Charley Grapewin

Charley Grapewin
Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably portraying Uncle Henry in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz (1939), "Grandpa" William James Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Jeeter Lester in Tobacco Road (1941), Uncle Salters in Captains Courageous (1937), Gramp Maple in The Petrified Forest (1936), Wang's Father in The Good Earth (1937), and California Joe in They Died With Their Boots On (1941).
Biography
Born in Xenia, Ohio, Charles Grapewin ran away from home to be a circus acrobat which led him to work as an aerialist and trapeze artist in a traveling circus before turning to acting. He traveled all over the world with the famous P. T. Barnum circus. Grapewin also appeared in the original 1903 Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz, 36 years before he would be featured in the famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film version.
After this he continued in theatre, on and offstage, for the next thirty years, starting with various stock companies, and wrote stage plays as a vehicle for himself. His sole Broadway theatre credit was the short-lived play It's Up to You John Henry in 1905.
Grapewin began in silent films at the turn of the twentieth century. His very first films were two "moving image shorts" made by Frederick S. Armitage and released in November 1900; Chimmie Hicks at the Races (also known as Above the Limit) and Chimmie Hicks and the Rum Omelet, both shot in September and October 1900 and released in November of that year. During his long career, Grapewin appeared in more than one hundred films, including The Good Earth, The Petrified Forest, The Grapes of Wrath, Tobacco Road, and in what is probably his best-remembered role: Uncle Henry in The Wizard of Oz. Prior to being cast in that film, Grapewin performed in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Broadway Melody of 1938 with Judy Garland (Dorothy in Oz) and Buddy Ebsen (the original Tin Man in Oz). He also performed with Garland in Listen, Darling. Later, in the early 1940s, he had a recurring role as Inspector Queen in the Ellery Queen film series.
Personal life and death
Grapewin married actress Anna Chance in 1896, and they remained together until her death in 1943. Two years later, on January 10, 1945, he married Loretta McGowan Becker. That union ended in divorce in 1950.
Grapewin died on February 2, 1956, at his home in Corona, California at the age of 86. His ashes are interred with his wife's in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, at the Great Mausoleum's Columbarium of Inspiration.
Selected filmography
The Shannons of Broadway (1929) as Swanzey (film debut)
Only Saps Work (1930) as Simeon Tanner
The Millionaire (1931) as Ed Powers
Gold Dust Gertie (1931) as Nicholas Hautrey
Heaven on Earth (1931) as Doc Boax
Hell's House (1932) as Henry Clark
The Big Timer (1932) as Pop Baldwin
Disorderly Conduct (1932) as Limpy
Are You Listening? (1932) as Pierce (uncredited)
Huddle (1932) as Doctor (uncredited)
The Woman in Room 13 (1932) as Andy
The Washington Masquerade (1932) as Senator Simmons (uncredited)
Lady and Gent (1932) as Grocer
American Madness (1932) as Mr. Jones (uncredited)
The Night of June 13 (1932) as "Grandpop" Jeptha Strawn
Wild Horse Mesa (1932) as Sam Bass
No Man of Her Own (1932) as George, the Clerk
Hello, Everybody! (1933) as Jed
The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933) as Schultz
Heroes for Sale (1933) as Pa Dennis
Midnight Mary (1933) as Clerk
Don't Bet on Love (1933) as Pop McCaffery
Pilgrimage (1933) as Dad Saunders
Turn Back the Clock (1933) as Dr. Henderson (uncredited)
Beauty for Sale (1933) as Freddy Gordon
Torch Singer (1933) as Judson
Wild Boys of the Road (1933) as Mr. Cadman (uncredited)
Female (1933) as Drunk at Hamburger Stand (uncredited)
Hell and High Water (1933) as Peck Wealin
Two Alone (1934) as Sandy Roberts
Caravan (1934) as Notary
The Quitter (1934) as Ed Tilford
She Made Her Bed (1934) as Joe Olesen
The Loudspeaker (1934) as Pop Calloway
Return of the Terror (1934) as Jessup
Judge Priest (1934) as Sergeant Jimmy Bagby
The President Vanishes (1934) as Richard Norton
Anne of Green Gables (1934) as Dr. Tatum
In Spite of Danger (1935) as Pop Sullivan
Eight Bells (1935) as Grayson
Party Wire (1935) as Will Oliver
One Frightened Night (1935) as Jasper Whyte
Shanghai (1935) as Truesdale
Alice Adams (1935) as J. A. Lamb
King Solomon of Broadway (1935) as Uncle Winchester
Rendezvous (1935) as Martin
Super-Speed (1935) as Terry Devlin
Ah, Wilderness! (1935) as Dave McComber
The Petrified Forest (1936) as Gramp Maple
The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936) as Cal Royster
Small Town Girl (1936) as Dr. Ned Fabre
Libeled Lady (1936) as Mr. Bane
Without Orders (1936) as J.P. Kendrick
Sinner Take All (1936) as Aaron
The Good Earth (1937) as Old Father
A Family Affair (1937) as Frank Redmond
Captains Courageous (1937) as Uncle Salters
Between Two Women (1937) as Dr. Webster
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) as James K. Blakeley
Bad Guy (1937) as Dan Gray
Big City (1937) as The Mayor
The Bad Man of Brimstone (1937) as Barney Lane
Of Human Hearts (1938) as Jim Meeker
The Girl of the Golden West (1938) as Uncle Davy
Three Comrades (1938) as Local Doctor
Three Loves Has Nancy (1938) as Grandpa Briggs
Listen, Darling (1938) as Uncle Joe
Artists and Models Abroad (1938) as James Harper
Stand Up and Fight (1939) as 'Old Puff'
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939) as 'Doc' Heath
Sudden Money (1939) as Grandpa Casey Patterson
The Man Who Dared (1939) as Ulysses Porterfield
The Wizard of Oz (1939) as Uncle Henry
Dust Be My Destiny (1939) as Pop
Hero for a Day (1939) as Uncle Frank 'Lucky' Higgins
Sabotage (1939) as Major Matt Grayson
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as William James "Grandpa" Joad
Johnny Apollo (1940) as Judge Emmett T. Brennan
Earthbound (1940) as Mr. Whimser
Rhythm on the River (1940) as Uncle Caleb
Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) as Insp. Queen
Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940) as Ranger Ben Caldwalder
Tobacco Road (1941) as Jeeter
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as Inspector Richard Queen
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime (1941) as Insp. Queen
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring (1941) as Insp. Queen
They Died with Their Boots On (1941) as California Joe
A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942) as Inspector Queen
A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen (1942) as Insp. Queen
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen (1942) as Inspector Richard Queen
Crash Dive (1943) as Pop (uncredited)
Follow the Boys (1944) as Nick West
Atlantic City (1944) as Jake Taylor
The Impatient Years (1944) as Benjamin L. Pidgeon, Bellboy
Gunfighters (1947) as Inskip - Rancher
The Enchanted Valley (1948) as Grandpa
Sand (1949) as Doug
When I Grow Up (1951) as Grandpa Reed (final film role)
References
External links
1869 births
1956 deaths
Acrobats
Vaudeville performers
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
American male stage actors
People from Xenia, Ohio
People from Corona, California
19th-century American male actors
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Ohio
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus people
Articles containing video clips
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players