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Chill Wills (1902–1978)


Colorful character actor of American Westerns. Named "Chill" as an ironic comment on his birth date being the hottest day of 1903. A musician from his youth, he performed from the age of 12 with tent shows, in vaudeville, and with stock companies. While performing in vaudeville in Kansas City, he married ballet dancer Betty Chappelle... See full bio »

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Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins See more awards »

Known For


Filmography

Hide HideActor (131 titles)
1978 Stubby Pringle's Christmas (TV movie)
Janitor
 
1977 Poco... Little Dog Lost
Big Burt
 
1977 Mr. Billion
Col. Clayton T. Winkle
 
1974 Hec Ramsey (TV series)
Sam McDade
Scar Tissue (1974) … Sam McDade
 
1973 Guns of a Stranger
Tom Duncan
 
1972 Alias Smith and Jones (TV series)
Bixby
The Biggest Game in the West (1972) … Bixby
 
1971 The Steagle
Tall-Guy McCoy
 
1971 The Virginian (TV series)
Reedy
The Angus Killer (1971) … Reedy
 
1971 Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV series)
 
1970 Rod Serling's Night Gallery (TV series)
Heppelwhite (segment "The Little Black Bag")
Room with a View/The Little Black Bag/The Nature of the Enemy (1970) … Heppelwhite (segment "The Little Black Bag")
 
1969 Big Daddy
 
1962-1968 Gunsmoke (TV series)
Abe Blocker / Elihu Gorman / Red Conniston
A Noose for Dobie Price (1968) … Elihu Gorman
A Hat (1967) … Red Conniston
Abe Blocker (1962) … Abe Blocker
 
1968 Tarzan (TV series)
Montroso
End of a Challenge (1968) … Montroso
 
1967 Judd for the Defense (TV series)
Simpson Youngert
Confessional (1967) … Simpson Youngert
 
1966-1967 The Rounders (TV series)
Jim Ed Love
What Elephants? (1967) … Jim Ed Love
Polo, Anyone? (1966) … Jim Ed Love
 
1966 Fireball 500
Big Jaw Harris
 
1963-1965 Burke's Law (TV series)
General Hector Harder / Harry Riggs / Stanton Custer
Who Killed the Toy Soldier? (1965) … General Hector Harder
Who Killed Avery Lord? (1964) … Stanton Custer
Who Killed Cable Roberts? (1963) … Harry Riggs
 
1965 The Rounders
Jim Ed Love (owner, Love Ranch)
 
1964 Rawhide (TV series)
Sheriff Asa Tanner
Incident at Deadhorse: Part II (1964) … Sheriff Asa Tanner
Incident at Deadhorse: Part I (1964) … Sheriff Asa Tanner
 
1964 Route 66 (TV series)
Monty Musgrave
Where There's a Will, There's a Way: Part 2 (1964) … Monty Musgrave
Where There's a Will, There's a Way: Part 1 (1964) … Monty Musgrave
 
1963 The Cardinal
Monsignor Whittle
 
1963 The Wheeler Dealers
Jay Ray Spinelby
 
1963 McLintock!
Drago
 
1962 Young Guns of Texas
Preacher Sam Shelby
 
1961-1962 Frontier Circus (TV series)
Colonel Casey Thompson / Col. Casey Thompson
 
1961 The Deadly Companions
Turk
 
1961 Gold of the Seven Saints
Doc Wilson Gates, MD
 
1960 Where the Boys Are
Police Captain
 
1960 Assignment: Underwater (TV series)
Boyd Crosby
Troubled Waters (1960) … Boyd Crosby
 
1960 Playhouse 90 (TV series)
Mr. Pruitt
Tomorrow (1960) … Mr. Pruitt
 
1959 The Sad Horse
Capt Connors
 
1959 The Texan (TV series)
Captain Wylie
The Eyes of Captain Wylie (1959) … Captain Wylie
 
1959 Trackdown (TV series)
Sebulen Hunt
The Samaritan (1959) … Sebulen Hunt
 
1958 Wagon Train (TV series)
Bije Wilcox
The Bije Wilcox Story (1958) … Bije Wilcox
 
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series)
Mr. Kilmer
Don't Interrupt (1958) … Mr. Kilmer
 
1958 From Hell to Texas
Amos Bradley
 
1957 Gun Glory
Preacher
 
1957 Gun for a Coward
Loving
 
1956 Santiago
Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones
 
1955 Francis in the Navy
Francis the Talking Mule (voice) (uncredited)
 
1955 Kentucky Rifle
Tobias Taylor
 
1955 Timberjack
Steve Riika
 
1954 Hell's Outpost
Kevin Russel
 
1954 Ricochet Romance
Tom Williams
 
1953 Tumbleweed
Sheriff Murchoree
 
1953 City That Never Sleeps
Sgt. Joe, the 'Voice of Chicago'
 
1953 Small Town Girl
'Happy', Jailer (uncredited)
 
1952 Ride the Man Down
Ike Adams
 
1952 Bronco Buster
Dan Bream
 
1951 The Sea Hornet
Swede
 
1951 Cattle Drive
Dallas
 
1951 Oh! Susanna
Sergeant Barhydt
 
1950 The Gene Autry Show (TV series)
Sheriff Chill Wills
The Peacemaker (1950) … Sheriff Chill Wills
The Gray Dude (1950) … Sheriff Chill Wills
 
1950 Rio Grande
Dr. Wilkins (regimental surgeon)
 
1950 High Lonesome
Boatwhistle, Ranch Cook
 
1950 Stella
Chief Clark (uncredited)
 
1950 Rock Island Trail
Hogger McCoy
 
1950 Francis
Francis the Talking Mule (voice) (uncredited)
 
1950 The Sundowners
Sam Beers
 
1950 The Grass Is Always Greener (short)
Windy
 
1949 Red Canyon
Marshal G.T. Brackton
 
1949 Tulsa
Pinky Jimpson (Narrator)
 
1948 Loaded Pistols
Sheriff Cramer
 
1948 Family Honeymoon
Fred
 
1948 That Wonderful Urge
Homer Beggs - Justice of the Peace - Monroe Township
 
1948 The Saxon Charm
Captain Chatham
 
1948 Northwest Stampede
Mileaway
 
1948 The Sainted Sisters
Will Twitchell
 
1947 Heartaches
'Breezie' Mann
 
1947 High Barbaree
Lars (uncredited)
 
1946 Gallant Bess
Chief Petty Officer
 
1946 The Harvey Girls
H.H. Hartsey
 
1945 Leave Her to Heaven
Leick Thome
 
1945 What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
Sgt. Cramp
 
1944 I'll Be Seeing You
Swanson
 
1944 Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
Mr. York
 
1944 Trailin' West (short)
Old Man Coffey
 
1944 Barbary Coast Gent
Sheriff Hightower
 
1944 Rationing
Bus driver
 
1944 See Here, Private Hargrove
First Sgt. Cramp
 
1943 Best Foot Forward
Chester Short
 
1943 A Stranger in Town
Charles Craig
 
1942 Stand by for Action
Chief Boatswain's Mate Jenks
 
1942 Apache Trail
'Pike' Skelton
 
1942 The Omaha Trail
Henry Hawkins
 
1942 Her Cardboard Lover
Judge
 
1942 Tarzan's New York Adventure
Manchester Montford
 
1942 Mister Gardenia Jones (documentary short)
Hotel Employee
 
1942 The Bugle Sounds
Sgt. Larry Dillon
 
1941 Honky Tonk
The Sniper
 
1941 Belle Starr
Blue Duck
 
1941 Billy the Kid
Tom Patterson
 
1941 Western Union
Homer Kettle
 
1940 Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Shiftless
 
1940 Sky Murder
Sheriff Beckwith
 
1940 The Westerner
Southeast
 
1940 Wyoming
Lafe (uncredited)
 
1940 Boom Town
Harmony Jones
 
1939 Allegheny Uprising
M'Cammon
 
1939 The Day the Bookies Wept
Man on Bus (uncredited)
 
1939 Timber Stampede
Whopper Hatch
 
1939 Racketeers of the Range
Whopper Hatch
 
1939 Sorority House
Mr. Johnson
 
1939 Trouble in Sundown
Whopper
 
1939 Arizona Legion
Whopper Hatch
 
1938 Lawless Valley
Deputy Speedy McGow
 
1938 Block-Heads
Midget in Elevator (uncredited) (voice)
 
1937 Nobody's Baby
Amateur Hour Lead Quartet Singer (as The Avalon Boys)
 
1937 Way Out West
Lead Singer of the Avalon Boys (uncredited) / Stan's Bass Singing (uncredited)
 
1936 Hideaway Girl
Lead Singer of Avalon Boys (as The Avalon Boys)
 
1936 At Sea Ashore (short)
Leader of The Avalon Four (uncredited)
 
1936 Call of the Prairie
Singing cowhand (as The Avalon Boys)
 
1936 Anything Goes
Member of The Avalon Boys (uncredited)
 
1935 Bar 20 Rides Again
Background Singer/Henchman (as Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys)
 
1934 It's a Gift
Campfire Singer (uncredited)
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (22 titles)
1970 The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (TV movie) (performer: "Come All You Texas Rangers" - uncredited)
 
1970 The Porter Wagoner Show (TV series)
Chill Wills: Part 2 (1970) (performer: "Little Darlin'", "Will Rogers")
Chill Wills: Part 1 (1970) (performer: "Water", "Mama")
 
1969 The Over-the-Hill Gang (TV movie) (performer: "Texas Rangers" - uncredited)
 
1961 Frontier Circus (TV series)
Patriarch of Purgatory (1961) (performer: "Sweet Betsy from Pike" excerpt - uncredited)
 
1960 The Alamo (performer: "Here's to the Ladies")
 
1955 Kentucky Rifle (performer: "Sweet Betsy From Pike")
 
1954 Hell's Outpost (writer: "Packin' the Mail")
 
1954 Francis Joins the WACS (performer: "I WANT TO ENLIST IN THE WACS" - uncredited)
 
1952 Bronco Buster (writer: "Rodeo, Oh!")
 
1950 High Lonesome (writer: "20 Miles From Carson" / "20 Miles From Carson")
 
1950 The Grass Is Always Greener (short) (writer: "Big Blue Eyes" - uncredited / performer: "Big Blue Eyes" - uncredited)
 
1949 Tulsa (performer: "TULSA", "Old Faithful", "Three O'Clock in the Morning")
 
1945 Leave Her to Heaven (performer: "Chickens in the Garden", "Deedle Deedle Dum Dum")
 
1942 The Omaha Trail (performer: "'Taters and Corn" 1942)
 
1942 Stand by for Action (performer: "I'm a Sailor Man" - uncredited / "The Oceana Roll" 1911 - uncredited)
 
1940 Boom Town (performer: "Polly Wolly Doodle" - uncredited)
 
1939 Racketeers of the Range (performer: "Caboose on the Red ball Train" 1939, "Red River Valley", "'Cause I'm the Man", "Sleepy Wrangler" 1939 / "Red River Valley")
 
1939 Arizona Legion (performer: "I'd Rather Be Footloose" - uncredited)
 
1937 Nobody's Baby (writer: "The West Ain't Wild and Woolly Anymore")
 
1937 Way Out West (performer: "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" 1913 - uncredited)
 
1935 Bar 20 Rides Again (performer: "The Moon Hangs High")
 
1934 It's a Gift (performer: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" 1897 - uncredited)
 
Show ShowSelf (8 titles)
1977 Dinah! (TV series)
Himself
Episode #3.73 (1977) … Himself
 
1970 The Porter Wagoner Show (TV series)
Himself / Himself - Guest
Chill Wills: Part 2 (1970) … Himself - Guest
Chill Wills: Part 1 (1970) … Himself
 
1969 The Merv Griffin Show (TV series)
Himself
Episode dated 6 November 1969 (1969) … Himself
 
1961 The 33rd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
 
1959 Disneyland '59 (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1952 Screen Snapshots: Fun in the Sun (documentary short)
Himself - Golf Player
 
1952 Screen Snapshots: Hollywood's Mr. Movies (documentary short)
Himself
 
1951 Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes Western (documentary short)
Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (8 titles)
2008 How the West Was Lost (TV documentary)
Lemuel (uncredited)
 
2004 Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2002 Biography (TV series documentary)
 
2001 Drive-in Movie Memories (documentary)
Himself
 
1994 That's Entertainment! III (documentary)
Performer in Clip from 'The Harvey Girls' (uncredited)
 
1992 John Wayne's 'The Alamo' (video documentary short)
Beekeeper
 
1976 It's Showtime (documentary)
Francis the Talking Mule (voice) (uncredited)
 
1948 It Can't Be Done (short)
Tom Davenport (clip from 'The Immortal Blacksmith') (uncredited)
 

Related Videos

High Lonesome -- When a sudden spurt of murders occurs in the Big Bend country, suspicion immediately falls on a young drifter who just moved to the area. Alias Smith and Jones: Season 2: Episode 19 -- Heyes deposits $200,000 in counterfeit money in the bank to assure his invitation to a high-stakes poker game. Meet Me in St. Louis -- In the year before the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York.
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Personal Details

Other Works:

(1956) Unsold pilot: Starred in a pilot for a western TV series called "Old Man Coffee." See more »

Alternate Names:

The Avalon Boys | Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys

Height:

6' 2" (1.88 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

While campaigning for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1960, Wills took out a series of ads with the declaration "Win, lose or draw, you're all my cousins and I love you."It was signed "Your cousin, Chill Wills". One member of the Academy placed a response ad stating: "Dear Mr. Chill Wills, I am delighted to be your cousin but I voted for Sal Mineo. "It was signed, Groucho Marx. See more »

Trivia:

Daughter, Jill Wills (b.1939) See more »

Star Sign:

Cancer