CHILL WILLS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Chill Wills was born July 18th, 1902 in Seagoville, Texas. From a young age he as was already involved in performing working with the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930's. He appeared in Vaudeville, tent shows and stock throughout the Southwest. Wills worked on a couple Western films with the group before deciding in 1938 that he was going to go out on his own in search of a solo acting career.

He was able to find work pretty quickly working as a character actor. Wills was cast in a variety of films throughout the 40's. As he enterred into the 1950's, film work became less available to him, however he did receive some television series work. He starred on, "Frontier Circus" (1961-1962) and "The Rounders" (1966). He also worked on the film, "The Alamo" (1960) starring and directed by his friend of many years John Wayne in which he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and "Giant" (1956).

By far one of his most memorable and well known roles was when he did the voice over work for, "Francis the Mule" for a series of films. He had a very rough deep sounding voice and it worked perfectly portraying the voice of a mule.

He was a talented actor but also had a interest in poker and as known a talent for singing, therefore in 1975, Wills released his first singing album. He was also involved in the first World Series of Poker held in 1970.

Wills was also involved in politics making appearances in 1963 and 1964 campaigning against US President Lyndon B. Johnson. Then in 1968 he refused to support Richard M. Nixon for president and campaigned for George Wallace Jr. endorcing Wallace's bid against Nixon.

Wills worked occasionally throughout the 70's with his last role playing a janitor in, "Sutbby Pringle's Christmas" (1978).

Chill Wills passed away December 15, 1978 from cancer in Encino, California. He is interred in the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.
　

Filmography

1978  Hallmark Hall of Fame
1977  Poco... Little Dog Lost
1977  Mr. Billion
1974  Hec Ramsey
1973  Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973  Guns of a Stranger
1972  Alias Smith and Jones
1971  The Steagle
1971  The Virginian
1971  Marcus Welby, M.D.
1970  Night Gallery
1970  The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
1970  The Liberation of L.B. Jones
1969  The Over-the-Hill Gang
1969  Big Daddy
1962-1968 Gunsmoke
1968  Tarzan
1967  Judd for the Defense
1966  Fireball 500
1963-1965 Burke's Law The Rounders
1964  Rawhide
1964  Route 66
1963  The Cardinal
1963  The Wheeler Dealers
1963  McLintock!
1962  Young Guns of Texas
1961-1962 Frontier Circus
1961  The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
1961  The Deadly Companions
1961  Gold of the Seven Saints
1960  Where the Boys Are
1960  Assignment: Underwater
1960  The Alamo
1960  Playhouse 90
1959  The Sad Horse
1959  The Texan
1959  Trackdown
1958  Wagon Train
1958  Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1958  From Hell to Texas
1957  Gun Glory
1957  Gun for a Coward
1956  Giant
1956  Santiago
1956  Kentucky Rifle
1955  Francis in the Navy
1955  Timberjack
1954  Hell's Outpost
1954  Ricochet Romance
1954  Francis Joins the WACS
1953  Tumbleweed
1953  The Man from the Alamo
1953  City That Never Sleeps
1953  Francis Covers the Big Town
1953  Small Town Girl
1952  Ride the Man Down
1952  Francis Goes to West Point
1952  Bronco Buster
1951  Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes Western
1951  The Sea Hornet
1951  Cattle Drive
1951  Francis Goes to the Races
1951  Oh! Susanna
1950  The Gene Autry Show
1950  Rio Grande
1950  High Lonesome
1950  Stella
1950  Rock Island Trail
1950  Francis
1950  The Sundowners
1950  The Grass Is Always Greener
1949  Red Canyon
1949  Tulsa
1949  Family Honeymoon
1948  Loaded Pistols
1948  That Wonderful Urge
1948  The Saxon Charm
1948  Northwest Stampede
1948  The Sainted Sisters
1947  Heartaches
1947  High Barbaree
1946  The Yearling
1946  Gallant Bess
1946  The Harvey Girls
1945  Leave Her to Heaven
1945  What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
1944  I'll Be Seeing You
1944  Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
1944  Meet Me in St. Louis
1944  Trailin' West
1944  Barbary Coast Gent
1944  The Immortal Blacksmith
1944  Rationing
1944  See Here, Private Hargrove
1943  Best Foot Forward
1943  A Stranger in Town
1942  Stand by for Action
1942  The Omaha Trail
1942  Apache Trail
1942  Her Cardboard Lover
1942  Tarzan's New York Adventure
1942  Mister Gardenia Jones
1942  The Bugle Sounds
1941  Honky Tonk
1941  Belle Starr
1941  Billy the Kid
1941  The Bad Man
1941  Western Union
1940  Tugboat Annie Sails Again
1940  Sky Murder
1940  The Westerner
1940  Wyoming
1940  Boom Town
1939  Allegheny Uprising
1939  The Day the Bookies Wept
1939  Timber Stampede
1939  Racketeers of the Range
1939  Sorority House
1939  Trouble in Sundown
1939  Arizona Legion
1938  Lawless Valley
1938  Block-Heads
1937  Nobody's Baby
1937  Way Out West
1936  Hideaway Girl
1936  At Sea Ashore
1936  Call of the Prairie
1936  Anything Goes
1935  Bar 20 Rides Again
1934  It's a Gift