Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970
2019 · Movie
as Narrator
Will Geer
1902-03-09
•
Frankfort, Indiana, USA
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.
Filmography
Will Geer: America's Grandpa
2019 · Movie
In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s
2017 · Movie
as Self
Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death
2005 · Movie
as Host
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The New Deal for Artists
1981 · Movie
as Self
No image
The Man Who Loved Bears
1979 · Movie
as Narrator
Rip Van Winkle
1978 · Movie
as Narrator (voice)
The Mafu Cage
1978 · Movie
as Zom
Unknown Powers
1978 · Movie
as Host
A Woman Called Moses
1978 · TV Show
as Thomas Garrett
The Billion Dollar Hobo
1977 · Movie
as Choo-Choo Trayne
Bunco
1977 · Movie
The Love Boat
1977 · TV Show
as Franklyn Bootherstone
Eight Is Enough
1977 · TV Show
Moving Violation
1976 · Movie
as Rockfield
The Blue Bird
1976 · Movie
as Grandfather
Law and Order
1976 · Movie
as Pat Crowley
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery
1975 · Movie
as Dr. Simpson
The Night That Panicked America
1975 · Movie
as Reverend Davis
Starsky & Hutch
1975 · TV Show
as Commodore Atwater
The Hanged Man
1974 · Movie
as Nameless
Hurricane
1974 · Movie
as Dr. McCutcheon
No image
Silence
1974 · Movie
as Crazy Jack
Memory of Us
1974 · Movie
as Motel Manager
Honky Tonk
1974 · Movie
as Judge Cotton
Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974 · TV Show
as Self
The Lives of Benjamin Franklin
1974 · TV Show
Dinah!
1974 · TV Show
as Self
Executive Action
1973 · Movie
as Ferguson
Savage!
1973 · Movie
as Joel Ryker
Isn't It Shocking?
1973 · Movie
as Lemuel Lovell
Brock's Last Case
1973 · Movie
as J. Smiley Krenshaw
Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On
1973 · Movie
as Len McNeil
A Gift of Terror
1973 · Movie
as Ben
Doc Elliot
1973 · TV Show
as Paul Bartlett
Jeremiah Johnson
1972 · Movie
as Bear Claw
Napoleon and Samantha
1972 · Movie
as Grandpa
Dear Dead Delilah
1972 · Movie
as Roy Jurroe
Scarecrow
1972 · Movie
as Justice Gilead Merton
The Rowdyman
1972 · Movie
as Stan
Kung Fu
1972 · TV Show
as Judge Emmitt Marcus
The Waltons
1972 · TV Show
as Grandfather Walton
The Sixth Sense
1972 · TV Show
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
1972 · TV Show
as Ben
Brother John
1971 · Movie
as Doc Thomas
Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?
1971 · Movie
as Simon Anderson
Alias Smith and Jones
1971 · TV Show
as Seth
Columbo
1971 · TV Show
as Edmund Hidemann
Pieces of Dreams
1970 · Movie
as The Bishop
The Brotherhood of the Bell
1970 · Movie
as Mike Patterson
The Moonshine War
1970 · Movie
as Mr. Baylor
The Bold Ones: The Senator
1970 · TV Show
as Senator Homer Bryant Wydell
The Reivers
1969 · Movie
as Boss
The Bill Cosby Show
1969 · TV Show
as Mr. Kane
Medical Center
1969 · TV Show
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1969 · TV Show
as Harry I. Madison
Then Came Bronson
1969 · TV Show
as Oliver Hidemann
Of Mice and Men
1968 · Movie
as Candy
Certain Honorable Men
1968 · Movie
as Malcolm Stoddard
Bandolero!
1968 · Movie
as Pop Chaney
Hawaii Five-O
1968 · TV Show
as Professor Harold Lochner
Mayberry R.F.D.
1968 · TV Show
as Captain Charles Wolford
In Cold Blood
1967 · Movie
as Prosecutor
The Crucible
1967 · Movie
as Giles Corey
The President's Analyst
1967 · Movie
as Dr. Lee-Evan
Garrison's Gorillas
1967 · TV Show
The Invaders
1967 · TV Show
as Hank Willis
Seconds
1966 · Movie
as Old Man
Mission: Impossible
1966 · TV Show
as Doc
Run for Your Life
1965 · TV Show
as Judge David P. Andrews
The Trials of O'Brien
1965 · TV Show
as Judge Lindemann
Black Like Me
1964 · Movie
as Truckdriver
Bewitched
1964 · TV Show
as George Washington
Daniel Boone
1964 · TV Show
as Adam Jarrett
Advise & Consent
1962 · Movie
as Senate Minority Leader
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · TV Show
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · TV Show
as Self
Bonanza
1959 · TV Show
as Zach Randolph, Ferris Callahan, Calvin Butler
Mobs, Inc.
1956 · Movie
as Harry Robinson
Tony Awards
1956 · TV Show
as Self - Performer
Gunsmoke
1955 · TV Show
as Slocum
Salt of the Earth
1954 · Movie
as Sheriff
The Tall Target
1951 · Movie
as Homer Crowley
Double Crossbones
1951 · Movie
as Tom Botts
Bright Victory
1951 · Movie
as Mr. Nevins
The Barefoot Mailman
1951 · Movie
as Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster
Racket Squad
1951 · TV Show
Convicted
1950 · Movie
as Convict Mapes
Winchester '73
1950 · Movie
as Wyatt Earp
Broken Arrow
1950 · Movie
as Ben Slade
The Kid from Texas
1950 · Movie
as O'Fallon
It's a Small World
1950 · Movie
as William Musk - Father
Comanche Territory
1950 · Movie
as Dan'l Seeger
To Please a Lady
1950 · Movie
as Jack Mackay
Johnny Allegro
1949 · Movie
as Schultzy
Intruder in the Dust
1949 · Movie
as Sheriff Hampton
Lust for Gold
1949 · Movie
as Deputy Ray Covin
Anna Lucasta
1949 · Movie
as Noah
Deep Waters
1948 · Movie
as Nick Driver
No image
The Fight for Life
1940 · Movie
as Ballou
Men and Dust
1940 · Movie
as Narrator (voice)
Tall Tales
1940 · Movie
as Self
Union Pacific
1939 · Movie
as Foreman (uncredited)
Becky Sharp
1935 · Movie
as Spectator (uncredited)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
1935 · Movie
as Village Lamplighter (uncredited)
Wild Gold
1934 · Movie
as Poker Player (uncredited)
Spitfire
1934 · Movie
as West Fry
The Misleading Lady
1932 · Movie
as McMahon - Asylum Guard
