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Will Geer

Will Geer

Birthday: 1902-03-09 | Place of Birth: Frankfort, Indiana, USA

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Geer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1978
The Mafu Cage

as    Zom

1977
The Billion Dollar Hobo

as    Choo-Choo Trayne

1976
Moving Violation

as    Rockfield

1975
1974
Hurricane

as    Dr. McCutcheon

1974
The Hanged Man

as    Nameless

1973
Executive Action

as    Ferguson

1973
Brock's Last Case

as    J. Smiley Krenshaw

1973
Savage

as    Joel Ryker

1973
Isn't It Shocking?

as    Lemuel Lovell

1972
Jeremiah Johnson

as    Bear Claw

1972
Napoleon and Samantha

as    Grandpa

1971
Brother John

as    Doc Thomas

1970
Pieces of Dreams

as    The Bishop

1969
The Reivers

as    Boss

1968
Bandolero!

as    Pop Chaney

1967
The President's Analyst

as    Dr. Lee-Evan

1967
In Cold Blood

as    Prosecutor

1966
Seconds

as    Old Man

1954
Salt of the Earth

as    Sheriff

1951
The Barefoot Mailman

as    Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster

1951
The Tall Target

as    Homer Crowley

1951
Double Crossbones

as    Tom Botts

1950
Convicted

as    Convict Mapes

1950
Comanche Territory

as    Dan'l Seeger

1950
The Kid from Texas

as    O'Fallon

1950
Winchester '73

as    Wyatt Earp

1949
Lust for Gold

as    Deputy Ray Covin

1949
Johnny Allegro

as    Schultzy