
Chill Wills
Actor · Died December 15, 1978, aged 76 · Seagoville, Texas, USA
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. Wills' deep, rough voice, with its Western twang, was matched to the personality of the cynical, sardonic mule. As was customary at the time, Wills was given no billing for his vocal work, though he was featured prominently on-screen as blustery General Ben Kaye in the fourth entry, Francis Joins the WACS. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West (1937), in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared. Wills was cast in numerous serious film roles, including as "the city of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and that of Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956), which also features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Davy Crockett's companion "Beekeeper" in the film The Alamo (1960). However, his aggressive campaign for the award was considered tasteless by many, including the film's star/director/producer John Wayne, who publicly apologized for Wills. Wills' publicity agent, W.S. "Bow-Wow" Wojciechowicz, accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming that Wills had known nothing about it. The Oscar was instead won by Peter Ustinov for his role as Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus. In Rory Calhoun's CBS western series The Texan, Wills appeared in the lead role in the 1960 episode entitled "The Eyes of Captain Wylie". Wills starred in the short-run series Frontier Circus which aired for only one season (1961–62) on CBS. In 1966, he was cast in the role of a shady Texas rancher, Jim Ed Love, in the short-lived ABC comedy/western series The Rounders (reprising his role in the 1965 film The Rounders, starring Henry Fonda), with co-stars Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne and Walker Edmiston. in 1963-64, Wills joined William Lundigan, Walter Brennan and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in making appearances on behalf of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in the campaign against U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1968, Wills refused to support Richard Nixon for the presidency and served as master of ceremonies for George C. Wallace, former governor of Alabama, for the California campaign stops in Wallace's presidential campaign.[5] Wills was among the few Hollywood celebrities to endorse Wallace's bid against Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey; another was Walter Brennan. Also in 1968, he starred in the Gunsmoke episode "A Noose for Dobie Price", where he played Elihu Gorman, a former outlaw who joins forces with Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, to track down a member of his former gang who has escaped jail. His last role was in 1978, as a janitor in Stubby Pringle's Christmas. CLR Description above from the Wikipedia article Chill Wills, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- July 18, 1902
- December 15, 1978 (aged 76)
- Seagoville, Texas, USA
- Actor
- 73 on MovieCove · 125 credits in all
What are Chill Wills' films like?
Across their 54 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 54
Light 29 · Serious 18 · Dark 7
A split, not a type: Grounded 30 · Stylized 21 · Heightened 3
Gentle 17 · Charged 31 · Intense 6
Steady 28 · Shifting 26 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 20 · Funny 11
Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 4
Casual 37 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 31 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 7
Resolved 45 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 13 of 29 analyzed roles.
Show the 29 rolesHide the roles
- Tricksteras Homer Kettle in Western Union (1941)
- Tricksteras Blue Duck in Belle Starr (1941)
- Threshold guardianas Manchester Montford in Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942)
- Threshold guardianas First Sgt. Cramp in See Here, Private Hargrove (1944)
- Allyas Sgt. Cramp in What Next, Corporal Hargrove? (1945)
- Mentoras Pat Rafferty in The Yearling (1946)
- Mentoras Breezie Mann in Heartaches (1947)
- Tricksteras Marshal G.T. Brackton in Red Canyon (1949)
- Allyas Hogger McCoy in Rock Island Trail (1950)
- Tricksteras Boatwhistle in High Lonesome (1950)
- Allyas Dallas in Cattle Drive (1951)
- Allyas Ike Adams in Ride the Man Down (1952)
- Allyas Sheriff Murchoree in Tumbleweed (1953)
- Mentoras Sgt. Joe in City That Never Sleeps (1953)
- Allyas John Gage in The Man from the Alamo (1953)
- Heroas Tobias Taylor in Kentucky Rifle (1955)
- Allyas Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones in Santiago (1956)
- Allyas Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956)
- Mentoras Preacher in Gun Glory (1957)
- Mentoras Amos Bradley in From Hell to Texas (1958)
- Mentoras Major Buford in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1961)
- Tricksteras Turk in The Deadly Companions (1961)
- Mentoras Doc Gates in Gold of the Seven Saints (1961)
- Allyas Drago in McLintock! (1963)
- Allyas Big Jaw Harris in Fireball 500 (1966)
- Allyas Gentleman George Agnew in The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969)
- Allyas Gentleman George in The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970)
- Tricksteras Tall-Guy McCoy in The Steagle (1971)
- Allyas Tom Duncan in Guns of a Stranger (1973)
Moods and endings
- Happy29
- Bittersweet17
- Tragic5
- Ambiguous2
- Other1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Chill Wills' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 73 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (22).
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) · actor · free
- Drive-in Movie Memories (2001) · actor · free
- The Westerner (1940) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- From Hell to Texas (1958) · actor · free
- The Alamo (1960) · actor · free
- Route 66 (1960) · actor · free
- Western Union (1941) · actor · free
- The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Stand by for Action (1942) · actor · free
- +10 more
- Rio Grande (1950) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- Route 66 (1960) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Tulsa (1949) · actor · free
- Loaded Pistols (1948) · actor · free
- The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970) · actor · free
- The Sundowners (1950) · actor · free
- High Lonesome (1950) · actor · free
- Kentucky Rifle (1955) · actor · free
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor
- The Westerner (1940) · actor
- McLintock! (1963) · actor
- The Alamo (1960) · actor
- Route 66 (1960) · actor
- The Texan (1958) · actor
- Tulsa (1949) · actor
- The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) · actor
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor
- Billy the Kid (1941) · actor · free
- Fireball 500 (1966) · actor
- Kentucky Rifle (1955) · actor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- Route 66 (1960) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Tulsa (1949) · actor · free
- Loaded Pistols (1948) · actor · free
- The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- The Sundowners (1950) · actor · free
- Kentucky Rifle (1955) · actor · free
- Best Westerns Ever, show their 5 titles on Best Westerns Ever
- Shout! TV, show their 5 titles on Shout! TV
- Great American Pure Flix, show their 3 titles on Great American Pure Flix
- IndieFlix, show their 3 titles on IndieFlix
- Best TV Ever, show their title on Best TV Ever
- Cineverse, show their title on Cineverse
- Dove Channel, show their title on Dove Channel
- Howdy, show their title on Howdy
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
- ScreenPix, show their title on ScreenPix
Subscription and free streaming for Chill Wills' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
125 credits, 73 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Drive-in Movie Memories(2001)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all filmsJohn Wayne's 'The Alamo' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Stubby Pringle's Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Poco… Little Dog Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

Mr. Billion(1977)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Guns of a Stranger(1973)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Steagle(1971)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Night Gallery(1969)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Over-the-Hill Gang(1969)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Big Daddy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

Judd, for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

The Rounders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

Fireball 500(1966)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Rounders(1965)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Cardinal(1963)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Wheeler Dealers(1963)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
McLintock!(1963)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Young Guns of Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

Frontier Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

The Deadly Companions(1961)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Gold of the Seven Saints(1961)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Where the Boys Are(1960)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Alamo(1960)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Route 66(1960)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
The Sad Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

The Texan(1958)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
From Hell to Texas(1958)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Trackdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Gun Glory(1957)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Gun for a Coward(1956)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Giant(1956)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Santiago(1956)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Kentucky Rifle(1955)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Francis in the Navy(1955)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Timberjack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Hell's Outpost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Ricochet Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Francis Joins the WACS(1954)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Tumbleweed(1953)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Man from the Alamo(1953)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
City That Never Sleeps(1953)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Small Town Girl(1953)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Ride the Man Down(1952)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Bronco Buster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

The Sea Hornet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Cattle Drive(1951)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Oh! Susanna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Rio Grande(1950)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
High Lonesome(1950)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Stella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Rock Island Trail(1950)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Francis(1950)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Sundowners(1950)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
The Grass Is Always Greener (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Red Canyon(1949)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Tulsa(1949)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Loaded Pistols(1948)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Family Honeymoon(1948)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
That Wonderful Urge(1948)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
The Saxon Charm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Northwest Stampede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Sainted Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Heartaches(1947)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
High Barbaree(1947)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Yearling(1946)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Gallant Bess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Harvey Girls(1946)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Leave Her to Heaven(1945)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
I'll Be Seeing You(1944)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

Meet Me in St. Louis(1944)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Barbary Coast Gent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

The Immortal Blacksmith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Best Foot Forward(1943)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
A Stranger in Town(1943)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Stand by for Action(1942)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Apache Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Omaha Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Her Cardboard Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Mr. Gardenia Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Bugle Sounds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Honky Tonk(1941)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Belle Starr(1941)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Billy the Kid(1941)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
The Bad Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Western Union(1941)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Tugboat Annie Sails Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Sky Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

The Westerner(1940)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Wyoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Boom Town(1940)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Allegheny Uprising(1939)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Day the Bookies Wept(1939)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Timber Stampede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Racketeers of the Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Sorority House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Trouble in Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Arizona Legion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Lawless Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Nobody's Baby(1937)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Way Out West(1937)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Hideaway Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

At Sea Ashore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Call of the Prairie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Anything Goes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Bar 20 Rides Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 125 titles from 1935 to 2001; peak year 1960.

Biggest box office
Giant (1956)

Highest rated
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Most popular right now
Giant (1956)
Film career
Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1937Screen debut· Way Out West
- 1956Career best· Giant
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Chill Wills' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 69; across their 54 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th26
- 25th to 49th20
- Below 25th10
Shape of the crowd
42 of their 73 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Universally Panned2
- Crowd Pleaser42
- Broadly Agreed12
- Mixed11
Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 54 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Chill Wills' work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Chill Wills work with?
People who share at least 2 of Chill Wills' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Skinner shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Sam PeckinpahShared titles: Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), The Deadly Companions (1961)See all 2 shared titles with Sam Peckinpah

- William WylerShared titles: The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970), The Westerner (1940)See all 2 shared titles with William Wyler

- Andrew V. McLaglenShared titles: McLintock! (1963), The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1961)See all 2 shared titles with Andrew V. McLaglen

- Gordon DouglasShared titles: Gold of the Seven Saints (1961), Santiago (1956)See all 2 shared titles with Gordon Douglas

Writers
- James Edward GrantShared titles: McLintock! (1963), The Alamo (1960), Rock Island Trail (1950), Boom Town (1940)See all 4 shared titles with James Edward Grant

- Niven BuschShared titles: The Man from the Alamo (1953), Belle Starr (1941), The Westerner (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Niven Busch

- Steve FisherShared titles: City That Never Sleeps (1953), The Man from the Alamo (1953)See all 2 shared titles with Steve Fisher
- David SternShared titles: Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Francis Goes to the Races (1951)See all 2 shared titles with David Stern
Actors
- Edgar BuchananShared titles: The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969), The Rounders (1965), McLintock! (1963), Red Canyon (1949)See all 5 shared titles with Edgar Buchanan

- Walter BrennanShared titles: The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969), Stand by for Action (1942), The Westerner (1940)See all 4 shared titles with Walter Brennan

- John WayneShared titles: McLintock! (1963), The Alamo (1960), Rio Grande (1950), Allegheny Uprising (1939)See all 4 shared titles with John Wayne

- Forrest TuckerShared titles: Ride the Man Down (1952), Rock Island Trail (1950), The Yearling (1946), The Westerner (1940)See all 4 shared titles with Forrest Tucker

Composers and cinematographers
- Frank SkinnerShared titles: Gun for a Coward (1956), The Man from the Alamo (1953), Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Francis Goes to the Races (1951), Tulsa (1949), Family Honeymoon (1948)See all 6 shared titles with Frank Skinner

- Lennie HaytonShared titles: The Harvey Girls (1946), See Here, Private Hargrove (1944), Best Foot Forward (1943), Stand by for Action (1942)See all 4 shared titles with Lennie Hayton

- William H. ClothierShared titles: McLintock! (1963), The Deadly Companions (1961), The Alamo (1960)See all 3 shared titles with William H. Clothier

- Dimitri TiomkinShared titles: The Alamo (1960), Giant (1956), The Westerner (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Dimitri Tiomkin

Producers
- Aaron RosenbergShared titles: The Man from the Alamo (1953), Cattle Drive (1951), Red Canyon (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Aaron Rosenberg
- Leonard GoldsteinShared titles: Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Francis Goes to the Races (1951), Red Canyon (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Leonard Goldstein
- Aaron SpellingShared titles: The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Aaron Spelling

- Andy BrennanShared titles: The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Andy Brennan




