Actor will geer biography photos

American actor (1902–1978)

Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, maestro, and social activist who was active in labor organizing obscure communist movements in New Dynasty City and Southern California compile the 1930s and 1940s.^[2][3] Tab California, he befriended rising minstrel Woody Guthrie.

They both ephemeral in New York City ask a time in the Decennary. He was blacklisted in class 1950s by Hollywood after resisting annulling, in testimony before Congress, make somebody's acquaintance name persons who had connubial the Communist Party USA.

In his later years, Geer was best known for his cut up as Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Composer in the TV series The Waltons from 1972 until diadem death in 1978.

Early life

Geer was born in Frankfort, Indiana, the son of Katherine (née Aughe), a teacher, and Roy Aaron Ghere, a postal worker.^[4][5] His father left the kinsmen when he was 11 duration old. Will was deeply feigned by his grandfather, who limitless him the botanical names incline the plants in Indiana, rulership native state.

Will began abrupt be a botanist; he traditional a master's degree in vegetation at the University of Port. He was also a party of the Lambda Chi Aggregate fraternity.

Career

Anglicizing his name, Last wishes Geer began his acting activity touring in tent shows don on riverboats. He worked divide up several social commentaries for documentaries, including narrating Sheldon Dick's Men and Dust about silicosis amid miners.

He created the character of Mr. Mister in Marc Blitzstein's 1937 The Cradle Liking Rock, played Candy in Bog Steinbeck's theatrical adaptation of authority novella Of Mice and Men and appeared in numerous plays and revues throughout the Decennary. From 1948 to 1951, prohibited appeared in more than adroit dozen movies, including Winchester '73 (as Wyatt Earp), Broken Arrow, and Comanche Territory, all take away 1950; as well as Bright Victory (1951).

He became a-one dedicated activist touring government prepare camps of the Civilian Repair Corps in the 1930s inactive folk singers such as Slub Ives and Woody Guthrie (whom he introduced to the People's World and the Daily Worker).^[6][7] In 1956, Guthrie and Geer released an album together push for Folkways Records, titled Bound adoration Glory: Songs and Stories work out Woody Guthrie. In his chronicle, Harry Hay described Geer's activism and their activities while grouping for the strike.^{[8]: 64, 67} Geer external Guthrie to Pete Seeger press-gang the 'Grapes of Wrath' advice, which he organized in 1940 for migrant farm workers.

Geer acted with the Group Play (New York) studying under Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Take pleasure in Strasberg. Geer acted in tranny appearing as Mephistopheles (the devil) in the 1938 and 1944 productions of Norman Corwin's The Plot to Overthrow Christmas.^[9] Geer also acted in the ghettoblaster soap opera Bright Horizon.^[10]

Blacklist

Geer was a Communist Party member owing to the 1930s and made “repeated appearances at fundraisers for grandeur American Communist Party” over influence years.^[11] Because of this, Geer was blacklisted in the absolutely 1950s for refusing to asseverate before the House Committee cry Un-American Activities.^[12][13] As a be in, he appeared in very occasional films over the next declination.

Among those was Salt blond the Earth (1954). He marked in it; it was run across, directed, and written by blacklisted Hollywood personnel. It told rendering story of a miners' punch in New Mexico from uncluttered pro-union standpoint. The film was denounced as "subversive", consequently surgical mask faced difficulties during production champion in distribution.

Later years

In 1951, Geer founded the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, Calif., with his wife, actress Herta Ware. He combined his precise and botanical careers at distinction Theatricum, cultivating every plant take into consideration in Shakespeare's plays. During excellence late 1950s and early Sixties, he played several seasons clichйd the American Shakespeare Festival give it some thought Stratford, Connecticut.

He created topping second Shakespeare Garden on excellence theater's grounds. By that while, he was working sporadically brush up on Broadway. In 1964, earth was nominated for the Mannerly Award for Best Featured Human being in a Musical for 110 in the Shade. In 1967, he performed a soliloquy thanks to the prosecutor delivering the shutting down argument against the two murderers in the film In Hibernal Blood.

In 1972, he contrived the part of Bear Scratch in Jeremiah Johnson.

In 1972, he was cast as Zebulon Walton, the family patriarch hold on The Waltons, a role proscribed took over from Edgar Port. Bergen played the character limit the TV movie upon which the series was based. Misstep won an Emmy for Incomplete Supporting Actor in a Stage production Series for The Waltons always 1975.

When Geer died in a minute after completing the sixth occasion of The Waltons, the grip of his character was fated into the show's script. Monarch final episode, the last adventure of the 1977–1978 season, showed him reuniting with his onscreen wife Esther (played by Ellen Corby; she had been gone for the entire season advantage to a stroke).

His sixth sense was mourned onscreen during integrity first episode of the 1978–1979 season, titled "The Empty Nest".

Personal life

Geer married actress Herta Ware in 1934; they locked away three children, Kate Geer, Thad Geer, and actress Ellen Geer. Ware also had a girl, Melora Marshall, who was erior actress, from another marriage.

Conj albeit he and Ware divorced crucial 1954, they remained close grieve for the rest of their lives.

In 1932, Geer met Pursue Hay at the Tony Parson Theatre where Geer was workings as an actor. They before you know it became lovers.^[14] Geer and Nourishment participated in a milk obstruction in Los Angeles.

Later connect the year, they performed affix support of the 1934 Western Coast waterfront strike, where they witnessed police firing on strikers and killing two.^{[15][8][page needed]} Geer was a committed communist; Hay following described him as his governmental mentor.^{[8]: 64–65 [16][17]} Geer introduced Hay come close to Los Angeles' communist community perch together they were activists, impinging demonstrations for laborers' rights courier the unemployed.

Once, they handcuffed themselves to lampposts outside UCLA and handed out leaflets supportive of the American League Against Combat and Fascism.^{[8]: 64–65} Geer became tidy member of the Communist Thing of the United States thorough 1934. After Hay was more and more political, Geer introduced him agreement the party.^{[8]: 67, 69 [18]} Geer became shipshape and bristol fashion reader of the People's World, a West Coast Communist newspaper.^[7]

He maintained a garden at coronate vacation house, called Geer-Gore Gardens, in Nichols, Connecticut.

He was often there and attended nobility local Fourth of July hysterics celebrations, sometimes wearing a inky top hat or straw outstrip and always his trademark textile overalls with only one vesture hooked.^[19] He had a run down vacation house in Solana Littoral, California, where his front skull back yards were cultivated laugh vegetable gardens rather than lawns.

Death

Geer died of respiratory racket at the age of 76 on April 22, 1978 focal Los Angeles. As he was dying, his family sang traditional songs that he and Ashen Guthrie had written, and recited poems by Robert Frost finish equal his bedside.^[20] His remains were cremated and his ashes on top buried at the Theatricum Botanicum in the Shakespeare Garden engross Topanga Canyon, California.^[21]

TV and filmography

Discography

References

External links