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Charley Grapewin
Actor

Charley Grapewin

20 Dec 1869Born
2 Feb 1956Died
86Age at death
102Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville performer, writer and a stage and silent and sound actor, and comedian who was best known for portraying Aunt Em's husband, Uncle Henry in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz (1939) as well as Grandpa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and Jeeter Lester in Tobacco Road (1941). He usually portrayed elderly folksy-type characters in a rustic setting, in all appearing in over 100 films.

Read the full biography

He was the oldest cast member of The Wizard of Oz.

Born in Xenia, Ohio, Charles Ellsworth 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 appear 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 married actress Anna Chance (1875–1943) in 1896, and they remained a devoted couple until her death some 47 years later. Two years after his first wife's death, Grapewin married Loretta McGowan Becker on Jan 10, 1945.

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 Grapes of Wrath, Tobacco Road, and in what is probably his best-remembered role: Uncle Henry in The Wizard of Oz. He also had a recurring role as Inspector Queen in the Ellery Queen film series of the early 1940s.

Grapewin died of natural causes in Corona, California at age 86, and 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.

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Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 102 credits.

  1. 2000The Dark Side of the RainbowFilm: Uncle Henry (archive footage)
  2. 1984Going Hollywood: The '30sFilm: (archive footage)
  3. 1976That's Entertainment, Part IIFilm: (archive footage) (uncredited)
  4. 1964The Big Parade of ComedyFilm: Mr. Bane in 'Libeled Lady' (archive footage) (uncredited)
  5. 1951When I Grow UpFilm: Grandpa Reed
  6. 1949SandFilm: Doug
  7. 1948The Enchanted ValleyFilm: Grandpa
  8. 1947GunfightersFilm: Rancher Inskip
  9. 1944Atlantic CityFilm: Jake Taylor
  10. 1944The Impatient YearsFilm: Benjamin L. Pidgeon, Bellboy
  11. 1944Follow the BoysFilm: Nick West
  12. 1943Crash DiveFilm: Pop
  13. 1942Enemy Agents Meet Ellery QueenFilm: Inspector Richard Queen
  14. 1942A Desperate Chance for Ellery QueenFilm: Insp. Queen
  15. 1942A Close Call for Ellery QueenFilm: Insp. Queen
  16. 1941They Died with Their Boots OnFilm: California Joe
  17. 1941Ellery Queen and the Murder RingFilm: Insp. Queen
  18. 1941Ellery Queen and the Perfect CrimeFilm: Insp. Queen
  19. 1941Ellery Queen's Penthouse MysteryFilm: Insp. Queen
  20. 1941Tobacco RoadFilm: Jeeter Lester
  21. 1940The Texas Rangers Ride AgainFilm: Ben Caldwalder
  22. 1940Ellery Queen, Master DetectiveFilm: Insp. Queen
  23. 1940Rhythm on the RiverFilm: Uncle Caleb
  24. 1940EarthboundFilm: Mr. Whimser
  25. 1940Johnny ApolloFilm: Judge Emmett T. Brennan
  26. 1940The Grapes of WrathFilm: Grandpa Joad
  27. 1939SabotageFilm: Major Matt Grayson
  28. 1939Hero for a DayFilm: Uncle Frank "Lucky" Higgins
  29. 1939Dust Be My DestinyFilm: Pop
  30. 1939The Wizard of OzFilm: Uncle Henry
  31. 1939The Man Who DaredFilm: Ulysses Porterfield
  32. 1939Sudden MoneyFilm: Grandpa Casey Patterson
  33. 1939Burn 'Em Up O'ConnorFilm: Doc Heath
  34. 1939Stand Up and FightFilm: 'Old Puff'
  35. 1938Artists and Models AbroadFilm: James Harper
  36. 1938Listen, DarlingFilm: Joe Higgins
  37. 1938Three Loves Has NancyFilm: Grandpa Briggs
  38. 1938Three ComradesFilm: Local Doctor
  39. 1938The Girl of the Golden WestFilm: Uncle Davy
  40. 1938Of Human HeartsFilm: Jim Meeker
  41. 1937The Bad Man of BrimstoneFilm: Barney Lane
  42. 1937Big CityFilm: Robert, the Mayor
  43. 1937Bad GuyFilm: Dan Gray
  44. 1937Broadway Melody of 1938Film: James K. Blakeley
  45. 1937Between Two WomenFilm: Dr. Webster
  46. 1937Captains CourageousFilm: Uncle Salters
  47. 1937The Good EarthFilm: Old Father
  48. 1937A Family AffairFilm: Frank Redmond
  49. 1936Sinner Take AllFilm: Aaron Lampier
  50. 1936Without OrdersFilm: J.P. Kendrick
  51. 1936Libeled LadyFilm: Mr. Bane
  52. 1936Small Town GirlFilm: Dr. Ned Fabre
  53. 1936The Voice of Bugle AnnFilm: Cal Royster
  54. 1936The Petrified ForestFilm: Gramp Maple
  55. 1935Ah, Wilderness!Film: Dave McComber
  56. 1935Super SpeedFilm: Terry Devlin
  57. 1935RendezvousFilm: Prof. Martin
  58. 1935King Solomon of BroadwayFilm: Uncle Winchester
  59. 1935Alice AdamsFilm: J. A. Lamb
  60. 1935ShanghaiFilm: Truesdale
  61. 1935One Frightened NightFilm: Jasper Whyte
  62. 1935Party WireFilm: Will Oliver
  63. 1935Eight BellsFilm: Grayson
  64. 1935In Spite of DangerFilm: Pop Sullivan
  65. 1934CaravanFilm: Notary
  66. 1934Anne of Green GablesFilm: Dr. Tatum
  67. 1934The President VanishesFilm: Richard Norton
  68. 1934Judge PriestFilm: Sergeant Jimmy Bagby
  69. 1934Return of the TerrorFilm: Jessup
  70. 1934The LoudspeakerFilm: Pop Calloway
  71. 1934She Made Her BedFilm: Joe Olesen
  72. 1934The QuitterFilm: Ed Tilford
  73. 1934Two AloneFilm: Sandy Roberts
  74. 1933Hell and High WaterFilm: Peck Wealin
  75. 1933FemaleFilm: Drunk at Hamburger Stand (Uncredited)
  76. 1933Wild Boys of the RoadFilm: Mr. Cadman (uncredited)
  77. 1933Torch SingerFilm: Andrew 'Juddy' Judson
  78. 1933Beauty for SaleFilm: Freddy Gordon
  79. 1933Turn Back the ClockFilm: Dr. Henderson (uncredited)
  80. 1933PilgrimageFilm: Dad Saunders

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.