Trivia

According to 1942 MGM publicity, it was a sweltering hot day when Chill Wills was born, so his parents were inspired to name him "Chill". However, "Chill" is simply a truncated version of his actual middle name, Childress.

In his later years he appeared in commercials for Wolf brand chili.

Was in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Yearling (1946), Giant (1956) and The Alamo (1960).

Chill Wills claimed to have won a degree from the "Minsky College of Burlesque".

He was the most prominent member of The Avalon Boys and broke away to start a new career as a solo performer. RKO put him in B Weterns as a sidekick to George O'Brien. In 1940 he was signed up by MGM for whom he played comical cowpokes.

Although he survived the experience of working with Otto Preminger on "The Cardinal", he was fired from the director's next film, "In Harm's Way" during his first morning's work. He was replaced by Henry Fonda.

Had two children: Jill Wills (born 1939) and Will Wills (born 1942).

He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in The Alamo but his blatant campaign to elicit votes cost him the award. One of his ads read 'Win lose or draw, you're all my cousins and I love you. Your Cousin Chill Wills'.

He provided the voice of Francis the Talking Mule.

Chill Wills composed the song "The Blue-Eyed Sailor Man" that he performed in the 1942 MGM Feature "Stand By for Action".

Hired publicist Wojciechowicz (W.S.) Wojtkiewicz (nicknamed "Bow Wow") to stage a Best Supporting Actor Oscar campaign for his performance in "The Alamo". The campaign was considered tasteless, even by Hollywood standards. The film's star/director John Wayne, who was pulling out all the stops on behalf of his opus (even going as far as convincing mayors across the country to declare an "Alamo Day" in their towns), apologized publicly for Wills. Wojtkiewicz accepted full responsibility, claiming Wills did not know of or approve the campaign. Wojtkiewicz was the 4th and last husband of gossip columnist Sheilah Graham.

His nickname "Chill" came from his middle name, Childress.

The song "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" while seemingly being a duet with Stan and Ollie is actually a quintet as Walter Trask of The Avalon Boys sings the first two lines, Chill Wills dubs Stan's bass voice and Rosina Lawrence dubs Stan's falsetto voice.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6923 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Following his death, he was interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Endorsed George Wallace in the 1968 presidential election.

Campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 US presidential election.

Died on the day of the U.S. release of Superman (1978).