Russell Simpson

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' (qv) 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)_ (qv) 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)_ (qv) and President Andrew Jackson in _The Frontiersman (1927)_ (qv) 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' (qv)'s company of actors, which culminated in one of his finest roles as Pa Joad in the classic _The Grapes of Wrath (1940)_ (qv). He appeared in other Ford pictures, including _Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)_ (qv), _Tobacco Road (1941)_ (qv), _They Were Expendable (1945)_ (qv), _My Darling Clementine (1946)_ (qv) and _The Sun Shines Bright (1953)_ (qv). He would continue acting to the very end, making his last film (naturally) for Ford: _The Horse Soldiers (1959)_ (qv). Appearing in hundreds of films over a span of four decades, he graced TV westerns as well with roles on _The Lone Ranger (1949)_ (qv) and _Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951)_ (qv) 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.::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]