Russell Simpson

Russell Simpson

actor, soundtrack

Russell Simpson was born on Jun 17, 1880 in USA. Russell Simpson's big-screen debut came with The Old Homestead directed by James Kirkwood in 1915, strarring Sheriff. Russell Simpson is known for The Horse Soldiers directed by John Ford, John Wayne stars as Col. John Marlowe and William Holden as Maj. Henry Kendall. The upcoming new movie Russell Simpson plays is The Horse Soldiers which will be released on Jul 01, 1959.

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 Les raisins de la colère (1940). He appeared in other Ford pictures, including Sur la piste des Mohawks (1939), La route au tabac (1941), Les sacrifiés (1945), La poursuite infernale (1946) and Le soleil brille pour tout le monde (1953). He would continue acting to the very end, making his last film (naturally) for Ford: Les cavaliers (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.

  • Birthday

    Jun 17, 1880

  • Place of Birth

    Danville, California, USA

Known For

The Horse Soldiers
Movie
The Horse Soldiers

19597.1

The Tin Star
Movie
The Tin Star

19577.3

Friendly Persuasion
Movie
Friendly Persuasion

19567.3

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Movie
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

19547.3

Wagon Master
Movie
Wagon Master

19507.1

My Darling Clementine
Movie
My Darling Clementine

19467.7

They Were Expendable
Movie
They Were Expendable

19457.2

Meet John Doe
Movie
Meet John Doe

19417.6

The Grapes of Wrath
Movie
The Grapes of Wrath

19408.1

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Movie
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

19398.1

Movies & TV Shows

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Movies