Chill Wills
Biography
Chill Wills was an American film actor. He was born on July 18, 1902, and died on December 15, 1978. Wills was a performer from early childhood and formed the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. He later disbanded the group in 1938 and pursued a solo acting career. Wills is known for his distinctive voice and his work in a series of popular films. He was a character actor who primarily played roles in American Westerns. Wills' voice was matched to the personality of a cynical, sardonic mule in a series of films. He was a member of the Avalon Boys Quartet and had a deep, rough voice with a Western twang.
Career overview
Chill Wills began his acting career after disbanding the Avalon Boys singing group in 1938. He transitioned to a solo acting career, appearing in a few westerns. Wills' distinctive voice, characterized by a deep, rough tone with a Western twang, was utilized in a series of popular films. He provided the voice of Francis the Mule, a character whose personality was matched to Wills' vocal style.
As a voice actor, Wills' work was often uncredited, a common practice at the time. Despite this, his contributions to the films in which he appeared are notable. His voice work added depth and character to the mule, making the character a memorable one in the series.
Chill Wills' acting career spanned multiple film roles, with a total of 130 known credits. His work in the film industry was primarily in the Western genre, where he played character roles. Wills' voice work and acting career demonstrate his versatility as a performer and his ability to adapt to different roles and genres.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Drive-In Movie Memories (2001)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage)
- John Wayne's 'The Alamo' (1992) as Beekeeper
- Stubby Pringle's Christmas (1978) as The Janitor
- Mr. Billion (1977) as Col. Clayton T. Winkle
- Poco… Little Dog Lost (1977) as Big Burt
- It's Showtime (1976) as Self (archive footage)
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) as Lemuel
- Guns of a Stranger (1973) as Tom Duncan
- Alias Smith and Jones (1971)
- The Steagle (1971) as Tall Guy McCoy
- Night Gallery (1970) as Heppelwhite (segment "The Little Black Bag")
- The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) as Mr. Ike
- The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970) as Gentleman George Agnew
- Big Daddy (1969)
- The Over the Hill Gang (1969) as Gentleman George Agnew
- Judd, for the Defense (1967)
- Tarzan (1966)
- The Rounders (1966)
- Fireball 500 (1966) as Big Jaw
- The Rounders (1965) as Jim Ed Love
- Burke's Law (1963) as Harry Riggs
- Burke's Law (1963) as Stanton Custer
- Burke's Law (1963) as General Hector Harder
- McLintock! (1963) as Drago
- The Cardinal (1963) as Monsignor
- The Wheeler Dealers (1963) as Jay Ray Spinelby
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Young Guns of Texas (1962) as Preacher Sam Shelby
- Frontier Circus (1961) as Colonel Casey Thompson /Col. Casey Thompson
- The Deadly Companions (1961) as Turk
- Gold of the Seven Saints (1961) as Doc Wilson Gates, M.D.
- The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come (1961) as Major Buford
- Route 66 (1960)
- The Alamo (1960) as Beekeeper
- Where the Boys Are (1960) as Police Captain
- Rawhide (1959) as Sheriff Asa Tanner
- Disneyland '59 (1959) as Self
- The Sad Horse (1959) as Capt. Connors
- The Texan (1958)
- From Hell to Texas (1958) as Amos Bradley
- The Western: A Lost TV Special (1958) as Self
- Trackdown (1957)
- Gun Glory (1957) as Preacher
- Giant (1956) as Uncle Bawley
- Santiago (1956) as Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones
- Gun for a Coward (1956) as Loving
- New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant' (1956) as Host
- Kentucky Rifle (1956) as Tobias Taylor
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Abe Blocker
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Red Conniston
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Elihu Gorman
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Mr. Kilmer
- Francis in the Navy (1955) as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
- Timberjack (1955) as Steve Riika
- Hell's Outpost (1954) as Kevin Russell
- Francis Joins the WACS (1954) as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
- Ricochet Romance (1954) as Tom Williams
- Small Town Girl (1953) as Happy
- The Man from the Alamo (1953) as John Gage
- City That Never Sleeps (1953) as Sgt. Joe, the 'Voice of Chicago'
- Francis Covers the Big Town (1953) as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
- Tumbleweed (1953) as Sheriff Murchoree
- Francis Goes to West Point (1952) as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
- Ride the Man Down (1952) as Ike Adams
- Bronco Buster (1952) as Dan Bream
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as The Janitor
- Cattle Drive (1951) as Dallas
- Oh! Susanna (1951) as Sgt. Barhydt
- Francis Goes to the Races (1951) as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
- The Sea Hornet (1951) as Swede
- Rio Grande (1950) as Dr. Wilkins
- Francis (1950) as Francis the Talking Mule (voice)
- The Sundowners (1950) as Sam Beers
- High Lonesome (1950) as Boatwhistle
- Rock Island Trail (1950) as Hogger McCoy
- Stella (1950) as Chief Clark
- The Grass Is Always Greener (1950) as Windy
- Red Canyon (1949) as Marshal G.T. Brackton
- Tulsa (1949) as Pinky Jimpson (Narrator)
- Family Honeymoon (1948) as Fred
- The Saxon Charm (1948) as Captain Chatham
- Loaded Pistols (1948) as Sheriff Cramer
- That Wonderful Urge (1948) as Homer Beggs
- The Sainted Sisters (1948) as Will Twitchell
- Northwest Stampede (1948) as Mileaway
- High Barbaree (1947) as Lars (uncredited)
- Heartaches (1947) as 'Breezie' Mann
- The Harvey Girls (1946) as H.H. Hartsey
- The Yearling (1946) as Buck Forrester
- Gallant Bess (1946) as Chief Petty Officer
- Leave Her to Heaven (1945) as Leick Thome
- What Next, Corporal Hargrove? (1945) as Sgt. Cramp
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as Mr. Neely
- I'll Be Seeing You (1944) as Swanson
- See Here, Private Hargrove (1944) as First Sgt. Cramp
- Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944) as Mr. York
- Barbary Coast Gent (1944) as Sheriff Hightower
- The Immortal Blacksmith (1944) as Tom Davenport
- A Stranger in Town (1943) as Charles Craig
- Best Foot Forward (1943) as Chester Short
- Her Cardboard Lover (1942) as Judge
- Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942) as Manchester Montford
- Stand by for Action (1942) as Mate Jenks, Chef-Bootsmann
- Mr. Gardenia Jones (1942) as Hotel Employee
- The Omaha Trail (1942) as Henry Hawkins
- The Bugle Sounds (1942) as Sgt. Larry Dillon
- Apache Trail (1942) as 'Pike' Skelton
- Belle Starr (1941) as Blue Duck
- Western Union (1941) as Homer Kettle
- Honky Tonk (1941) as The Sniper
- Billy the Kid (1941) as Tom Patterson
- The Bad Man (1941) as 'Red' Giddings
- The Westerner (1940) as Southeast
- Boom Town (1940) as Harmony Jones
- Sky Murder (1940) as Sheriff Beckwith
- Wyoming (1940) as Lafe
- Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940) as Shiftless
- Allegheny Uprising (1939) as M'Cammon
- The Day the Bookies Wept (1939) as Man on Bus (uncredited)
- Sorority House (1939) as Mr. Johnson
- Trouble in Sundown (1939) as Whopper
- Racketeers of the Range (1939) as Whopper Hatch
- Arizona Legion (1939) as Whopper Hatch
- Timber Stampede (1939) as Whopper Hatch
- Lawless Valley (1938) as Deputy Speedy McGow
- Way Out West (1937) as Lead Singer of the Avalon Boys / Stan's Bass Singing (uncredited)
- Nobody's Baby (1937) as Amateur Hour Quartet Singer
- Hideaway Girl (1936) as Lead Singer of Avalon Boys
- Anything Goes (1936) as Quartette Member
- Call of the Prairie (1936) as Singing Cowhand
- At Sea Ashore (1936) as Leader of The Avalon Four (uncredited)
- Bar 20 Rides Again (1935) as Henchman