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Charley Grapewin‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1869-12-19

Popularity

star2.7

Charley Grapewin

Xenia, Ohio, USA

Charley Grapewin

Xenia, Ohio, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1869-12-19

Popularity

star2.7

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. 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. ​

Movie Credits

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath‌
star7.8
calendar 1940

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz‌
star7.6
calendar 1939

Judge Priest

Judge Priest‌
star6.4
calendar 1934

Libeled Lady

Libeled Lady‌
star7.3
calendar 1936

Dust Be My Destiny

Dust Be My Destiny‌
star6.1
calendar 1939

Follow the Boys

Follow the Boys‌
star5.2
calendar 1944

No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own‌
star6.5
calendar 1932

One Frightened Night

One Frightened Night‌
star5.5
calendar 1935

The Girl of the Golden West

The Girl of the Golden West‌
star4.6
calendar 1938

Broadway Melody of 1938

Broadway Melody of 1938‌
star6.3
calendar 1937

Alice Adams

Alice Adams‌
star6.7
calendar 1935

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables‌
star5.7
calendar 1934

Return of the Terror

Return of the Terror‌
star6.0
calendar 1934

Captains Courageous

Captains Courageous‌
star7.4
calendar 1937

They Died with Their Boots On

They Died with Their Boots On‌
star6.6
calendar 1941

The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest‌
star7.1
calendar 1936

Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road‌
star6.6
calendar 1941

Heroes for Sale

Heroes for Sale‌
star7.0
calendar 1933

Johnny Apollo

Johnny Apollo‌
star6.7
calendar 1940

A Close Call for Ellery Queen

A Close Call for Ellery Queen‌
star5.2
calendar 1942

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen‌
star5.7
calendar 1942

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring‌
star5.7
calendar 1941

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime‌
star5.8
calendar 1941

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen‌
star5.5
calendar 1942

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

Ellery Queen, Master Detective‌
star5.7
calendar 1940

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery‌
star5.3
calendar 1941

Midnight Mary

Midnight Mary‌
star6.8
calendar 1933

Torch Singer

Torch Singer‌
star5.2
calendar 1933

Big City

Big City‌
star7.4
calendar 1937

Rendezvous

Rendezvous‌
star4.8
calendar 1935

Listen, Darling

Listen, Darling‌
star6.3
calendar 1938

Ah, Wilderness!

Ah, Wilderness!‌
star6.3
calendar 1935

Small Town Girl

Small Town Girl‌
star6.2
calendar 1936

Of Human Hearts

Of Human Hearts‌
star5.8
calendar 1938

Turn Back the Clock

Turn Back the Clock‌
star5.1
calendar 1933

Party Wire

Party Wire‌
star8.0
calendar 1935

Rhythm on the River

Rhythm on the River‌
star7.0
calendar 1940

A Family Affair

A Family Affair‌
star5.8
calendar 1937

Stand Up and Fight

Stand Up and Fight‌
star5.8
calendar 1939

Shanghai

Shanghai‌
star7.0
calendar 1935

Hell's House

Hell's House‌
star5.3
calendar 1932

Are You Listening?

Are You Listening?‌
star5.0
calendar 1932

The Impatient Years

The Impatient Years‌
star6.3
calendar 1944

The Voice of Bugle Ann

The Voice of Bugle Ann‌
star5.8
calendar 1936

Don't Bet on Love

Don't Bet on Love‌
star0.0
calendar 1933

Hello, Everybody!

Hello, Everybody!‌
star6.0
calendar 1933

Beauty for Sale

Beauty for Sale‌
star7.0
calendar 1933

Atlantic City

Atlantic City‌
star5.0
calendar 1944

The Millionaire

The Millionaire‌
star7.5
calendar 1931

Between Two Women

Between Two Women‌
star5.7
calendar 1937

Gold Dust Gertie

Gold Dust Gertie‌
star3.0
calendar 1931

Bad Guy

Bad Guy‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

Burn 'Em Up O'Connor

Burn 'Em Up O'Connor‌
star5.0
calendar 1939

Artists and Models Abroad

Artists and Models Abroad‌
star3.0
calendar 1938

The Big Timer

The Big Timer‌
star3.5
calendar 1932

Sudden Money

Sudden Money‌
star5.0
calendar 1939

The Texas Rangers Ride Again

The Texas Rangers Ride Again‌
star5.5
calendar 1940

Sand

Sand‌
star4.5
calendar 1949

Two Alone

Two Alone‌
star7.0
calendar 1934

Three Loves Has Nancy

Three Loves Has Nancy‌
star4.2
calendar 1938

Going Hollywood: The '30s

Going Hollywood: The '30s‌
star10.0
calendar 1984

The Bad Man of Brimstone

The Bad Man of Brimstone‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

The Night of June 13

The Night of June 13‌
star7.0
calendar 1932

The Washington Masquerade

The Washington Masquerade‌
star6.5
calendar 1932

Earthbound

Earthbound‌
star4.8
calendar 1940

The Man Who Dared

The Man Who Dared‌
star5.0
calendar 1939

American Madness

American Madness‌
star7.1
calendar 1932

The President Vanishes

The President Vanishes‌
star7.0
calendar 1934

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth‌
star3.0
calendar 1931

Without Orders

Without Orders‌
star6.0
calendar 1936

Only Saps Work

Only Saps Work‌
star4.0
calendar 1930

For the Love of Fanny

For the Love of Fanny‌
star0.0
calendar 1931

Eight Bells

Eight Bells‌
star6.0
calendar 1935

Caravan

Caravan‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

The Kiss Before the Mirror

The Kiss Before the Mirror‌
star5.3
calendar 1933

Sabotage

Sabotage‌
star7.0
calendar 1939

Hell and High Water

Hell and High Water‌
star0.0
calendar 1933

The Quitter

The Quitter‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

Breakdowns of 1936

Breakdowns of 1936‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

The Woman in Room 13

The Woman in Room 13‌
star0.0
calendar 1932

Gunfighters

Gunfighters‌
star5.3
calendar 1947

Huddle

Huddle‌
star6.6
calendar 1932

The Good Earth

The Good Earth‌
star6.2
calendar 1937

The Loudspeaker

The Loudspeaker‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

King Solomon of Broadway

King Solomon of Broadway‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

The Dark Side of the Rainbow

The Dark Side of the Rainbow‌
star6.0
calendar 2000

Sinner Take All

Sinner Take All‌
star4.6
calendar 1936

Above the Limit

Above the Limit‌
star4.6
calendar 1900

Wild Horse Mesa

Wild Horse Mesa‌
star0.0
calendar 1932

Wild Boys of the Road

Wild Boys of the Road‌
star6.7
calendar 1933

Three Comrades

Three Comrades‌
star7.2
calendar 1938

When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

Female

Female‌
star6.3
calendar 1933

That's Entertainment, Part II

That's Entertainment, Part II‌
star6.8
calendar 1976

Crash Dive

Crash Dive‌
star6.1
calendar 1943

The Big Parade of Comedy

The Big Parade of Comedy‌
star6.3
calendar 1964

The Enchanted Valley

The Enchanted Valley‌
star0.0
calendar 1948

In Spite of Danger

In Spite of Danger‌
star1.0
calendar 1935

Hero for a Day

Hero for a Day‌
star0.0
calendar 1939

She Made Her Bed

She Made Her Bed‌
star3.5
calendar 1934

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage‌
star6.5
calendar 1933

The Dark Side of Oz

The Dark Side of Oz‌
star0.0
calendar

Tv Credits