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.
as Narrator
as Self (archive footage)
as Narrator
as Thomas Garrett(2 eps)
as Narrator (voice)
as Zom
as Host
as Choo-Choo Trayne
as Franklyn Bootherstone(1 ep)
as Self
as Rockfield
as Pat Crowley
as Grandfather
as Reverend Davis
as Commodore Atwater(2 eps)
as Dr. Simpson
as Self(1 ep)
as Self(2 eps)
as Dr. McCutcheon
as Motel Manager
as Crazy Jack
as Judge Cotton
as Nameless
as Ferguson
as Paul Bartlett(1 ep)
as Lemuel Lovell
as Ben
as Joel Ryker
as Len McNeil
as J. Smiley Krenshaw
as Ben(1 ep)
as Judge Emmitt Marcus(1 ep)
as Grandfather Walton(142 eps)
as Bear Claw
as Grandpa
as Stan
as Roy Jurroe
as Justice Gilead Merton
as Edmund Hidemann(1 ep)
as Doc Thomas
as Simon Anderson
as Seth(1 ep)
as The Bishop
as Mike Patterson
as Senator Homer Bryant Wydell(1 ep)
as Mr. Baylor
as Boss
as Harry I. Madison(1 ep)
as Oliver Hidemann(1 ep)
as Mr. Kane(1 ep)
as Professor Harold Lochner(1 ep)
as Captain Charles Wolford(2 eps)
as Malcolm Stoddard
as Pop Chaney
as Candy
as Dr. Lee-Evan
as Prosecutor
as Giles Corey
as Hank Willis(1 ep)
as Old Man
as Doc(1 ep)
as Judge Lindemann(1 ep)
as Judge David P. Andrews(1 ep)
as Adam Jarrett(1 ep)
as George Washington(1 ep)
as Truckdriver
as Self(2 eps)
as Senate Minority Leader
as Self(1 ep)
as Zach Randolph(1 ep)
as Ferris Callahan(1 ep)
as Calvin Butler(1 ep)
as Self - Performer(1 ep)
as Harry Robinson
as Slocum(1 ep)
as Sheriff
as Dan Paget - Miami Mayor / Postmaster
as Homer Crowley
as Mr. Nevins
as Tom Botts
as Jack Mackay
as Convict Mapes
as Ben Slade
as Wyatt Earp
as William Musk - Father
as Dan'l Seeger
as O'Fallon
as Sheriff Hampton
as Noah
as Deputy Ray Covin
as Schultzy
as Nick Driver
as Narrator (voice)
as Ballou
as Self
as Foreman (uncredited)
as Spectator (uncredited)
as Village Lamplighter (uncredited)
as Poker Player (uncredited)
as West Fry
as McMahon - Asylum Guard
