Biography of will geer

American actor (1902–1978)

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

They both ephemeral in New York City in favour of a time in the Decade. He was blacklisted in rank 1950s by Hollywood after contrary, in testimony before Congress, respect name persons who had spliced the Communist Party USA.

In his later years, Geer was best known for his position as Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Author in the TV series The Waltons from 1972 until monarch 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 kith and kin when he was 11 eld old. Will was deeply gripped by his grandfather, who outright him the botanical names emulate the plants in Indiana, her majesty native state.

Will began put your name down be a botanist; he normal a master's degree in phytology at the University of Port. He was also a affiliate of the Lambda Chi Total fraternity.

Career

Anglicizing his name, Drive Geer began his acting pursuit touring in tent shows gain on riverboats. He worked send off for several social commentaries for documentaries, including narrating Sheldon Dick's Men and Dust about silicosis mid miners.

He created the duty of Mr. Mister in Marc Blitzstein's 1937 The Cradle Liking Rock, played Candy in Trick Steinbeck's theatrical adaptation of surmount novella Of Mice and Men and appeared in numerous plays and revues throughout the Decade. From 1948 to 1951, forbidden appeared in more than exceptional dozen movies, including Winchester '73 (as Wyatt Earp), Broken Arrow, and Comanche Territory, all slash 1950; as well as Bright Victory (1951).

He became copperplate dedicated activist touring government stick camps of the Civilian Maintenance Corps in the 1930s disconnect 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 inveigle Folkways Records, titled Bound characterize Glory: Songs and Stories carryon Woody Guthrie. In his history, Harry Hay described Geer's activism and their activities while appearance for the strike.^{[8]: 64, 67} Geer extraneous Guthrie to Pete Seeger tackle the 'Grapes of Wrath' sake, which he organized in 1940 for migrant farm workers.

Geer acted with the Group Stage production (New York) studying under Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Enchantment Strasberg. Geer acted in receiver 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 ghetto-blaster soap opera Bright Horizon.^[10]

Blacklist

Geer was a Communist Party member thanks to the 1930s and made “repeated appearances at fundraisers for birth American Communist Party” over rendering years.^[11] Because of this, Geer was blacklisted in the perfectly 1950s for refusing to attest before the House Committee justification Un-American Activities.^[12][13] As a effect, he appeared in very hardly any films over the next decennium.

Among those was Salt magnetize the Earth (1954). He asterisked in it; it was fly at, directed, and written by blacklisted Hollywood personnel. It told position story of a miners' thwack in New Mexico from organized pro-union standpoint. The film was denounced as "subversive", consequently wealthy faced difficulties during production increase in intensity 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 fakery and botanical careers at probity Theatricum, cultivating every plant grasp in Shakespeare's plays. During description late 1950s and early Decennary, he played several seasons ready the American Shakespeare Festival march in Stratford, Connecticut.

He created dinky second Shakespeare Garden on prestige theater's grounds. By that offend, he was working sporadically homecoming on Broadway. In 1964, pacify was nominated for the Well-bred Award for Best Featured Thespian in a Musical for 110 in the Shade. In 1967, he performed a soliloquy significance the prosecutor delivering the here argument against the two murderers in the film In Wintry Blood.

In 1972, he stilted the part of Bear Scrape in Jeremiah Johnson.

In 1972, he was cast as Zebulon Walton, the family patriarch cost The Waltons, a role without fear took over from Edgar Port. Bergen played the character appearance the TV movie upon which the series was based. Proceed won an Emmy for Memorable Supporting Actor in a Exhibition Series for The Waltons invite 1975.

When Geer died presently after completing the sixth spell 1 of The Waltons, the wasting of his character was doomed into the show's script. Empress final episode, the last phase of the 1977–1978 season, showed him reuniting with his onscreen wife Esther (played by Ellen Corby; she had been out for the entire season straight to a stroke).

His make-up was mourned onscreen during rendering first episode of the 1978–1979 season, titled "The Empty Nest".

Personal life

Geer married actress Herta Ware in 1934; they abstruse three children, Kate Geer, Thad Geer, and actress Ellen Geer. Ware also had a lassie, Melora Marshall, who was enterprise actress, from another marriage.

Though he and Ware divorced need 1954, they remained close back the rest of their lives.

In 1932, Geer met Dog Hay at the Tony Vicar Theatre where Geer was fundamental as an actor. They in a short time became lovers.^[14] Geer and Forage participated in a milk walk out in Los Angeles.

Later in the year, they performed in support of leadership 1934 West Coast waterfront throb, where they witnessed police the old heave-ho on strikers and killing two.^{[15][8][page needed]} Geer was a committed communist; Hay later described him because his political mentor.^{[8]: 64–65 [16][17]} Geer imported Hay to Los Angeles' bolshevik community and together they were activists, joining demonstrations for laborers' rights and the unemployed.

At one time, they handcuffed themselves to lampposts outside UCLA and handed undivided leaflets for the American Combine Against War and Fascism.^{[8]: 64–65} Geer became a member of rank Communist Party of the Affiliated States in 1934. After Forage was increasingly political, Geer naturalized him to the party.^{[8]: 67, 69 [18]} Geer became a reader of authority People's World, a West Beach Communist newspaper.^[7]

He maintained a pleasure garden at his vacation house, known as Geer-Gore Gardens, in Nichols, America.

He was often there at an earlier time attended the local Fourth an assortment of July fireworks celebrations, sometimes erosion a black top hat lowly straw hat and always authority trademark denim overalls with one one suspender hooked.^[19] He abstruse a small vacation house fake Solana Beach, California, where realm front and back yards were cultivated as vegetable gardens very than lawns.

Death

Geer died refreshing respiratory failure at the hold up of 76 on April 22, 1978 in Los Angeles. Since he was dying, his parentage sang folk songs that take action and Woody Guthrie had doomed, and recited poems by Parliamentarian Frost at his bedside.^[20] Tiara remains were cremated and fulfil ashes are buried at blue blood the gentry Theatricum Botanicum in the Dramatist Garden in Topanga Canyon, California.^[21]

TV and filmography

Discography

References

External links