Chill Wills


Theodore Childress "Chill" Wills was an American actor and a singer in the Avalon Boys quartet.

Early life

Wills was born in Seagoville, Texas, on July 18, 1902.

Career

Wills was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West, in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared. After appearing in a few Westerns, he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career.
During the 1940s, Wills was a contract player for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, appearing in Westerns. He was also cast in a number of dramatic roles, including "the City of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps, and Uncle Bawley in Giant.
For his role as Davy Crockett's companion Beekeeper in The Alamo, Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, his aggressive campaign for the award was considered tasteless by many, including the film's star/director/producer John Wayne, who publicly apologized for Wills. His publicity agent, Wojciechowicz "Bow Wow" Wojtkiewicz, accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming Wills knew nothing about it. The Oscar was won by Peter Ustinov for his role as Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus.
Wills voiced Francis the Talking Mule in a series of 1950s comedy films. His deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was matched to the personality of the cynical, 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.
In 1959, he starred as Bije Wilcox in "The Bije Wilcox Story" on Wagon Train. In Rory Calhoun's Western series The Texan, Wills appeared in the lead role in the 1960 episode titled "The Eyes of Captain Wylie". Wills starred in the series Frontier Circus, which aired for only one season on CBS.
Wills guest-starred as title character "Abe Blocker" on Gunsmoke in 1962 as a deranged mountain man and old friend of Matt Dillon, preying on homesteaders. In 1966, he was cast in the role of a shady Texas rancher, Jim Ed Love, in the short-lived comedy/Western series The Rounders, with co-stars Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne, and Walker Edmiston.
Two years later, Wills starred in the 1968 Gunsmoke episode "A Noose for Dobie Price", where he played Elihu Gorman, a former outlaw who joins forces with Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, to track down a member of his former gang who has escaped jail. In 1971, he appeared as Pat Reedy on The Men from Shiloh in the episode titled "The Angus Killer".
His last role was in 1978, as a janitor in Stubby Pringle's Christmas.

Political involvement

In 19631964, Wills joined William Lundigan, Walter Brennan, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in making appearances on behalf of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the campaign against U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Later, in 1968, Wills refused to support Richard Nixon for the presidency and served as master of ceremonies for George C. Wallace, former governor of Alabama, for the California campaign stops in Wallace's presidential campaign. Wills and Walter Brennan were among the few Hollywood celebrities to endorse Wallace's bid against Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey.

Other interests

Wills was a poker player and friend of Benny Binion, founder of the World Series of Poker and former owner of Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wills participated in the first World Series held in 1970, and is seated in the center of a photo taken at the event.

Death

On December 15, 1978, Wills died of cancer in Encino, California, aged 76. He was cremated and interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography

It's a Gift as Campfire Singer Bar 20 Rides Again as Background Singer / Henchman Anything Goes as Member of The Avalon Boys Call of the Prairie as Singing CowhandHideaway Girl as Lead Singer of Avalon Boys Way Out West as Lead Singer of the Avalon Boys / Stan's Bass Singing Nobody's Baby as Amateur Hour Lead Quartet Singer Block-Heads as Midget in Elevator Lawless Valley as Deputy Speedy McGowArizona Legion as Whopper HatchTrouble in Sundown as WhopperSorority House as Mr. JohnsonRacketeers of the Range as Whopper HatchTimber Stampede as Whopper HatchThe Day the Bookies Wept as Man on Bus Allegheny Uprising as John M'CammonBoom Town as Deputy Harmony JonesWyoming as Lafe The Westerner as SoutheastSky Murder as Sheriff BeckwithTugboat Annie Sails Again as ShiftlessWestern Union as Homer KettleThe Bad Man as 'Red' GiddingsBilly the Kid as Tom PattersonBelle Starr as Blue DuckHonky Tonk as The SniperThe Bugle Sounds as Sgt. Larry DillonTarzan's New York Adventure as Manchester MontfordHer Cardboard Lover as JudgeThe Omaha Trail as Henry HawkinsApache Trail as 'Pike' SkeltonStand by for Action as Chief Boatswain's Mate JenksA Stranger in Town as Charles CraigBest Foot Forward as Chester ShortSee Here, Private Hargrove as First Sergeant CrampRationing as Bus Driver Barbary Coast Gent as Sheriff HightowerMeet Me in St. Louis as Mr. NeelyI'll Be Seeing You as SwansonSunday Dinner for a Soldier as Mr. YorkWhat Next, Corporal Hargrove? as Sergeant CrampLeave Her to Heaven as Leick ThomeThe Harvey Girls as H.H. HartseyGallant Bess as Chief Petty OfficerThe Yearling as Buck ForresterHigh Barbaree as Lars Heartaches as 'Breezie' MannThe Sainted Sisters as Will TwitchellNorthwest Stampede as MileawayThe Saxon Charm as Captain ChathamThat Wonderful Urge as Homer Beggs, Justice of the Peace, Monroe TownshipFamily Honeymoon as FredLoaded Pistols as Sheriff CramerTulsa as Pinky Jimpson Red Canyon as BracktonFrancis as Francis the Talking Mule The Sundowners as Sam BeersRock Island Trail as Hogger McCoyStella as Chief Clark High Lonesome as Boatwhistle, Ranch CookRio Grande as Dr. Wilkins Oh! Susanna as Sergeant BarhydtFrancis Goes to the Races as Francis the Talking Mule Cattle Drive as DallasThe Sea Hornet as SwedeBronco Buster as Dan BreamFrancis Goes to West Point as Francis the Talking Mule Ride the Man Down as Ike AdamsSmall Town Girl as 'Happy', Jailer Francis Covers the Big Town as Francis the Talking Mule City That Never Sleeps as Sergeant Joe, the 'Voice of Chicago'The Man from the Alamo as John GageTumbleweed as Sheriff MurchoreeFrancis Joins the WACS as General Benjamin Kaye / Francis the Talking Mule Ricochet Romance as Tom WilliamsHell's Outpost as Kevin RusselTimberjack as Steve RiikaKentucky Rifle as Tobias TaylorFrancis in the Navy as Francis the Talking Mule Santiago as Captain 'Sidewheel' JonesGiant as Uncle BawleyGun for a Coward as LovingGun Glory as PreacherFrom Hell to Texas as Amos Bradley Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Mr. Kilmer The Sad Horse as Captain ConnorsThe Alamo as BeekeeperWhere the Boys Are as Police CaptainGold of the Seven Saints as Doc Wilson GatesThe Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come as Major BufordThe Deadly Companions as Turk, "a half-crazed card shark"Gunsmoke as Abe BlockerYoung Guns of Texas as Preacher Sam ShelbyMcLintock! as DragoThe Wheeler Dealers as Jay Ray SpinelbyThe Cardinal as Monsignor WhittleThe Rounders as Jim Ed LoveFireball 500 as Big Jaw HarrisBig Daddy The Over-the-Hill Gang as George Asque, retired Texas RangerThe Liberation of L.B. Jones as Mr. IkeThe Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again as George AsqueNight Gallery as Heppelwhite The Steagle as Tall-Guy McCoy