Name
Will Geer
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1902-03-09
Deathday
1978-04-22 (76 years old)
Place of Birth
Frankfort, Indiana, USA
Biography
Will Geer (March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons.
Geer made his Broadway debut as Pistol in a 1928 production of Much Ado About Nothing, created the role of Mr. Mister in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, played Candy in John Steinbeck's theatrical adaptation of his novella Of Mice and Men, and appeared in numerous plays and revues throughout the 1940s. From 1948 to 1951, he appeared in more than a dozen movies, including Winchester '73 (as Wyatt Earp), Broken Arrow, Comanche Territory (all 1950) and Bright Victory (1951).
Geer became a member of the Communist Party of the United States in 1934. Geer was also influential in introducing Harry Hay to organizing in the Communist Party. In 1934, Geer and Hay gave support to a labor strike of the port of San Francisco; the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike which lasted 83 days. Though marred by violence, it was an organizing triumph, one that became a model for future union strikes Geer became a reader of the West Coast Communist newspaper People's World.
Geer became a dedicated activist, touring government work camps in the 1930s with folk singers like Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie (whom he introduced to the People's World and the Daily Worker; Guthrie would go on to write a column for the latter paper). In 1956, the duo released an album together on Folkways Records, titled Bound for Glory: Songs and Stories of Woody Guthrie. In his biography, fellow organizer and homosexual rights pioneer Harry Hay described Geer's activism and outlined their activities while organizing for the strike. Geer is credited with introducing Guthrie to Pete Seeger at the 'Grapes of Wrath' benefit Geer organized in 1940 for migrant farm workers.
Geer acted with the Group Theatre (New York) studying under Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. Geer also acted in radio, appearing as Mephistopheles (the Devil) in the 1938 and 1944 productions of Norman Corwin's The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. He also acted in the radio soap opera Bright Horizon.
Geer was blacklisted in the early 1950s for refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. As a result, Geer appeared in very few films over the next decade. Among them was Salt of the Earth (1954) which was produced, directed, written, and starring blacklisted Hollywood personnel and told the story of a miners' strike in New Mexico from a pro-union standpoint. The film was denounced as "subversive" and faced difficulties in its production and distribution as a consequence.
Known For
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Indian scout Tom Jeffords is sent out to stem the war between the American settlers and Ap...
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Proposed by the President of the United States to fill the post of Secretary of State, Rob...
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One of the last bills signed by President Lincoln authorizes pushing the Union Pacific Rai...
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Two strange sisters live in a crumbling mansion, where they keep a pet ape, which belonged...
- 1966 Seconds as Old Man
- 1954 Salt of the Earth as Sheriff
- 1972 Jeremiah Johnson as Bear Claw
- 1951 The Tall Target as Homer Crowley
- 1973 Executive Action as Ferguson
- 1950 Convicted as Convict Mapes
- 1948 Deep Waters as Nick Driver
- 1950 Winchester '73 as Wyatt Earp
- 1972 Napoleon and Samantha as Grandpa
- 1950 Broken Arrow as Ben Slade
- 1949 Johnny Allegro as Schultzy
- 1950 The Kid from Texas as O'Fallon
- 1962 Advise & Consent as Senate Minority Leader
- 1967 In Cold Blood as Prosecutor
- 1935 Becky Sharp as Spectator (uncredited)
- 1934 Wild Gold as Poker Player (uncredited)
- 1968 Certain Honorable Men as Malcolm Stoddard
- 1968 Of Mice and Men as Candy
- 1949 Intruder in the Dust as Sheriff Hampton
- 1950 It's a Small World as William Musk - Father
- 1951 Double Crossbones as Tom Botts
- 1949 Lust for Gold as Deputy Ray Covin
- 1970 Pieces of Dreams as The Bishop
- 1950 Comanche Territory as Dan'l Seeger
- 1974 The Hanged Man as Nameless
- 1979 The Man Who Loved Bears as Narrator
- 1971 Brother John as Doc Thomas
- 1951 Bright Victory as Mr. Nevins
- 1973 Savage! as Joel Ryker
- 1972 Dear Dead Delilah as Roy Jurroe
- 1950 To Please a Lady as Jack Mackay
- 1978 Rip Van Winkle as Narrator (voice)
- 1974 Hurricane as Dr. McCutcheon
- 1949 Anna Lucasta as Noah
- 1973 Isn't It Shocking? as Lemuel Lovell
- 1940 The Fight for Life as Ballou
- 1968 Bandolero! as Pop Chaney
- 1978 The Mafu Cage as Zom
- 1976 Moving Violation as Rockfield
- 1977 The Billion Dollar Hobo as Choo-Choo Trayne
- 1934 Spitfire as West Fry
- 1939 Union Pacific as Foreman (uncredited)
- 1940 Men and Dust as Narrator (voice)
- 1972 Scarecrow as Justice Gilead Merton
- 2017 In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s as Self
- 1973 Brock's Last Case as J. Smiley Krenshaw
- 1964 Black Like Me as Truckdriver
- 1951 The Barefoot Mailman as Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster
- 1972 The Rowdyman as Stan
- 1973 Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On as Len McNeil
- 1932 The Misleading Lady as McMahon - Asylum Guard
- 1974 Silence as Crazy Jack
- 1970 The Brotherhood of the Bell as Mike Patterson
- 1970 The Moonshine War as Mr. Baylor
- 1975 The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery as Dr. Simpson
- 1978 Unknown Powers as Host
- 1967 The Crucible as Giles Corey
- 1976 The Blue Bird as Grandfather
- 1974 Memory of Us as Motel Manager
- 1977 Bunco
- 2019 Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970 as Narrator
- 1987 James Stewart: A Wonderful Life as Self (archive footage)
- 1971 Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? as Simon Anderson
- 1969 The Reivers as Boss
- 2019 Will Geer: America's Grandpa
- 1976 Law and Order as Pat Crowley
- 1981 The New Deal for Artists as Self
- 1974 Honky Tonk as Judge Cotton
- 1967 The President's Analyst as Dr. Lee-Evan
- 1975 The Night That Panicked America as Reverend Davis
- 1956 Mobs, Inc. as Harry Robinson
- 1973 A Gift of Terror as Ben
- 1940 Tall Tales as Self
- 2005 Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death as Host
- 1935 The Mystery of Edwin Drood as Village Lamplighter (uncredited)
- 1967 Garrison's Gorillas ( 1 episode )
- 1972 Kung Fu ( 1 episode ) as Judge Emmitt Marcus
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Franklyn Bootherstone
- 1968 Hawaii Five-O ( 1 episode ) as Professor Harold Lochner
- 1971 Alias Smith and Jones ( 1 episode ) as Seth
- 1969 The Bill Cosby Show ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Kane
- 1969 Medical Center ( 2 episodes )
- 1955 Gunsmoke ( 1 episode ) as Slocum
- 1964 Bewitched ( 1 episode )
- 1966 Mission: Impossible ( 1 episode ) as Doc
- 1977 Eight Is Enough ( 2 episodes )
- 1972 The Waltons ( 142 episodes ) as Grandfather Walton
- 1965 Run for Your Life ( 1 episode ) as Judge David P. Andrews
- 1964 Daniel Boone ( 1 episode ) as Adam Jarrett
- 1972 The Sixth Sense ( 1 episode )
- 1951 Racket Squad ( 1 episode )
- 1974 Tony Orlando and Dawn ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1971 Columbo ( 1 episode ) as Edmund Hidemann
- 1959 Bonanza ( 1 episode ) as Zach Randolph
- 1968 Mayberry R.F.D. ( 2 episodes ) as Captain Charles Wolford
- 1969 The Courtship of Eddie's Father ( 1 episode ) as Harry I. Madison
- 1974 The Lives of Benjamin Franklin ( 4 episodes )
- 1978 A Woman Called Moses ( 2 episodes ) as Thomas Garrett
- 1959 Bonanza ( 1 episode ) as Ferris Callahan
- 1965 The Trials of O'Brien ( 1 episode ) as Judge Lindemann
- 1961 The Mike Douglas Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1975 Starsky & Hutch ( 2 episodes ) as Commodore Atwater
- 1973 Doc Elliot ( 1 episode ) as Paul Bartlett
- 1967 The Invaders ( 1 episode ) as Hank Willis
- 1974 Dinah! ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 1959 Bonanza ( 1 episode ) as Calvin Butler
- 1970 The Bold Ones: The Senator ( 1 episode ) as Senator Homer Bryant Wydell
- 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 1969 Then Came Bronson ( 1 episode ) as Oliver Hidemann
- 1964 Bewitched ( 1 episode ) as George Washington
- 1972 The ABC Afternoon Playbreak ( 1 episode ) as Ben
- 1956 Tony Awards ( 1 episode ) as Self - Performer
