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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0002095
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1279389
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Filmography (Movies)
Will Geer: America's Grandpa
Character:
Release Date:02/05/2019
Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970
Character:Narrator
Release Date:01/03/2019
In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s
Character:Self
Release Date:15/02/2017
Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death
Character:Host
Release Date:01/01/2005
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:13/03/1987
The New Deal for Artists
Character:Self
Release Date:06/07/1981
The Man Who Loved Bears
Character:Narrator
Release Date:17/06/1979
Rip Van Winkle
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:20/11/1978
The Mafu Cage
Character:Zom
Release Date:19/03/1978
Unknown Powers
Character:Host
Release Date:01/01/1978
The Billion Dollar Hobo
Character:Choo-Choo Trayne
Release Date:01/11/1977
Bunco
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1977
Moving Violation
Character:Rockfield
Release Date:16/07/1976
Law and Order
Character:Pat Crowley
Release Date:06/05/1976
The Blue Bird
Character:Grandfather
Release Date:30/04/1976
The Night That Panicked America
Character:Reverend Davis
Release Date:31/10/1975
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery
Character:Dr. Simpson
Release Date:07/03/1975
Hurricane
Character:Dr. McCutcheon
Release Date:10/09/1974
Memory of Us
Character:Motel Manager
Release Date:01/05/1974
Silence
Character:Crazy Jack
Release Date:15/04/1974
Honky Tonk
Character:Judge Cotton
Release Date:01/04/1974
The Hanged Man
Character:Nameless
Release Date:13/03/1974
Executive Action
Character:Ferguson
Release Date:07/11/1973
Isn't It Shocking?
Character:Lemuel Lovell
Release Date:02/10/1973
A Gift of Terror
Character:Ben
Release Date:05/04/1973
Savage
Character:Joel Ryker
Release Date:31/03/1973
Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On
Character:Len McNeil
Release Date:11/03/1973
Brock's Last Case
Character:J. Smiley Krenshaw
Release Date:05/03/1973
Jeremiah Johnson
Character:Bear Claw
Release Date:10/09/1972
Napoleon and Samantha
Character:Grandpa
Release Date:05/07/1972
The Rowdyman
Character:Stan
Release Date:18/05/1972
Dear Dead Delilah
Character:Roy Jurroe
Release Date:05/05/1972
Scarecrow
Character:Justice Gilead Merton
Release Date:10/01/1972
Brother John
Character:Doc Thomas
Release Date:15/08/1971
Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?
Character:Simon Anderson
Release Date:01/02/1971
Pieces of Dreams
Character:The Bishop
Release Date:23/09/1970
The Brotherhood of the Bell
Character:Mike Patterson
Release Date:17/09/1970
The Moonshine War
Character:Mr. Baylor
Release Date:30/06/1970
The Reivers
Character:Boss
Release Date:20/12/1969
Certain Honorable Men
Character:Malcolm Stoddard
Release Date:12/09/1968
Bandolero!
Character:Pop Chaney
Release Date:01/06/1968
Of Mice and Men
Character:Candy
Release Date:31/01/1968
The President's Analyst
Character:Dr. Lee-Evan
Release Date:21/12/1967
In Cold Blood
Character:Prosecutor
Release Date:15/12/1967
The Crucible
Character:Giles Corey
Release Date:04/05/1967
Seconds
Character:Old Man
Release Date:05/10/1966
Black Like Me
Character:Truckdriver
Release Date:20/05/1964
Advise & Consent
Character:Senate Minority Leader
Release Date:06/06/1962
Mobs, Inc.
Character:Harry Robinson
Release Date:21/03/1956
Salt of the Earth
Character:Sheriff
Release Date:14/03/1954
The Barefoot Mailman
Character:Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster
Release Date:03/12/1951
The Tall Target
Character:Homer Crowley
Release Date:17/08/1951
Bright Victory
Character:Mr. Nevins
Release Date:01/08/1951
Double Crossbones
Character:Tom Botts
Release Date:26/04/1951
To Please a Lady
Character:Jack Mackay
Release Date:13/10/1950
Convicted
Character:Convict Mapes
Release Date:01/08/1950
Broken Arrow
Character:Ben Slade
Release Date:21/07/1950
Winchester '73
Character:Wyatt Earp
Release Date:12/07/1950
It's a Small World
Character:William Musk - Father
Release Date:24/06/1950
Comanche Territory
Character:Dan'l Seeger
Release Date:01/05/1950
The Kid from Texas
Character:O'Fallon
Release Date:01/03/1950
Intruder in the Dust
Character:Sheriff Hampton
Release Date:22/11/1949
Anna Lucasta
Character:Noah
Release Date:11/07/1949
Lust for Gold
Character:Deputy Ray Covin
Release Date:10/06/1949
Johnny Allegro
Character:Schultzy
Release Date:26/05/1949
Deep Waters
Character:Nick Driver
Release Date:22/07/1948
Men and Dust
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:08/11/1940
The Fight for Life
Character:Ballou
Release Date:07/03/1940
Tall Tales
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1940
Union Pacific
Character:Foreman (uncredited)
Release Date:05/05/1939
Becky Sharp
Character:Spectator (uncredited)
Release Date:28/06/1935
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Character:Village Lamplighter (uncredited)
Release Date:04/02/1935
Wild Gold
Character:Poker Player (uncredited)
Release Date:08/06/1934
Spitfire
Character:West Fry
Release Date:08/03/1934
The Misleading Lady
Character:McMahon - Asylum Guard
Release Date:15/04/1932
Television Appearances
A Woman Called Moses
Character:Thomas Garrett
The Love Boat
Character:Franklyn Bootherstone
Eight Is Enough
Character:
Starsky & Hutch
Character:Commodore Atwater
Tony Orlando and Dawn
Character:Self
The Lives of Benjamin Franklin
Character:
Dinah!
Character:Self
Doc Elliot
Character:Paul Bartlett
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
Character:Ben
Kung Fu
Character:Judge Emmitt Marcus
The Waltons
Character:Grandfather Walton
The Sixth Sense
Character:
Columbo
Character:Edmund Hidemann
Alias Smith and Jones
Character:Seth
The Bold Ones: The Senator
Character:Senator Homer Bryant Wydell
Medical Center
Character:
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Character:Harry I. Madison
Then Came Bronson
Character:Oliver Hidemann
The Bill Cosby Show
Character:Mr. Kane
Mayberry R.F.D.
Character:Captain Charles Wolford
Hawaii Five-O
Character:Professor Harold Lochner
Garrison's Gorillas
Character:
The Invaders
Character:Hank Willis
Mission: Impossible
Character:Doc
The Trials of O'Brien
Character:Judge Lindemann
Run for Your Life
Character:Judge David P. Andrews
Daniel Boone
Character:Adam Jarrett
Bewitched
Character:
Bewitched
Character:George Washington
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
Bonanza
Character:Zach Randolph
Bonanza
Character:Ferris Callahan
Bonanza
Character:Calvin Butler
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Performer
Gunsmoke
Character:Slocum
Racket Squad
Character:
Images
