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Will Geer
Will Geer
76 years (Mar 9, 1902 – Apr 22, 1978)
Frankfort, Indiana, USA
47 Movies
20 TV Shows

Will Geer

Long careers are rarer than they look, and Will Geer has become a familiar face who has kept working through several turns of the industry. There are 67 entries on the filmography, most of them supporting work in other people's stories. 'Jeremiah Johnson' is the most-watched work of the career, as Bear Claw. Elsewhere on the filmography sits 'Seconds'. Drama accounts for the largest share of the work. He won the Emmy for 'The Waltons'.
Long careers are rarer than they look, and Will Geer has become a familiar face who has kept working through several turns of the industry. There are 67 entries on the filmography, most of them supporting work in other people's stories. 'Jeremiah Johnson' is the most-watched work of the career, as Bear Claw. Elsewhere on the filmography sits 'Seconds'. Drama accounts for the largest share of the work. He won the Emmy for 'The Waltons'.
Movies
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The Mafu Cage
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The Mafu Cage
Full Filmography
A Woman Called Moses
Thomas Garrett · 2 episodes
★ 7.0
1978–
TV
Rip Van Winkle
Narrator (voice)
★ 5.7
1978
Film
The Mafu Cage
Zom
★ 5.9
1978
Film
The Billion Dollar Hobo
Choo-Choo Trayne
★ 5.8
1977
Film
The Love Boat
Franklyn Bootherstone · 1 episode
★ 6.2
1977–
TV
Moving Violation
Rockfield
★ 5.2
1976
Film
The Blue Bird
Grandfather
★ 5.5
1976
Film
Starsky & Hutch
Commodore Atwater · 2 episodes
★ 7.4
1975–
TV
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery
Dr. Simpson
★ 5.7
1975
Film
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Will Geer still alive?
Will Geer passed away on April 22, 1978 at age 76.
What are the most famous roles of Will Geer?
Will Geer is best known for roles in Jeremiah Johnson, Seconds, In Cold Blood.
How many movies has Will Geer been in?
Over a 46-year career (since 1932), Will Geer has appeared in 46 movies and 20 TV shows.
What was Will Geer's first movie?
The career of Will Geer began with The Misleading Lady (1932).
What is Will Geer's most recent movie or series?
Will Geer's most recent release is The Man Who Loved Bears, which premiered on June 17, 1979.
What TV shows has Will Geer appeared in?
On television, Will Geer has appeared in Columbo, Bewitched, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible.
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Will Geer
Will Geer
1902-03-09 · Frankfort, Indiana, USA

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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