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His grim, beady-eyed, sharp-nosed, weatherbeaten face was always familiar despite the small roles he appeared in. Every once in a while character actor Russell Simpson would stand out in a small scene, but his main purpose seemed to be adding rustic authenticity to his westerns or small-town dramas. Born on June 17, 1880 in San Francisco, California, Simpson was involved in the Alaska gold rush as a teenager before settling upon an acting career. A member of a number of touring companies, he eventually made it to Broadway. His silent film debut in The Virginian (1914) was unbilled, but he went on to appear in occasional leads and top support roles in many others, with such roles as Trampas in the remake of The Virginian (1923) and President Andrew Jackson in The Frontiersman (1927) highlighting his silent era. Simpson's parts grew smaller with the advent of sound and his gents grew increasingly grizzled, stubborn and cranky. In the late 1930s he became a stock player in director John Ford's company of actors, which culminated in one of his finest roles as Pa Joad in the classic The Grapes of Wrath (1940). He appeared in other Ford pictures, including Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Tobacco Road (1941), They Were Expendable (1945), My Darling Clementine (1946) and The Sun Shines Bright (1953). He would continue acting to the very end, making his last film (naturally) for Ford: The Horse Soldiers (1959). Appearing in hundreds of films over a span of four decades, he graced TV westerns as well with roles on The Lone Ranger (1949) and Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) to his credit. His more than 40-year marriage to Gertrude Aller produced a daughter, Roberta. Simpson passed away on December 12, 1959 of natural causes in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 79.

Dorothy Dewhurst was born on 16 September 1886 in Sale, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Pride and Prejudice (1952), George and Margaret (1946) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). She died on 12 December 1959 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK.

Guy Roe was born on 7 March 1903 in Christian County, Kentucky, USA. He was a cinematographer, known for In This Corner (1948), Godzilla (1957) and Behind Locked Doors (1948). He died on 12 December 1959 in Inyo County, California, USA.

Leon was born in 1915 in Wheelis, Oklahoma to William Edward Davidson and Ola Mae Owens. Leon's parents subsequently divorced. His dad remarried and had additional children. Leon's half-sister, Mary Alice, died at a young age; however, his half-brother, Earl Ray, is still living at the time of this writing.

He worked as a stuntman at thrill shows and in movies from about 1933 through 1943 and held SAG membership during those years. He was a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle club in 1936. In May, 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy and served until January, 1946, as a member of the Shore Patrol.

He married Helen Marie in June of 1942 and they divorced in July of 1946. It is unknown if they had any children. After leaving the service, he joined law enforcement in Las Vegas. Then in the mid-50s he was a Mobil Gas Station Owner in Burbank, California. In June, 1949, he married Dorothy Elleanor Crews. They had a son, James Edward, in 1950, and a daughter, Janet Lea, in 1956. Leon and Dorothy were still married at the time of his death from a heart attack in December, 1959.