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person_profile-Ken Murray

Ken Murray Died at age: 85

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Ken Murray

Date of Birth:

Jul 14, 1903

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Oct 12, 1988

Biography of

Ken Murray

    Ken Murray (born Kenneth Abner Doncourt, July 14, 1903 – October 12, 1988) was an American comedian, actor, radio and television personality and author.

    After finding success on the vaudeville stage, Murray moved to Hollywood and made his film debut in the 1929 romantic drama Half Marriage, followed by a role in Leathernecking in 1930. Murray was the host of a weekly radio variety show (The Ken Murray Show) on NBC 1932-33 and on CBS 1936–37. He later was the original host (1945-57) of Queen for a Day, on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio show, which was simulcast on KTSL (now KCBS-TV), Channel 2 in Los Angeles.

    During World War II, Murray was one of the many celebrities to volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen. In 1947, he produced Bill and Coo, a feature film using trained birds and other animals as actors. Bill and Coo won a special Academy Award for "novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion picture" and "artistry and patience" .

    He was also the host of The Ken Murray Show, a weekly music and comedy show on CBS Television that ran from 1950 to 1953. The show was the first to win a Freedom Foundation Award. Murray also guest starred on several television series, including The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford and The Bing Crosby Show.

    Murray produced and co-starred as "Smiling Billy Murray" in a 1953 film, The Marshal's Daughter, a western that featured his protege Laurie Anders in the title role, her sole film performance. In 1962, Murray portrayed the top hat wearing, cigar chewing, drunken Doc Willoughby in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring John Wayne and James Stewart, arguably his most memorable screen role. Paired off for most of the picture with Edmond O'Brien as an alcoholic newspaper editor, he drunkenly rolls over the gunshot corpse of villain Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) with his boot, looks around off-handedly, and says "Dead" to the surrounding crowd of euphoric Mexicans.

    In 1964, Murray played Whipsaw, the operator of a stagecoach depot in the episode "Little Cayuse" of the television series Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. He and his partner take in a Cayuse orphan (Larry Domasin), who demonstrates his loyalty to the men during an Indian attack. In 1965, Murray played a THRUSH financier and owner of a caribbean casino in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In 1966, Murray was cast as Melody Murphy in the Walt Disney film Follow Me, Boys! starring Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles and Kurt Russell.

Photos of

Ken Murray

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Ken Murray

Found 22 Movies in total

Frank Capra's American Dream

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1997

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Souvenir Salesman ( Actor )

... 1976

The Power

Grover ( Actor )

... 1968

Follow Me, Boys!

Melody Murphy ( Actor )

... 1966

Hollywood My Home Town

Self ( Actor )

Editor

... 1965

Hollywood Without Make-Up

Self - Host ( Actor )

Producer

... 1963

Son of Flubber

Mr. Hurley ( Actor )

... 1963

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Doc Willoughby ( Actor )

... 1962

The Marshal's Daughter

'Smiling Billy' Murray ( Actor )

... 1953

Red Light

Ken Murray ( Actor )

... 1949

Bill and Coo

Ken Murray ( Actor )

Producer

... 1948

Juke Box Jenny

Malcolm Hammond ( Actor )

... 1942

Swing It Soldier

Jerry Traynor ( Actor )

... 1941

A Night at Earl Carroll's

Barney Nelson ( Actor )

... 1940

Swing, Sister, Swing

Nap Sisler ( Actor )

... 1938

You're a Sweetheart

Don King ( Actor )

... 1937

From Headquarters

Mac ( Actor )

... 1933

Disgraced!

Jim McGuire ( Actor )

... 1933

Crooner

Peter Sturgis ( Actor )

... 1932

Ladies of the Jury

Spencer B. Dazy ( Actor )

... 1932

Leathernecking

Frank ( Actor )

... 1930

Half Marriage

Charles Turner ( Actor )

... 1929