Chill Wills
Known for Acting · 129 credits
- Born
- 1902-07-18
- Died
- 1978-12-15
- Place of birth
- Seagoville, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- Theodore Childress Wills
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American film actor, and a singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet.
He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. After appearing in a few westerns he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career.
One of his more memorable roles was that of the distinctive voice of Francis the Mule in a series of popular films. Wills' 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. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West (1937), in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared.
Wills was cast in numerous serious film roles, including as "the city of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and that of Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956), which also features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Davy Crockett's companion "Beekeeper" in the film The Alamo (1960). 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. Wills' publicity agent, W.S. "Bow-Wow" Wojciechowicz, accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming that Wills had known nothing about it. The Oscar was instead won by Peter Ustinov for his role as Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus.
Known For
TV Shows (15)
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Rawhide
1959
as Sheriff Asa Tanner
Route 66
1960
Burke's Law
1963
as Harry Riggs / Stanton Custer / General Hector Harder
Night Gallery
1970
as Heppelwhite (segment "The Little Black Bag")
Gunsmoke
1955
as Abe Blocker / Red Conniston / Elihu Gorman
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Kilmer
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
The Texan
1958
Trackdown
1957
Tarzan
1966
Judd, for the Defense
1967
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as The Janitor
Frontier Circus
1961
as Colonel Casey Thompson /Col. Casey Thompson
The Rounders
1966
Movies (114)
Giant
1956
as Uncle Bawley
McLintock!
1963
as Drago
The Alamo
1960
as Beekeeper
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973
as Lemuel
Rio Grande
1950
as Dr. Wilkins
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
2004
as Self (archive footage)
The Cardinal
1963
as Monsignor
The Yearling
1946
as Buck Forrester
The Sundowners
1950
as Sam Beers
Meet Me in St. Louis
1944
as Mr. Neely
Western Union
1941
as Homer Kettle
Sorority House
1939
as Mr. Johnson
Tulsa
1949
as Pinky Jimpson (Narrator)
Leave Her to Heaven
1945
as Leick Thome
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Belle Starr
1941
as Blue Duck
Stella
1950
as Chief Clark
The Rounders
1965
as Jim Ed Love
The Man from the Alamo
1953
as John Gage
Arizona Legion
1939
as Whopper Hatch
Apache Trail
1942
as 'Pike' Skelton
Mr. Billion
1977
as Col. Clayton T. Winkle
High Barbaree
1947
as Lars (uncredited)
The Harvey Girls
1946
as H.H. Hartsey
Boom Town
1940
as Harmony Jones
The Westerner
1940
as Southeast
Northwest Stampede
1948
as Mileaway
Where the Boys Are
1960
as Police Captain
The Over the Hill Gang
1969
as Gentleman George Agnew
Stand by for Action
1942
as Mate Jenks, Chef-Bootsmann
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Francis
1950
as Francis the Talking Mule (voice)
Red Canyon
1949
as Marshal G.T. Brackton
Honky Tonk
1941
as The Sniper
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
1970
as Mr. Ike
Gun Glory
1957
as Preacher
Way Out West
1937
as Lead Singer of the Avalon Boys / Stan's Bass Singing (uncredited)
Ride the Man Down
1952
as Ike Adams
Cattle Drive
1951
as Dallas
Billy the Kid
1941
as Tom Patterson
Family Honeymoon
1948
as Fred
High Lonesome
1950
as Boatwhistle
Francis Covers the Big Town
1953
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
Santiago
1956
as Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones
Oh! Susanna
1951
as Sgt. Barhydt
The Deadly Companions
1961
as Turk
Kentucky Rifle
1956
as Tobias Taylor
Allegheny Uprising
1939
as M'Cammon
Young Guns of Texas
1962
as Preacher Sam Shelby
Tarzan's New York Adventure
1942
as Manchester Montford
The Wheeler Dealers
1963
as Jay Ray Spinelby
Tumbleweed
1953
as Sheriff Murchoree
Francis Goes to West Point
1952
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
City That Never Sleeps
1953
as Sgt. Joe, the 'Voice of Chicago'
That Wonderful Urge
1948
as Homer Beggs
Loaded Pistols
1948
as Sheriff Cramer
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant'
1956
as Host
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
1970
as Gentleman George Agnew
Heartaches
1947
as 'Breezie' Mann
Gold of the Seven Saints
1961
as Doc Wilson Gates, M.D.
Gun for a Coward
1956
as Loving
Fireball 500
1966
as Big Jaw
The Sea Hornet
1951
as Swede
Rock Island Trail
1950
as Hogger McCoy
Small Town Girl
1953
as Happy
What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
1945
as Sgt. Cramp
Call of the Prairie
1936
as Singing Cowhand
See Here, Private Hargrove
1944
as First Sgt. Cramp
Gallant Bess
1946
as Chief Petty Officer
Drive-In Movie Memories
2001
Hideaway Girl
1936
as Lead Singer of Avalon Boys
The Day the Bookies Wept
1939
as Man on Bus (uncredited)
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992
as Beekeeper
I'll Be Seeing You
1944
as Swanson
From Hell to Texas
1958
as Amos Bradley
Francis Goes to the Races
1951
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
Francis in the Navy
1955
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
Disneyland '59
1959
as Self
The Steagle
1971
as Tall Guy McCoy
Big Daddy
1969
Wyoming
1940
as Lafe
Francis Joins the WACS
1954
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
1940
as Shiftless
Nobody's Baby
1937
as Amateur Hour Quartet Singer
Ricochet Romance
1954
as Tom Williams
Lawless Valley
1938
as Deputy Speedy McGow
The Grass Is Always Greener
1950
as Windy
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
1961
as Major Buford
Barbary Coast Gent
1944
as Sheriff Hightower
Trouble in Sundown
1939
as Whopper
Bar 20 Rides Again
1935
as Henchman
Timberjack
1955
as Steve Riika
The Bugle Sounds
1942
as Sgt. Larry Dillon
Best Foot Forward
1943
as Chester Short
Timber Stampede
1939
as Whopper Hatch
The Sainted Sisters
1948
as Will Twitchell
The Bad Man
1941
as 'Red' Giddings
Sky Murder
1940
as Sheriff Beckwith
The Saxon Charm
1948
as Captain Chatham
Her Cardboard Lover
1942
as Judge
The Omaha Trail
1942
as Henry Hawkins
Stubby Pringle's Christmas
1978
as The Janitor
Racketeers of the Range
1939
as Whopper Hatch
Hell's Outpost
1954
as Kevin Russell
A Stranger in Town
1943
as Charles Craig
Bronco Buster
1952
as Dan Bream
At Sea Ashore
1936
as Leader of The Avalon Four (uncredited)
The Sad Horse
1959
as Capt. Connors
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
1944
as Mr. York
Poco… Little Dog Lost
1977
as Big Burt
The Western: A Lost TV Special
1958
as Self
Guns of a Stranger
1973
as Tom Duncan
Mr. Gardenia Jones
1942
as Hotel Employee
The Immortal Blacksmith
1944
as Tom Davenport
About Chill Wills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American film actor, and a singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet. He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. After appearing in a few westerns he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career. One of his more memorable roles was that of the distinctive voice of Francis the Mule in a series of popular films. Wills' deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was mat… With 129 credits spanning from 1935 to 2004, Chill Wills has appeared in 114 films and 15 TV shows.
Fans searching for Chill Wills movies, Chill Wills filmography, or the latest projects starring Chill Wills can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Chill Wills Movies
- Giant (1956) — as Uncle Bawley
- McLintock! (1963) — as Drago
- The Alamo (1960) — as Beekeeper
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) — as Lemuel
- Rio Grande (1950) — as Dr. Wilkins
Where to Watch Chill Wills Films
Most Chill Wills movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Chill Wills, check our movies catalogue and browse page.