Chill Wills

Personal Info

Birthday

July 18, 1902

Day of Death

1978-12-15

(76 years old)

Place of Birth

Seagoville, Texas, USA

Also Known As

Theodore Childress Wills

Chill 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.

Known For

Rawhide

Burke's Law

Gunsmoke

Night Gallery

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Rio Grande

Leave Her to Heaven

Filmography

2004
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
as Self (archive footage)
1994
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)
1992
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
as Beekeeper
1978
Stubby Pringle's Christmas
as The Janitor
1977
Poco… Little Dog Lost
as Big Burt
Mr. Billion
as Col. Clayton T. Winkle
1976
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
1973
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
as Lemuel
Guns of a Stranger
as Tom Duncan
1971
The Steagle
as Tall Guy McCoy
1970
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
as Gentleman George Agnew
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
as Mr. Ike
1969
The Over the Hill Gang
as Gentleman George Agnew
1966
Fireball 500
as Big Jaw
1965
The Rounders
as Jim Ed Love
1963
The Cardinal
as Monsignor
The Wheeler Dealers
as Jay Ray Spinelby
McLintock!
as Drago
1962
Young Guns of Texas
as Preacher Sam Shelby
1961
The Deadly Companions
as Turk
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
as Major Buford
Gold of the Seven Saints
as Doc Wilson Gates, M.D.
1960
Where the Boys Are
as Police Captain
The Alamo
as Beekeeper
1959
Disneyland '59
as Self
The Sad Horse
as Capt. Connors
1958
From Hell to Texas
as Amos Bradley
1957
Gun Glory
as Preacher
1956
Gun for a Coward
as Loving
Giant
as Uncle Bawley
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant'
as Host
Santiago
as Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones
Kentucky Rifle
as Tobias Taylor
1955
Francis in the Navy
as Francis (voice) (uncredited)
Timberjack
as Steve Riika
1954
Hell's Outpost
as Kevin Russell
Ricochet Romance
as Tom Williams
Francis Joins the WACS
as Francis (as Francis the Talking Muke)
1953
Tumbleweed
as Sheriff Murchoree
The Man from the Alamo
as John Gage
City That Never Sleeps
as Sgt. Joe, the 'Voice of Chicago'
Francis Covers the Big Town
as Francis (as Franis the Talking Mule)
1952
Ride the Man Down
as Ike Adams
Francis Goes to West Point
as Francis (as Francis the Talking Mule)
Bronco Buster
as Dan Bream
1951
The Sea Hornet
as Swede
Cattle Drive
as Dallas
Francis Goes to the Races
as Francis The Talking Mule (as Francis the Talking Mule)
Oh! Susanna
as Sgt. Barhydt
1950
Rio Grande
as Dr. Wilkins
High Lonesome
as Boatwhistle
Stella
as Chief Clark
Rock Island Trail
as Hogger McCoy
Francis
as Francis the Talking Mule (voice)
The Sundowners
as Sam Beers
The Grass Is Always Greener
as Windy
1949
Red Canyon
as Marshal G.T. Brackton
Tulsa
as Pinky Jimpson (Narrator)
1948
Loaded Pistols
as Sheriff Cramer
Family Honeymoon
as Fred
That Wonderful Urge
as Homer Beggs
The Saxon Charm
as Captain Chatham
Northwest Stampede
as Mileaway
The Sainted Sisters
as Will Twitchell
1947
Heartaches
as 'Breezie' Mann
High Barbaree
as Lars (uncredited)
1946
The Yearling
as Buck Forrester
Gallant Bess
as Chief Petty Officer
The Harvey Girls
as H.H. Hartsey
1945
Leave Her to Heaven
as Leick Thome
What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
as Sgt. Cramp
1944
I'll Be Seeing You
as Swanson
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
as Mr. York
Meet Me in St. Louis
as Mr. Neely
Barbary Coast Gent
as Sheriff Hightower
The Immortal Blacksmith
as Tom Davenport
See Here, Private Hargrove
as First Sgt. Cramp
1943
Best Foot Forward
as Chester Short
A Stranger in Town
as Charles Craig
1942
Stand by for Action
as Mate Jenks, Chef-Bootsmann
Apache Trail
as 'Pike' Skelton
The Omaha Trail
as Henry Hawkins
Her Cardboard Lover
as Judge
Mr. Gardenia Jones
as Hotel Employee
Tarzan's New York Adventure
as Manchester Montford
The Bugle Sounds
as Sgt. Larry Dillon
1941
Honky Tonk
as The Sniper
Belle Starr
as Blue Duck
Billy the Kid
as Tom Patterson
The Bad Man
as 'Red' Giddings
Western Union
as Homer Kettle
1940
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
as Shiftless
Sky Murder
as Sheriff Beckwith
The Westerner
as Southeast
Wyoming
as Lafe
Boom Town
as Harmony Jones
1939
Allegheny Uprising
as M'Cammon
The Day the Bookies Wept
as Man on Bus (uncredited)
Timber Stampede
as Whopper Hatch
Racketeers of the Range
as Whopper Hatch
Sorority House
as Mr. Johnson
Trouble in Sundown
as Whopper
Arizona Legion
as Whopper Hatch
1938
Lawless Valley
as Deputy Speedy McGow
1937
Nobody's Baby
as Amateur Hour Lead Quartet Singer (as The Avalon Boys)
Way Out West
as Lead Singer of the Avalon Boys / Stan's Bass Singing (uncredited)
1936
Hideaway Girl
as Lead Singer of Avalon Boys
At Sea Ashore
as Leader of The Avalon Four (uncredited)
Call of the Prairie
as Singing Cowhand
1935
Bar 20 Rides Again
as Henchman