Men Of Character Character Actors
George Cleveland
Lassie (TV)/ Gramps
Abroad With Two Yanks/ Roderick Stuart
The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap/ Judge Benbow
Cripple Creek/ Hardrock Hanson
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
One of the great grandpas of the Hollywood scene. Cleveland's round, twinkling features exuded kindness and he was rarely cast as a shady character.
George Cleveland was born at Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1885.
Cleveland began performing on stage in 1903. His career spanned 58 years encompassing stage, vaudeville, radio, films and television. According to IMDB he has 186 credits for the areas of film and television.
He made his film debut in 1930 in The Thoroughbred as a detective.
Some of the film roles of George Cleveland were:
The Thoroughbred (1930) as Detective
The Sky Rangers (1931) as John- The Air Dispatcher
He Couldn't Take It (1933) as Drunk
A Woman's Man (1934) as Announcer
Mystery Liner (1934) as Simms The Steward
School For Girls (1934) as Reeves
House Of Mystery (1934) as Detective Clancy
City Limits (1934) as Grafflex
Blue Steel (1934) as Hank The Innkeeper
The Man From Utah (1934) as Nevada Sheriff
Monte Carlo Nights (1934) as Croupier
The Star Packer (1934) as Jake The Cook
The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1935) as A Townsman
Make A Million (1935) as Fake Blind Beggar
The Keeper Of The Bees (1935) as Judge
She Gets Her Man (1935) as Drunk In Lunch Room
Cheers Of The Crowd (1935) as Newsreel Man
The Public Menace (1935) as Ship's Pilot
His Night Out (1935) as Detective
The Spanish Cape Mystery (1935) as Jorum
Forced Landing (1935) as Jolly
I Conquer The Sea !(1936) as Caleb Ashley
Black Gold (1936) as Clemmons
Don't Get Personal (1936) as Farmer
Brilliant Marriage (1936) as Bartender
Flash Gordon (1936) as Professor Hensley
Rio Grande Romance (1936) as Sheriff Williams
Revolt Of The Zombies (1936) as General Duval
Two Fisted Gentleman (1936) as Mr. Bainbridge
Phantom Patrol ( 1936) as Inspector McCloud
Put On The Spot (1936) as Sheriff Williams
Robinson Crusoe Of Clipper Island (1936) as Goebel
North Of Nome (1936) as Ship Captain
The Plainsman (1936) as Van Ellyn Associate
The Devil Diamond (1937) as George Davis
Paradise Express (1937) as Farmer Beasley
Swing It Professor (1937) as Dean
West Bound Limited (1937) as Division Superintendent
The Toast Of New York (1937) as Perkins
Atlantic Flight (1937) as Old Timer In Diner
Trapped By G-Men (1937) as Miner
Behind The Mike (1937) as Stable Man
A Girl With Ideas (1937) as Malladay
Adventure's End (1937) as Tom
Boy Of The Streets (1937) as Tim "Flannel Mouth" Farley
Prescription For Romance (1937) as Cab Driver
The Lone Ranger (1938) as George Blanchard
Born To Be Wild (1938) as Stevens
Port Of Missing Girls (1938) as Clinton
Rose Of The Rio Grande (1938) as Pedro
Outlaws Of Sonora (1938) as Agent For Cattlemen
Romance Of The Limber Lost (1938) as Nathan
Prison Break (1938) as Ding
Under The Big Top (1938) as Joe
Strange Case Of Dr. Meade (1939) as Thurber
Ghost Town Riders (1938) as Stillwell
Convict's Code (1939) as Gas Station Attendant
Home On The Prairie (1939) as Jim Wheeler
The Phantom Stage (1939) as Sidekick Grizzly
Streets Of New York (1939) as Pop O'Toole
Wolf Call (1939) as Dr. MacTavish
Stunt Pilot (1939) as Sheriff
Konga, The Wild Stallion ( 1939) as Tabor
Dick Tracy's G-Men ( 1939) as Gramps Williams
Mutiny In The Big House (1939) as Dad Schultz
Overland Mail (1939) as Frank Porter aka Saunders
Hidden Enemy (1940) as John MacGregor
Chasing Trouble (1940) as Lester
Pioneers Of The West (1940) as Dr. Bailey
Drums Of Fu Man Chu (1940-serial) as Dr. James Parker
Midnight Limited (1940) as Professor Van Dillon
Blazing Six Shooters (1940) as Mark Rawlins
Tomboy (1940) as Uncle Matt
One Man's Law (1940) as Judge Wingate
Haunted House (1940) as Albert Henshaw
Queen Of The Yukon (1940) as Grub
The Ape (1940) as Mr. Howley
West Of Abilene (1940) as Bill Burnside
The Old Swimmin' Hole (1940) as Grandpa Harper
A Girl, A Guy And A Gob (1941) as Pop Duncan
Nevada City (1941) as Hank Liddell
Two In A Taxi (1941) as Gas Station Owner
Sunset In Wyoming (1941) as Asa Wentworth
Wide Open Town (1941) as Pete Carter
Man At Large (1941) as Sheriff Pickering
Riders Of The Purple Sage (1941) as Doctor
The Devil And Daniel Webster (1941) as Cy Bibber
Look Who's Laughing (1941) as Kelsey
Playmates (1941) as Nelson Pennypacker
Call Out The Marines (1942) as Bartender
Obliging Young Lady ( 1942) as Clarence The Lodge Manager
Valley Of The Sun (1942) as Bill Yard
The Spoilers (1942) as Banty
My Favorite Spy (1942) as Gus
The Falcon Takes Over (1942) as Jerry - Servant
Powder Town (1942) as Gus The Janitor
The Big Street (1942) as Colonel Samuel Venus
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant (1942) as Chief Customs Inspector
Highways By Night (1942) as Judkins The Hotel Manager
Here We Go Again (1942) as Ramble Inn Proprietor
Army Surgeon (1942) as Col. John Wishart
Seven Miles From Alcatraz (1942) as Captain Porter
The Traitor Within (1942) as Pop Betts
Ladies Day (1943) as Doc
Cowboy In Manhattan (1943) as Wild Bill
Johnny Come Lately (1943) as Willie Ferguson
Man From Music Mountain (1943) as Sheriff Hal Darcey
Klondike Kate (1943) as Judge Horace Crawford
The Woman Of The Town (1943) as Judge Blackburn
My Best Gal (1944) as Ralph Hodges
It Happened Tomorrow (1944) as Mr. Gordon
Man From Frisco (1944) as Mayor Winter
The Yellow Rose Of Texas (1944) as Cap Joe
Abroad With Two Yanks (1944) as Roderick Stuart
My Pal Wolf (1944) as Wilson
When The Lights Go On Again (1944) as Gramps Benson
Alaska (1944) as Pete The Postmaster
Can't Help Singing (1944) as Marshal
God Is My Co Pilot (1945) as Father Of Catherine Scott
Song Of The Sarong (1945) as Capt. William Reemis
It's In The Bag (1945) as Hotel Manager Busby
Her Highness And The Bell Boy (1945) as Dr. Elfson
Sunbonnet Sue (1945) as Casey, Tavern Owner
Senorita From The West (1945) as Cap
Dakota (1945) as Mr. Plummer
Pillow Of Death (1945) as Sam Kincaid
Little Giant (1946) as Clarence Goodring
The Runaround (1946) as Feenan The Cabbie
Boy's Ranch (1946) as Butch's Grandpa
Courage Of Lassie (1946) as Old Man
Wild Beauty (1946) as Barney Skeets
Step By Step (1946) as Capt. Caleb Simpson
Angel On My Shoulder (1946) as Albert
The Show Off (1946) as Pop Fisher
Wake Up And Dream (1946) as Professor Feverfew
Easy Come, Easy Go (1947) as Gilligan
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1947) as John McCullem
Mother Wore Tights (1947) as Grandfather McKinley
The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap (1947) as Judge Benbow
My Wild Irish Rose (1947) as Captain Brennan
Albuquerque (1948) as John Armin
Fury At Furnace Creek (1948) as Judge
A Date With Judy (1948) as Gramps
Miraculous Journey (1948) as The Hermit
The Plunderers (1948) as Sheriff Sam Borden
Rimfire (1949) as Judge Gardner
Home In San Antone (1949) as Grandpa Gibson
Kazan (1949) as Trapper
Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) as Judge Ben Grant
The Boy From Indiana (1950) as Robert Bruce MacDougall
Please Believe Me (1950) as Mr. Cooper
Trigger, Jr. (1950) as Colonel Markrider
Frenchie (1950) as Mayor Jefferson Harding
Fort Defiance (1951) as Uncle Charlie Tallon
Flaming Feather (1952) as Doc Fallon
Carson City (1952) as Henry Dodson
Cripple Creek (1952) as Hardrock Hanson
The WAC From Walla Walla (1952) as Gramps Canova
San Antome (1953) as Colonel Allerby
Affair With A Stranger (1953) as Pop
Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) as Colonel Dan Wallace
Racing Blood (1954) as Gramps
Untamed Heiress (1954) as Cactus Clayton
Fireman Save My Child (1954) as Chief Rorty
Outlaw's Daughter (1954) as Lem Creel
Though George Cleveland played many roles as Pop, Gramps, Grandpa and Old Timer he also assayed many roles as a judge and as a sheriff. and often he appeared in the role of a doctor.
Cleveland's main association with television is the role that he will most probably best remembered for and that is the role of Gramps in the Lassie TV series. He played Gramps from 1954 until his death in 1957.
He was married twice. His first wife's name was Helen. His second wife was Victoria Bateman and they were married in 1910. No other info was given on his second wife.
George Cleveland passed away in 1957 from a heart attack.
Many of the Lassie TV shows are now available on DVD and though they had different characters along the way for the different owners of Lassie, George Cleveland is the one that stood out for me as far as the elders were concerned. He was perfect for the part of Gramps to Jeff, the original owner of Lassie.
I also enjoyed George Cleveland in the films The Devil And Daniel, Abroad With Two Yanks, Pillow Of Death, Courage Of Lassie, Albuquerque, Flaming Feather, Cripple Creek and The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap.
Louie The Movie Buff