood
128. Three on a Honeymoon (1934) .... Ezra MacDuff
129. House of Connelly (1934) .... Richards
... aka "Carolina" - USA (original title)
130. Frontier Marshal (1934) .... Editor Pickett
131. Radio Scout (1934)
132. Sixteen Fathoms Deep (1934) .... A.B. Crockett
133. Power and Glory (1933) (uncredited) .... College Engineering Professor
... aka "The Power and the Glory" - USA (original title)
134. The Moonshiner's Daughter (1933) (as Russel Simpson) .... Paw Catfield - The Moonshiner
135. Face in the Sky (1933) .... Pa Brown
136. Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles (1933) .... Speaker
137. Thru Thin and Thicket; or, Who's Zoo in Africa (1933)
... aka "Thru Thin and Thicket" - USA (short title)
138. Silver Dollar (1932) .... Hamlin
139. Call Her Savage (1932) .... Old Man in Wagon Train
140. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) (scenes deleted) .... Sheriff
141. White Eagle (1932) (uncredited) .... Gray Wolf
142. The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) .... Uncle Joe
143. Two Lips and Juleps; or, Southern Love and Northern Exposure (1932)
... aka "Two Lips and Juleps" - USA (short title)
144. Hello Trouble (1932) .... Jonathan Kenyon
145. The Honor of the Press (1932) .... City Editor Dan Perkins
... aka "The Scoop" - , USA (working title)
146. The Engineer's Daughter; or, Iron Minnie's Revenge (1932)
147. Flames (1932) .... Jake
148. The Famous Ferguson Case (1932) .... Craig
149. The Riding Tornado (1932) .... Sheriff
150. Rule 'Em and Weep (1932) .... King's Aide
151. Lena Rivers (1932) .... Grandfather
... aka "The Sin of Lena Rivers" - USA (reissue title)
152. Law and Order (1932) .... Judge R.W. Williams
... aka "Guns A'Blazing" - USA (reissue title)
153. Ridin' for Justice (1932) .... Marshal Joseph Slyde
154. The Rise of Helga (1931) .... Doctor
... aka "Susan Lenox <Her Fall and Rise>" - USA (original title)
155. Alexander Hamilton (1931) (uncredited) .... Harvey Taylor - First Ex-Soldier
156. West of the Rockies (1931) .... Gunner Bill
... aka "All Faces West" - USA (review title)
... aka "Call of the Rockies" - USA (reissue title)
157. The Great Meadow (1931) .... Thomas Hall
158. Man to Man (1930) .... Uncle Cal
159. Billy the Kid (1930) .... Angus McSween
... aka "The Highwayman Rides" - USA (TV title)
160. Abraham Lincoln (1930) .... Uncle Jimmy--Lincoln's Employer
... aka "D.W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln'" - USA (alternative title)
161. The Lone Star Ranger (1930) .... Colonel John Aldridge
162. After the Fog (1929) .... Joshua Barker
163. The Sap (1929) .... The Banker
164. Innocents of Paris (1929) .... Emile Leval
165. My Lady's Past (1929) .... John Parker
166. Kid's Clever (1929) .... John Decker
167. Noisy Neighbors (1929) .... Ebenezer
168. Tropical Nights (1928) .... Singapore Joe
169. The Bushranger (1928) .... Sir Eric
170. Life's Mockery (1928) .... Wolf Miller
171. The Trail of '98 (1928) .... Old Swede
172. Wild Geese (1927) .... Caleb Gare
173. Now We're in the Air (1927) .... Lord Abercrombie McTavish
174. The First Auto (1927) .... Hank Armstrong
175. The Frontiersman (1927) .... Andrew Jackson
176. The Heart of the Yukon (1927) .... 'Cash' Cynon
177. Annie Laurie (1927) .... Sandy
178. God's Great Wilderness (1927) .... Richard Stoner
179. Lovey Mary (1926) .... Stubbins
180. The Social Highwayman (1926) .... The Mayor's Partner
181. Rustling for Cupid (1926) .... Hank Blatchford
182. The Earth Woman (1926) .... Ezra Tilden
183. Ship of Souls (1925) .... Angus Garth
184. The Splendid Road (1925) .... Captain Lightfoot
185. The Eagle (1925) (uncredited) .... The Eagle's Lieutenant/Coach Driver
186. Why Women Love (1925) .... Silas Martin
... aka "Sea Woman" - USA (alternative title)
187. Thunder Mountain (1925) .... Si Pace
188. Paint and Powder (1925) .... Riley
189. Faint Perfume (1925) .... Grandpa Crumb
190. Old Shoes (1925)
191. Beauty and the Bad Man (1925) .... Chuckwalla Bill
192. The Re-Creation of Brian Kent (1925) .... Jap Taylor
193. The Narrow Street (1925) .... Gaarvey
194. Painted People (1924) .... Fred Lane
195. Desire (1923) .... Patrick Ryan
196. The Virginian (1923) .... Trampas
197. Defying Destiny (1923) .... Mr. Wilkens
198. The Huntress (1923) .... Big Jack Skinner
199. Circus Days (1923) .... Eben Holt
200. The Rip-Tide (1923) .... The Maharajah
201. The Girl of the Golden West (1923) .... Jack Rance
202. Hearts Aflame (1923) .... Black Joe
203. The Kingdom Within (1922) .... Caleb Deming
204. Peg o' My Heart (1922) .... Jim O'Connell
205. Fools of Fortune (1922) .... Magpie Simpkins
206. Rags to Riches (1922) .... The Sheriff
207. Human Hearts (1922) .... Paul Logan
208. Across the Deadline (1922) .... Enoch Kidder
209. When Love Is Young (1922)
210. Shadows of Conscience (1921) .... Jim Logan
211. Under the Lash (1921) .... Simeon Krillet
212. Snowblind (1921) .... Hugh Garth
213. Bunty Pulls the Strings (1921) .... Tammas Biggar
214. The Branding Iron (1920) .... John Carver
215. Godless Men (1920) .... 'Black' Pawl
216. Lahoma (1920) .... 'Brick' Willock
217. The Deadlier Sex (1920) .... Jim Willis
218. Out of the Dust (1920) .... Captain John Evans, U.S.A.
219. The Blue Bandanna (1919) .... Jim Yancy
220. Desert Gold (1919/I) .... Ladd
221. Fighting Cressy (1919) .... Hiram McKinstry
222. Bill Apperson's Boy (1919) .... Bill Apperson
223. The Brand (1919) .... Dan McGill
224. The Challenge Accepted (1918) .... Uncle Zeke Sawyer
225. Oh, Johnny! (1918) .... Adele's Fatther
226. The Border Legion (1918) .... Overland Bradley
227. The Uphill Path (1918) .... James Lawton
228. Riders of the Night (1918) .... Sally's Grandfather
229. Breakers Ahead (1918) .... Captain Scudder
230. A Weaver of Dreams (1918) .... Martin Chandler
231. Salt of the Earth (1917) .... Sinful John
232. Blue Jeans (1917) .... Jacob Tutwiler
233. The Girl Without a Soul (1917) (uncredited) .... Judge
234. The Food Gamblers (1917) .... Samuel Sloane
235. The Barrier (1917) .... John Gaylord/John Tale
236. The Feud Girl (1916) .... Zeb Bassett
237. Lovely Mary (1916) .... Peter Nelson
238. The Old Homestead (1915) .... Sheriff
... aka "Thompson's 'Old Homestead'" - USA (alternative title)
239. The Virginian (1914) (uncredited)
