Chill Wills: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 13:41, 20 March 2007
Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1903 in Seagoville, Texas – December 15, 1978) was a movie actor and singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet.
The distinctive voice of "Francis the Mule" was provided by veteran character actor Chill Wills, whose deep, rough vocal texture and Western twang was perfectly matched to delivering the lines of the cynical and sardonic mule. As was customary at the time, Wills was given no billing for his vocal work, though he was featured prominently on-screen as blustery General Ben Kaye in the fourth entry, "Francis Joins the Wacs."
Although he was best known for his voice-over work as the talking mule, Wills was proudest of his role in Giant, a 1956 film which starred Rock Hudson and James Dean.[1]
Wills served as master of ceremonies for George Wallace for the California campaign stops in Wallace's 1968 Presidential campaign.[1]
On his passing in Encino, California, Chill Wills was interred in the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.
Partial Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid | Lemuel |
| 1970 | Over the Hill Gang Rides Again | George Agnew, Retired Texas Ranger |
| 1969 | Over the Hill Gang | George Agnew, Retired Texas Ranger |
| 1963 | The Wheeler Dealers | Jay Ray |
| 1963 | McLintock! | Drago |
| 1960 | The Alamo | Beekeeper |
| 1941 | Western Union | Homer Kettle |
| 1937 | Way Out West | himself |
Trivia
- On Sunday evenings the "good ol' boys club" met at the John Ford Ranch in the San Fernando Valley. John Ford and John Wayne would be at the Ranch, and some others; Ben Johnson, Chill Wills, Ward Bond, Grant Withers, Harry Carey, Jr. and many of the other supporting actors that were usually in all of Wayne's pictures. Sometimes, Lee Marvin would show up.[2] They were sometimes known as The John Ford Stock Company.
- Wills was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1960 for his role as the Beekeeper in the film "Alamo". Many believe that he would have won the award if not for his aggressive campaign. Instead Peter Ustinov won for his role in Spartacus.
- His name, though nothing else about him, was probably the inspiration for the cartoon penguin called Chilly Willy.
References
- ^ a b The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, by Dan T. Carter (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995, 2000) at 314. ISBN: 0-8071-2597-0 Not available online.
- ^ A Macro Bio personal memoir of Harry Lee McGinnis
External link
- Chill Wills at IMDb
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