Chill Wills
Chill Theodore Wills ( born July 18, 1903 in Seagoville, Texas, USA, † December 15, 1978 in Encino, California ) was an American film and theater actor and musician.
Life
Chill Wills grew up as one of five brothers, and was already at a young age with these on stage. Under the stage name of The Wills Brothers Quartet they entered at fairs and vaudeville theaters on the south-western states of the USA. In Kansas City Wills met his first wife Hattie Elizabeth Chappelle, whom he married in 1928. With her he got his two children, daughter Jill ( b. 1939 ) and son Will ( b. 1942 ).
With Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys, a musical group which he co-founded in the late 1920s, Wills was able to continue as an adult on the successes of his childhood. At a gig in Hollywood, the group was discovered in 1934 by a talent scout from RKO Pictures, which they undertook as backing band for some barely successful low-budget westerns. However, a significant appearance they had in 1937 in the Western comedy Two rode to Texas ( Way Out West) with Laurel and Hardy, who even received an Oscar nomination for best film music.
In the late 1930s, when the group went their separate ways, Wills explored a solo career as an actor, which should extend over a decade of 40 years. Wills was increasingly in demand as a player who could put in more than 100 feature films, his talent.
His most famous film is one of Western Alamo, which was staged in 1960 by John Wayne. Churchill, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a bartender in 1961, then began an unprecedented campaign to date to the AMPAS votes to lead in order to get the gold statue. But the aggressive tone, the Wills case put on his day, was punished rigorously by the Academy, so that on the one hand, Will's got an Oscar, and on the other hand, the film Alamo itself could claim seven Oscar nominations just a single gold statue for himself. Even John Wayne had to apologize for the behavior of his actor publicly. Luckily did this faux pas whose career no harm, since he himself stood until shortly before his death in front of the camera.
Parallel to his work in film and television to Wills engaged politically. He was a member of the Democratic Party and supported the governor of Alabama, George Wallace, the presidential campaign of 1968; although the company was not successful.
Chill Wills ' wife Hattie died on 11 November 1971 in the 43rd year of marriage. Two years later married Wills on December 7, 1973 Novadeen Googe. With her he was married for the last five years of his life. Chill Wills died at the age of 75 years to cancer.
He is now dedicated a star on the Walk of Fame.
Others
- The peculiar first name Churchill is an invention of his parents. Since the day of his birth, there was the hottest day in Texas, the parents decided it ironically Chill (German: chilly ) to call.
- Chill Wills had a height of 188 centimeters.