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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
March 9, 1902
Died
April 22, 1978
Place of Birth
Frankfort, Indiana, USA
Also Known As
- High Ghere
- William Aughe Ghere
- Уилл Гир
Will Geer
1.0 Popularity
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
2.0
Will Geer: America's Grandpa
2019
0.0
Narrator
Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970
2019
0.0
Self
In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s
2017
0.0
Host
Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death
2005
6.0
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
0.0
Self
The New Deal for Artists
1981
🎬
4.0
Narrator
The Man Who Loved Bears
1979
7.0
Thomas Garrett
A Woman Called Moses
1978
5.0
Narrator (voice)
Rip Van Winkle
1978
5.8
Zom
The Mafu Cage
1978
Credits
Will Geer: America's Grandpa
2019
2.0
Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970
as Narrator
2019
0.0
In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s
as Self
2017
0.0
Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death
as Host
2005
0.0
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)
1987
6.0
The New Deal for Artists
as Self
1981
0.0
🎬
The Man Who Loved Bears
as Narrator
1979
4.0
A Woman Called Moses
as Thomas Garrett
1978
7.0
Rip Van Winkle
as Narrator (voice)
1978
5.0
The Mafu Cage
as Zom
1978
5.8
Unknown Powers
as Host
1978
5.8
The Billion Dollar Hobo
as Choo-Choo Trayne
1977
5.6
The Love Boat
as Franklyn Bootherstone
1977
6.3
Eight Is Enough
1977
6.1
Bunco
1977
0.0
Moving Violation
as Rockfield
1976
4.8
Law and Order
as Pat Crowley
1976
0.0
The Blue Bird
as Grandfather
1976
5.3
The Night That Panicked America
as Reverend Davis
1975
6.8
Starsky & Hutch
as Commodore Atwater
1975
7.3
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery
as Dr. Simpson
1975
5.2
Tony Orlando and Dawn
as Self
1974
3.5
The Lives of Benjamin Franklin
1974
0.0
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
Hurricane
as Dr. McCutcheon
1974
4.9
Memory of Us
as Motel Manager
1974
0.0
🎬
Silence
as Crazy Jack
1974
0.0
Honky Tonk
as Judge Cotton
1974
0.0
The Hanged Man
as Nameless
1974
4.0
Executive Action
as Ferguson
1973
6.4
Doc Elliot
as Paul Bartlett
1973
0.0
Isn't It Shocking?
as Lemuel Lovell
1973
6.1
A Gift of Terror
as Ben
1973
0.0
Savage
as Joel Ryker
1973
5.7
Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On
as Len McNeil
1973
8.0
Brock's Last Case
as J. Smiley Krenshaw
1973
4.0
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
as Ben
1972
0.0
Kung Fu
as Judge Emmitt Marcus
1972
7.7
The Waltons
as Grandfather Walton
1972
7.2
Jeremiah Johnson
as Bear Claw
1972
7.3
Napoleon and Samantha
as Grandpa
1972
6.2
The Rowdyman
as Stan
1972
2.7
Dear Dead Delilah
as Roy Jurroe
1972
5.1
The Sixth Sense
1972
5.9
Scarecrow
as Justice Gilead Merton
1972
8.0
Columbo
as Edmund Hidemann
1971
8.1
Brother John
as Doc Thomas
1971
6.2
Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?
as Simon Anderson
1971
8.0
Alias Smith and Jones
as Seth
1971
7.0
Pieces of Dreams
as The Bishop
1970
3.2
The Brotherhood of the Bell
as Mike Patterson
1970
5.5
The Bold Ones: The Senator
as Senator Homer Bryant Wydell
1970
3.0
The Moonshine War
as Mr. Baylor
1970
5.5
The Reivers
as Boss
1969
6.3
Medical Center
1969
6.1
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
as Harry I. Madison
1969
6.0
Then Came Bronson
as Oliver Hidemann
1969
4.8
The Bill Cosby Show
as Mr. Kane
1969
5.4
Mayberry R.F.D.
as Captain Charles Wolford
1968
5.7
Hawaii Five-O
as Professor Harold Lochner
1968
7.1
Certain Honorable Men
as Malcolm Stoddard
1968
0.0
Bandolero!
as Pop Chaney
1968
6.5
Of Mice and Men
as Candy
1968
9.0
The President's Analyst
as Dr. Lee-Evan
1967
5.7
In Cold Blood
as Prosecutor
1967
7.5
Garrison's Gorillas
1967
7.8
The Crucible
as Giles Corey
1967
2.7
The Invaders
as Hank Willis
1967
6.8
Seconds
as Old Man
1966
7.3
Mission: Impossible
as Doc
1966
7.6
The Trials of O'Brien
as Judge Lindemann
1965
6.8
Run for Your Life
as Judge David P. Andrews
1965
7.2
Daniel Boone
as Adam Jarrett
1964
7.0
Bewitched
1964
7.9
Bewitched
as George Washington
1964
7.9
Black Like Me
as Truckdriver
1964
5.9
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
Advise & Consent
as Senate Minority Leader
1962
7.2
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1961
5.4
Bonanza
as Zach Randolph
1959
7.5
Bonanza
as Ferris Callahan
1959
7.5
Bonanza
as Calvin Butler
1959
7.5
Tony Awards
as Self - Performer
1956
5.9
Mobs, Inc.
as Harry Robinson
1956
4.0
Gunsmoke
as Slocum
1955
6.6
Salt of the Earth
as Sheriff
1954
6.9
The Barefoot Mailman
as Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster
1951
4.0
The Tall Target
as Homer Crowley
1951
6.8
Bright Victory
as Mr. Nevins
1951
6.9
Racket Squad
1951
6.0
Double Crossbones
as Tom Botts
1951
5.4
To Please a Lady
as Jack Mackay
1950
6.3
Convicted
as Convict Mapes
1950
6.0
Broken Arrow
as Ben Slade
1950
6.7
Winchester '73
as Wyatt Earp
1950
7.3
It's a Small World
as William Musk - Father
1950
5.3
Comanche Territory
as Dan'l Seeger
1950
4.9
The Kid from Texas
as O'Fallon
1950
5.3
Intruder in the Dust
as Sheriff Hampton
1949
7.3
Anna Lucasta
as Noah
1949
3.5
Lust for Gold
as Deputy Ray Covin
1949
5.9
Johnny Allegro
as Schultzy
1949
6.4
Deep Waters
as Nick Driver
1948
6.0
Men and Dust
as Narrator (voice)
1940
6.0
🎬
The Fight for Life
as Ballou
1940
5.3
Tall Tales
as Self
1940
0.0
Union Pacific
as Foreman (uncredited)
1939
6.6
Becky Sharp
as Spectator (uncredited)
1935
5.7
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
as Village Lamplighter (uncredited)
1935
5.6
Wild Gold
as Poker Player (uncredited)
1934
5.0
Spitfire
as West Fry
1934
5.1
The Misleading Lady
as McMahon - Asylum Guard
1932
0.0