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Chill Wills

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Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1903 in Seagoville, TexasDecember 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

  • 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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ A Macro Bio personal memoir of Harry Lee McGinnis