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| − | '''Will Geer''' (born [[1902]] [[March 9]] in [[Frankfort, Indiana]] – died [[1978]] [[22 April]] in [[Los Angeles]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[actor]]. Geer's official name was '''William Auge Ghere'''. He is best known for his portrayal of the character Grandpa Walton, in the popular [[1970s]] [[TV series]] ''[[The Waltons]]''.
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| − | Geer was heavily influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the botanical names of the plants in his native [[Indiana]]. He started out to become a [[botanist]], studying the subject and obtaining a [[master's degree]] from [[Columbia University]]. But he eventually succumbed to the allure of acting.
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| − | He began his career touring in tent shows and on river boats. He eventually made his way to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and in 1964 received a nomination for the [[Tony Award]] for [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]] for ''[[110 in the Shade]]''.
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| − | He was married to the actress [[Herta Ware]], best known for her poignant performance as the wife of [[Jack Gilford]] in [[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]. Geer and Ware had 3 children, including actress [[Ellen Geer]]. Although they eventually divorced they remained close. Ware also had a daughter, actress [[Melora Marshall]], by another marriage.
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| − | Geer was also a [[social activism|social activist]], touring government work camps in the 1930s with [[folk singer]]s like [[Burl Ives]] and [[Woody Guthrie]]. In the [[1950s]] he was [[blacklist]]ed for refusing to testify before the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities]]. During that period, he built the Will Geer [[Theatricum Botanicum]] in [[Topanga, California|Topanga Canyon]], [[California]], which he and Herta Ware helped to found. He combined his acting and botanical careers at the Theatricum, by making sure that every plant mentioned in [[Shakespeare]] was grown there.
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| − | As Will Geer was dying on April 22, 1978, of a [[respiratory]] [[ailment]] at the age of 76, his family sang Guthrie's ''[[This Land Is Your Land]]'' at his deathbed, and recited poems by [[Robert Frost]]. Geer was [[cremation|cremated]], and his ashes buried at the Theatricum Botanicum in the "Shakespeare Garden."
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| − | ==Filmography==
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| − | ===1930s===
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| − | *''[[Misleading Lady]]'' (1932)
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| − | *''[[Wild Gold]]'' (1934)
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| − | *''[[Spitfire (1934 film)|Spitfire]]'' (1934)
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| − | *''[[The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]'' (1935)
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| − | *''[[Union Pacific (film)|Union Pacific]]'' (1939)
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| − | ===1940s===
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| − | *''[[The Fight for Life]]'' (1940)
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| − | *''[[Deep Waters (film)|Deep Waters]]'' (1948)
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| − | *''[[The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre]]'' (1948)
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| − | *''[[Intruder in the Dust]]'' (1949)
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| − | *''[[Anna Lucasta]]'' (1949)
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| − | *''[[Lust for Gold]]'' (1949)
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| − | *''[[Johnny Allegro]]'' (1949)
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| − | ===1950s===
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| − | *''[[To Please a Lady]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[Convicted (film)|Convicted]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[Broken Arrow (1950 film)|Broken Arrow]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[Winchester '73]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[The Kid from Texas]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[Comanche Territory]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[It's a Small World (film)|It's a Small World]]'' (1950)
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| − | *''[[The Barefoot Mailman]]'' (1951)
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| − | *''[[Racket Squad]]'' (1951)
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| − | *''[[The Tall Target]]'' (1951)
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| − | *''[[Bright Victory]]'' (1951)
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| − | *''[[Double Crossbones]]'' (1951)
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| − | *''[[Salt of the Earth (film)|Salt of the Earth]]'' (1954)
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| − | *''[[Mobs, Inc.]]'' (1956)
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| − | ===1960s===
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| − | *''[[Advise and Consent]]'' (1962)
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| − | *''[[Black Like Me]]'' (1964)
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| − | *''[[East Side/West Side]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1964)
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| − | *''[[Seconds (film)|Seconds]]'' (1966)
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| − | *''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]'' (TV series guest appearance)(1966)
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| − | *''[[The President's Analyst]]'' (1967)
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| − | *''[[In Cold Blood (film)|In Cold Blood]]'' (1967)
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| − | *''[[The Crucible]]'' (Made-for-TV Film) (1967)
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| − | *''[[Garrison's Gorillas]]'' (TV-series guest appearance) (1967)
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| − | *''[[Certain Honorable Men]]'' (1968)
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| − | *''[[Bandolero!]]'' (1968)
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| − | *''[[Gunsmoke]]'' (TV-series guest appearance)(1968)
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| − | *''[[The Invaders]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1968)
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| − | *''[[Mission: Impossible]]'' (TV-series guest appearance) (1968)
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| − | *''[[Run for Your Life]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1968)
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| − | *''[[I Spy]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1968)
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| − | *''[[The Reivers]]'' (1969)
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| − | *''[[Daniel Boone (TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'' (guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | *''[[Then Came Bronson]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | *''[[Hawaii Five-O]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | *''[[Bonanza]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | *''[[Here Come the Brides]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | *''[[Mayberry R.F.D]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1969)
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| − | ===1970s===
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| − | *''[[The Moonshine War]]'' (1970)
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| − | *''[[Shooting the Moonshine War]]'' (1970)
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| − | *''[[Pieces of Dreams]]'' (1970)
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| − | *''[[The Brotherhood of the Bell]]'' (Made-for-TV film) (1970)
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| − | *''[[Of Mice and Men]]'' (Made-For-TV film) (1970)
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| − | *''[[The Bill Cosby Show]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1970)
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| − | *''[[The Bold Ones: The Senator]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1970)
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| − | *''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]'' (1970)
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| − | *''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]'' (guest appearance) (1970)
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| − | *''[[Brother John]]'' (1971)
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| − | *''[[Sam Hill: Who Killed Mr. Foster?]]'' (Made-For-TV film) (1971)
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| − | *''[[The Bold Ones: The Lawyers]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1971)
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| − | *''[[O'Hara, U.S. Treasury]]'' ((TV series guest appearance) 1971)
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| − | *''[[Alias Smith and Jones]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1971)
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| − | *''[[Cade's County]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1971)
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| − | *''[[Love, American Style]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1971)
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| − | *''[[The Waltons]]'' (TV series) (1972 to 1978)
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| − | *''[[Jeremiah Johnson]]'' (1972)
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| − | *''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' (1972)
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| − | *''[[The Rowdyman]]'' (1972)
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| − | *''[[The Scarecrow (play)|The Scarecrow]]'' (1972)
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| − | *''[[The Sixth Sense (1972 film)|The Sixth Sense]]'' (made-for-TV film) (1972)
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| − | *''[[Bewitched]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1972)
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| − | *''[[Executive Action]]'' (1973)
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| − | *''[[Isn't It Shocking?]]'' (Made-for-TV film) (1973)
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| − | *''[[The Gift of Terror]]'' ((Made for TV Film) (1973)
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| − | *''[[Savage (film)|Savage]]'' (1973)
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| − | *''[[Harry O]]'' (TV Series guest appearance) (1973)
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| − | *''[[Brock's Last Case]]'' (Made-for-TV film) (1973)
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| − | *''[[Columbo: A Stitch in Crime]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1973)
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| − | *''[[Doc Elliot]]'' (1973)
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| − | *''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1973)
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| − | *''[[The ABC Afternoon Playbreak]]'' (1973)
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| − | *''[[Night Gallery]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1973)
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| − | *''[[Hurricane (1974 film)|Hurricane]]'' (1974)
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| − | *''[[Memory of Us]]'' (1974)
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| − | *''[[Silence (1974 made-for-TV film)|Silence]]'' (1974)
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| − | *''[[Honky Tonk (film)|Honky Tonk]]'' (1974)
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| − | *''[[The Hanged Man (film)|The Hanged Man]]'' (1974)
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| − | *''[[The Night That Panicked America]]'' (Made-for-TV film) (1975)
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| − | *''[[The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery]]'' (1975)
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| − | *''[[Dear Dead Delilah]]'' (1975)
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| − | *''[[Moving Violation (film)|Moving Violation]]'' (1976)
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| − | *''[[Hollywood on Trial]]'' (1976)
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| − | *''[[Law and Order (1976 film)|Law and Order]]'' (1976)
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| − | *''[[The Blue Bird (film)|The Blue Bird]]'' (1976)
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| − | *''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1976)
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| − | *''[[The Billion Dollar Hobo]]'' (1977)
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| − | *''[[The Love Boat]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1977)
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| − | *''[[Eight Is Enough]]'' (TV series guest appearance) (1977)
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| − | *''[[A Woman Called Moses]]'' (Made-for-TV film) (1978)
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| − | *''[[Unknown Powers]]'' (1978)
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| − | *''[[CBS: On the Air]]'' (1978)
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| − | *''[[The Mafu Cage]]'' (1979)
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| − | ==Trivia==
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| − | In the [[German language|German]] dubbed version of ''The Waltons'', the first name of Geer's character, Zeb Walton, was altered to Samuel "Sam" Walton because "Zeb" sounded too similar to "Sepp", a [[Bavaria]]n short form of the name "Joseph", which was considered a cliché for an older man. The real [[Sam Walton]] was the founder of [[Wal-Mart]].
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| − | ==External link==
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| − | *{{imdb name|id=0002095|name=Will Geer}}
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| − | {{lgbt|Will Geer}}
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| − | [[Category:American film actors]]
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| − | [[Category:American television actors]]
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| − | [[Category:Hollywood blacklist]]
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| − | [[Category:Bisexual American actors]]
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