
Will Geer
- Interpretación
- 9 de marzo de 1902 · Frankfort, Indiana, USA
- 22 de abril de 1978
Biografía
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.
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Filmografía
- Will Geer: America's Grandpa
- Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970 · Narrator
- In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s · En persona
- Mysterious Miracles: World Beyond Death · Host
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life · En persona
- The Man Who Loved Bears · Narrator
- A Woman Called Moses · Thomas Garrett
- Rip Van Winkle · Narrator (Voz)
- La jaula del terror · Zom
- Unknown Powers · Host
- Un tonto con un billón de dólares · Choo-Choo Trayne
- Vacaciones en el mar · Franklyn Bootherstone
- Con ocho basta
- Bunco
- The New Deal for Artists · En persona
- Moving Violation · Rockfield
- Law and Order · Pat Crowley
- El pájaro azul · Grandfather
- The Night That Panicked America · Reverend Davis
- Starsky y Hutch · Commodore Atwater
- The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery · Dr. Simpson
- Tony Orlando and Dawn · En persona
- The Lives of Benjamin Franklin
- Dinah! · En persona
- Hurricane · Dr. McCutcheon
- Memory of Us · Motel Manager
- Silence · Crazy Jack
- Honky Tonk · Judge Cotton
- El ahorcado · Nameless
- Acción ejecutiva · Ferguson
- Doc Elliot · Paul Bartlett
- Isn't It Shocking? · Lemuel Lovell
- A Gift of Terror · Ben
- Savage! · Joel Ryker
- Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On · Len McNeil
- Brock's Last Case · J. Smiley Krenshaw
- The ABC Afternoon Playbreak · Ben
- Kung Fu · Judge Emmitt Marcus
- Los Walton · Grandfather Walton
- Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson · Bear Claw
- Napoleón y Samantha · Grandpa
- The Rowdyman · Stan
- Dear Dead Delilah · Roy Jurroe
- The Sixth Sense
- Scarecrow · Justice Gilead Merton
- Colombo · Edmund Hidemann
- Como el viento · Doc Thomas
- Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? · Simon Anderson
- Los dos mosqueteros · Seth
- Pieces of Dreams · The Bishop
- La hermandad de la campana · Mike Patterson
- The Bold Ones: The Senator · Senator Homer Bryant Wydell
- El infierno del Whisky · Mr. Baylor
- Los rateros · Boss
- Medical Center
- The Courtship of Eddie's Father · Harry I. Madison
- Then Came Bronson · Oliver Hidemann
- The Bill Cosby Show · Mr. Kane
- Hawaii 5-0 · Professor Harold Lochner
- Mayberry R.F.D. · Captain Charles Wolford
- Certain Honorable Men · Malcolm Stoddard
- Bandolero! · Pop Chaney
- Of Mice and Men · Candy
- Demasiados secretos para un hombre solo · Dr. Lee-Evan
- A sangre fría · Prosecutor
- Los Comandos de Garrison
- The Crucible · Giles Corey
- Los invasores · Hank Willis
- Plan diabólico · Old Man
- Misión. Imposible · Doc
- The Trials of O'Brien · Judge Lindemann
- Run for Your Life · Judge David P. Andrews
- Daniel Boone · Adam Jarrett
- Embrujada · George Washington
- Black Like Me · Truckdriver
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson · En persona
- Tempestad sobre Washington · Senate Minority Leader
- The Mike Douglas Show · En persona
- Bonanza · Zach Randolph, Ferris Callahan
- Premios Tony · En persona











