Will Geer

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  • group Other Names:
    High Ghere, William Aughe Ghere

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​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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  • wc Gender: Male
  • calendar_month Birth Date: 1902-03-09
  • event Death Date 1978-04-22
  • school Known for: Acting
  • star Popularity: 7.4
  • info Birth Place Frankfort, Indiana, USA
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smart_display Movies and TV shows by Will Geer

7.3

Seconds

1966-10-05

6.9

Salt of the Earth

1954-03-14

7.3

Jeremiah Johnson

1972-09-10

6.9

The Tall Target

1951-08-17

6.3

Executive Action

1973-11-07

6.3

Convicted

1950-08-01

6

Deep Waters

1948-07-22

7.3

Winchester '73

1950-07-12

6.1

Napoleon and Samantha

1972-07-05

6.7

Broken Arrow

1950-08-01

6.2

Johnny Allegro

1949-05-26

5.3

The Kid from Texas

1950-03-01

7.2

Advise & Consent

1962-06-06

7.5

In Cold Blood

1967-12-15

5.6

Becky Sharp

1935-06-28

0

Wild Gold

1934-06-08

0

Certain Honorable Men

1968-09-12

0

Of Mice and Men

1968-01-31

7.4

Intruder in the Dust

1949-11-22

5.3

It's a Small World

1950-06-24

5.4

Double Crossbones

1951-04-26

5.9

Lust for Gold

1949-06-10

3.5

Pieces of Dreams

1970-09-23

4.8

Comanche Territory

1950-05-01

4.3

The Hanged Man

1974-03-13

0

The Man Who Loved Bears

1979-06-17

6.3

Brother John

1971-08-15

6.9

Bright Victory

1951-08-01

6.1

Savage

1973-03-31

5.5

Dear Dead Delilah

1972-05-05

6.3

To Please a Lady

1950-10-13

5

Rip Van Winkle

1978-11-20

4.9

Hurricane

1974-09-10

4.3

Anna Lucasta

1949-07-11

6.1

Isn't It Shocking?

1973-10-02

5

The Fight for Life

1940-03-07

6.5

Bandolero!

1968-06-01

6.3

The Mafu Cage

1978-03-19

4.9

Moving Violation

1976-07-16

5.6

The Billion Dollar Hobo

1977-11-01

5.4

Spitfire

1934-03-08

6.5

Union Pacific

1939-05-05

5.5

Men and Dust

1940-11-08

8

Scarecrow

1972-01-10

0

In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s

2017-02-15

4

Brock's Last Case

1973-03-05

5.9

Black Like Me

1964-01-01

4

The Barefoot Mailman

1951-12-03

3.5

The Rowdyman

1972-05-18

0

Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On

1973-11-03

0

The Misleading Lady

1932-04-15

0

Silence

1974-04-15

5.9

The Brotherhood of the Bell

1970-09-17

5.8

The Moonshine War

1970-06-30

5.2

The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery

1975-03-07

5.8

Unknown Powers

1978-01-01

3.5

The Crucible

1967-05-04

5.2

The Blue Bird

1976-04-05

0

Memory of Us

1974-05-01

0

Bunco

1977-01-01

0

Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970

2019-03-01

6

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

1988-11-22

8

Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?

1971-02-01

6.4

The Reivers

1969-12-20

2

Will Geer: America's Grandpa

2019-05-02

0

Law and Order

1976-05-06

0

The New Deal for Artists

1981-07-06

0

Honky Tonk

1974-04-01

5.8

The President's Analyst

1967-12-21

7.2

The Night That Panicked America

1975-10-31

4

Mobs, Inc.

1956-03-21

0

A Gift of Terror

1973-04-05

0

Mobs Incorporated

1956-03-21

0

Tall Tales

1940-01-01

7.5

Garrison's Gorillas

1967-09-06

7.7

Kung Fu

1972-10-14

6.3

The Love Boat

1977-09-24

7.1

Hawaii Five-O

1968-09-20

6.9

Alias Smith and Jones

1971-01-05

4.9

The Bill Cosby Show

1969-09-14

6.1

Medical Center

1969-09-24

6.5

Gunsmoke

1955-09-10

7.9

Bewitched

1964-09-17

7.7

Mission: Impossible

1966-09-17

6.1

Eight Is Enough

1977-03-15

7.1

The Waltons

1972-09-14

7.2

Run for Your Life

1965-09-13

6.9

Daniel Boone

1964-09-24

4.8

Then Came Bronson

1969-09-17

6.3

The Sixth Sense

1972-01-15

6

Racket Squad

1951-06-07

3.5

Tony Orlando and Dawn

1974-12-04

8.1

Columbo

1971-09-15

7.8

Night Gallery

1970-12-16

5

Tony Awards

1956-04-01

7.5

Bonanza

1959-09-12

5.7

Mayberry R.F.D.

1968-09-23

5.6

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

1969-09-17

0

The Lives of Benjamin Franklin

1974-11-21

6.9

A Woman Called Moses

1978-12-11

7.5

Bonanza

1959-09-12

6.8

The Trials of O'Brien

1965-09-18

4.8

The Mike Douglas Show

1961-12-11

7.2

Starsky & Hutch

1975-09-10

0

Doc Elliot

1973-10-10

6.8

The Invaders

1967-01-10

6

Dinah!

1974-10-21

7.5

Bonanza

1959-09-12

3

The Bold Ones: The Senator

1970-03-21