Born: September 17, 1885 – Died: July 15, 1957
Born on September 17, 1885, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, George Cleveland was a versatile actor with a career spanning 58 years, encompassing stage performances, Vaudeville acts, motion pictures, radio, and television roles. With his round-faced and twinkling demeanor, he left an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. Notably, George made his film debut in "Mystery Liner" (1934) alongside Noah Beery and went on to grace the screen in a remarkable 150 other films. However, it is his role as Gramps on the original "Lassie" TV series (1954) that continues to etch his name in the annals of entertainment history.
Early Life and Career
George Cleveland's childhood and upbringing details are not readily available. He didn't attend a university, as his career in entertainment began early on in his life. His journey in the entertainment industry started with his film debut in "Mystery Liner" (1934), marking his first professional role. Over the years, George Cleveland gained recognition for his acting skills, but it was his role as Gramps on the original "Lassie" TV series (1954) that brought him widespread fame.
George Cleveland's enduring career and contributions to the entertainment industry speak for themselves. In his personal life, he was married to Dorothy Mellick from January 7, 1955, until his death on July 15, 1957, when he died of a heart attack in Burbank, California.
George Cleveland is not only remembered for his acting talent but also for his longevity in the industry, having worked across various mediums. While he may not be considered a Hollywood icon or legend on the same scale as some of his contemporaries, his dedication and extensive career have left a lasting impact on the entertainment world.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1954–1957 | Lassie (TV Series) | George 'Gramps' Miller |
| 1954 | The Outlaw's Daughter | Lem Creel |
| 1954 | Fireman Save My Child | Chief Rorty |
| 1954 | Untamed Heiress | Andrew 'Cactus' Clayton |
| 1954 | Racing Blood | Gramps |
| 1954 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) | Judge N. Berry |
| 1953 | Walking My Baby Back Home | Col. Dan Wallace |
| 1953 | Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (TV Series) | Grandpa Quenley |
| 1953 | Affair with a Stranger | Pop |
| 1953 | San Antone | Col. Allerby |
| 1952 | The WAC from Walla Walla | Gramps Canova |
| 1952 | Cripple Creek | Hardrock Hanson |
| 1952 | Carson City | Henry Dodson |
| 1952 | Flaming Feather | Doc Fallon |
| 1951 | Fort Defiance | Uncle Charlie Tallon |
| 1950 | Frenchie | Mayor Jefferson Harding |
| 1950 | Trigger, Jr. | Colonel Harkrider |
| 1950 | Please Believe Me | Mr. Cooper |
| 1950 | The Boy from Indiana | Robert Bruce Mac Dougall |
| 1949 | Miss Grant Takes Richmond | Judge Ben Grant |
| 1949 | Kazan | Trapper |
| 1949 | Home in San Antone | Grandpa Gibson |
| 1949 | Rimfire | Judge Gardner |
| 1948 | The Plunderers | Sheriff Sam Borden |
| 1948 | Miraculous Journey | The Hermit |
| 1948 | A Date with Judy | Gramps |
| 1948 | Fury at Furnace Creek | Judge |
| 1948 | Albuquerque | John Armin |
| 1947 | My Wild Irish Rose | Captain Brennan |
| 1947 | The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap | Judge Benbow |
| 1947 | Mother Wore Tights | Grandfather McKinley |
| 1947 | I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now | John McCullem |
| 1947 | Easy Come, Easy Go | Gilligan |
| 1946 | The Show-Off | Pop Fisher |
| 1946 | Wake Up and Dream | Prof. Feverfew (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Angel on My Shoulder | Albert |
| 1946 | Step by Step | Captain Caleb Simpson |
| 1946 | Wild Beauty | Barney Skeets |
| 1946 | Courage of Lassie | Old Man |
| 1946 | Boys' Ranch | Butch's Grandpa (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Runaround | Feenan the cabbie |
| 1946 | Little Giant | Clarence Goodring |
| 1945 | Pillow of Death | Samuel 'Sam' Kincaid |
| 1945 | She Wouldn't Say Yes | Ticket Seller (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Dakota | Mr. Plummer |
| 1945 | Senorita from the West | Cap |
| 1945 | Sunbonnet Sue | Casey - Tavern Owner |
| 1945 | Her Highness and the Bellboy | Dr. Elfson |
| 1945 | It's in the Bag! | Busby - Hotel Manager |
| 1945 | Song of the Sarong | Captain William Reemis |
| 1945 | God Is My Co-Pilot | Father of Catherine Scott (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Can't Help Singing | Marshal |
| 1944 | Alaska | Pete - Postmaster |
| 1944 | When the Lights Go on Again | Pat 'Gramps' Benson |
| 1944 | My Pal Wolf | Wilson |
| 1944 | Abroad with Two Yanks | Roderick Stuart |
| 1944 | The Yellow Rose of Texas | Captain 'Cap' Joe |
| 1944 | Man from Frisco | Mayor Winter (uncredited) |
| 1944 | My Best Gal | Ralph Hodges |
| 1944 | It Happened Tomorrow | Mr. Gordon |
| 1943 | The Woman of the Town | Judge Blackburn |
| 1943 | Klondike Kate | Judge Horace E. Crossit |
| 1943 | Man from Music Mountain | Sheriff Hal Darcey |
| 1943 | Johnny Come Lately | Willie Ferguson |
| 1943 | Cowboy in Manhattan | Wild Bill |
| 1943 | Ladies' Day | Doc - Team Trainer |
| 1942 | The Traitor Within | 'Pop' Betts |
| 1942 | Seven Miles from Alcatraz | Captain Porter |
| 1942 | Army Surgeon | Col. John Wishart |
| 1942 | Here We Go Again | Ramble Inn Proprietor (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Highways by Night | Judkins - Hotel Manager |
| 1942 | Mexican Spitfire's Elephant | Chief Customs Inspector (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Mail Trouble (Short) | The Father-in-Law |
| 1942 | The Big Street | Colonel Samuel Venus |
| 1942 | Hold 'Em Jail (Short) | Judge |
| 1942 | Powder Town | Gus, Institute Janitor |
| 1942 | The Falcon Takes Over | Jerry - Servant (uncredited) |
| 1942 | My Favorite Spy | Gus |
| 1942 | The Spoilers | Banty |
| 1942 | Valley of the Sun | Bill Yard |
| 1942 | Obliging Young Lady | Clarence |
| 1942 | Call Out the Marines | Bartender |
| 1941 | Playmates | Mr. Nelson Pennypacker (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Two-Faced Woman | Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Look Who's Laughing | Kelsey |
| 1941 | All That Money Can Buy | Cy Bibber |
| 1941 | Riders of the Purple Sage | Doctor (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Man at Large | Sheriff Pickering |
| 1941 | Wide Open Town | Pete Carter - Miner (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Sucker List (Short) | Old Man |
| 1941 | Sunset in Wyoming | Asa Wentworth |
| 1941 | Two in a Taxi | Gas Station Proprietor |
| 1941 | Nevada City | Hank Liddell |
| 1941 | A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob | Pop Duncan |
| 1941 | Forbidden Passage (Short) | Anna's Father (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Wild Stallion | Unknown |
| 1940 | West of Abilene | Bill Burnside |
| 1940 | The Old Swimmin' Hole | Grandpa Harper |
| 1940 | The Ape | Mr. Howley (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Queen of the Yukon | Grub |
| 1940 | Soak the Old (Short) | John Arnold |
| 1940 | Haunted House | Albert Henshaw |
| 1940 | One Man's Law | Judge Wingate |
| 1940 | Tomboy | Uncle Matt |
| 1940 | Blazing Six Shooters | Mark Rawlins |
| 1940 | Drums of Fu Manchu | Dr. James Parker |
| 1940 | Midnight Limited | Professor Van Dillon |
| 1940 | Pioneers of the West | Dr. Bailey |
| 1940 | Chasing Trouble | Lester |
| 1940 | Hidden Enemy | John MacGregor |
| 1939 | Overland Mail | Frank Porter - aka Saunders |
| 1939 | Mutiny in the Big House | 'Dad' Schultz - Convict |
| 1939 | Dick Tracy's G-Men | Gramps Williams (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Konga, the Wild Stallion | Tabor |
| 1939 | Stunt Pilot | Sheriff |
| 1939 | Wolf Call | Dr. MacTavish |
| 1939 | Streets of New York | Pop O'Toole |
| 1939 | The Sap Takes a Wrap (Short) | Maloney (uncredited) |
| 1939 | The Phantom Stage | Sidekick Grizzly |
| 1939 | Home on the Prairie | Jim Wheeler |
| 1939 | Convict's Code | Gas Station Attendant (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Ghost Town Riders | Judge Stillwell |
| 1938 | The Strange Case of Dr. Meade | Thurber |
| 1938 | Under the Big Top | Joe |
| 1938 | Prison Break | Ding |
| 1938 | Romance of the Limberlost | Nathan |
| 1938 | Outlaws of Sonora | Association Director (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars | Professor Hensley (scenes deleted) |
| 1938 | Rose of the Rio Grande | Pedro |
| 1938 | Port of Missing Girls | Clinton |
| 1938 | Born to Be Wild | Stevens (uncredited) |
| 1938 | The Lone Ranger | George Blanchard |
| 1937 | Prescription for Romance | Cab Driver (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Boy of the Streets | Tim 'Flannel-Mouth' Farley |
| 1937 | Adventure's End | Tom |
| 1937 | A Girl with Ideas | Malladay (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Behind the Mike | Stable Man |
| 1937 | Small Town Boy | Police Station Man (unconfirmed) |
| 1937 | Trapped by G-Men | Miner |
| 1937 | Atlantic Flight | Old-Timer in Diner (uncredited) |
| 1937 | The Toast of New York | Perkins - Luke's Secretary in Boston (uncredited) |
| 1937 | West Bound Limited | Division Superintendent (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Night Key | Sam Adams - Company Engineer (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Swing It Professor | Dean |
| 1937 | Paradise Express | Farmer Beasley |
| 1937 | Breezing Home | Politician (uncredited) |
| 1937 | The Devil Diamond | George Davis |
| 1936 | The Plainsman | Van Ellyn Associate (uncredited) |
| 1936 | North of Nome | Ship Captain |
| 1936 | Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island | Goebel - Gang Scientist |
| 1936 | Phantom Patrol | Inspector McCloud |
| 1936 | Two-Fisted Gentleman | Mr. Bainbridge |
| 1936 | Rio Grande Romance | Sheriff Williams |
| 1936 | Revolt of the Zombies | General Duval |
| 1936 | Flash Gordon | Professor Hensley |
| 1936 | Brilliant Marriage | Bartender (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Foolproof (Short) | Mr. Hanson (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Don't Get Personal | The Farmer |
| 1936 | Black Gold | Clemmons |
| 1936 | I Conquer the Sea! | Caleb Ashley |
| 1935 | Forced Landing | Jolly |
| 1935 | The Spanish Cape Mystery | Jorum |
| 1935 | His Night Out | Detective |
| 1935 | The Public Menace | Ship's Pilot (uncredited) |
| 1935 | She Gets Her Man | Drunk in Lunch Room (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Cheers of the Crowd | Newsreel Man (uncredited) |
| 1935 | The Keeper of the Bees | Judge |
| 1935 | Make a Million | Fake Blind Beggar |
| 1935 | Do Your Stuff (Short) | Unknown |
| 1935 | The Hoosier Schoolmaster | Townsman (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Girl O' My Dreams | Newsreel Company Man (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The Star Packer | Jake (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Monte Carlo Nights | Croupier |
| 1934 | The Man from Utah | Nevada Sheriff |
| 1934 | Blue Steel | Hank - Innkeeper |
| 1934 | City Limits | Graflex (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Voice in the Night | Worker (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The House of Mystery | Detective Clancy (uncredited) |
| 1934 | School for Girls | Reeves |
| 1934 | Mystery Liner | Simms the Steward |
| 1934 | A Woman's Man | Announcer at Premiere (uncredited) |
| 1933 | He Couldn't Take It | Drunk (uncredited) |
| 1931 | The Sky Raiders | John - The Air Dispatcher (uncredited) |
| 1930 | The Thoroughbred | Detective (uncredited) |