Morris Ankrum
Born: 1896-08-28 in Danville, Illinois, USA
Died: 1964-09-02
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum, August 28, 1896 – September 2, 1964) was an American radio, television and film character actor. Before signing with Paramount Pictures in the 1930s, Nussbaum had already changed his last name to Ankrum. Upon signing with the studio, he chose to use the name "Stephen Morris" before changing it to Morris Ankrum in 1939. Ankrum's stern visage and sharply defined features helped cast him in supporting roles as stalwart authority figures, including scientists, military men (particularly army officers), judges and even psychiatrists in more than 150 films, mostly B movies. One standout role was in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's production of Tennessee Johnson (1942), a biographical film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th U.S. president. As Sen. Jefferson Davis, Ankrum movingly addresses the United States Senate upon his resignation to lead the Confederate States of America as that republic's first—and only—president. Ankrum's film career was extensive and spanned 30 years. His credits were largely concentrated in the western and science-fiction genres. Ankrum appeared in such westerns as Ride 'Em Cowboy in 1942, Vera Cruz opposite Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster, Apache (1954), and Cattle Queen of Montana with Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. In the sci-fi genre, he appeared in Rocketship X-M (1950), Flight to Mars (1951), as a Martian, Red Planet Mars (1952), playing the United States Secretary of Defense; the cult classic Invaders From Mars (1953), playing a United States Army officer; and as an Army general in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956). In 1957 he played a psychiatrist in the cult sci-fi classic Kronos and had military-officer roles in Beginning of the End and The Giant Claw.
Filmography
1968
- The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)
1964
- Guns of Diablo as Ray Macklin
1963
- X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
1962
- Tower of London as The Archbishop
1961
- The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come as Gen. Lew Wallace
- Most Dangerous Man Alive as Capt. Davis
1960
- The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Walter Harwood
1959
- Bonanza as Mr. Mason
1958
- The Rifleman
- Sea Hunt
- Bronco as Gilbert Groves
- Tarawa Beachhead as Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
- Curse of the Faceless Man as Narrator (unconfirmed)
- The Saga of Hemp Brown as Bo Slauter
- How to Make a Monster as Police Capt. Hancock
- Badman's Country as Mayor Coleman
- Twilight for the Gods as Sea Captain
- From the Earth to the Moon as President Ulysses S. Grant
- Young and Wild as Police Capt. Egan
- The Power of the Resurrection as Annas
- Giant from the Unknown as Dr. Frederick Cleveland
- Frontier Gun as Andrew Barton
1957
- Perry Mason as Judge
- Maverick as Joshua Haines
- M Squad as Police Inspector Dean
- The Giant Claw as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
- Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman as Dr. Carl Jordan
- Omar Khayyam as Sharain's Father
- Zombies of Mora Tau as Dr. Jonathan Eggert
- Kronos as Dr. Albert Stern
- Beginning of the End as Gen. John Hanson
- Hell's Crossroads as Wheeler
- Drango as Henry Calder
- Down Liberty Road as Fred Schroder
1956
- On Trial as Judge
- Earth vs. the Flying Saucers as Brig. Gen. John Hanley
- Dr. Fu Manchu as Professor Rutledge
- Walk the Proud Land as Gen. Wade
- Quincannon, Frontier Scout as Col. Harry Conover
- Naked Gun as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
- Fury at Gunsight Pass as Doc Phillips
- When Gangland Strikes as Leo Fantzler
- The Desperados Are in Town as Mr. Rutherford
1955
- Cheyenne as John Clements
- Gunsmoke as Merle
- The 20th Century Fox Hour as Henry
- Chief Crazy Horse as Red Cloud
- The Last Command
- Tennessee's Partner as Judge Parker
- Duel on the Mississippi as Magistrate (uncredited)
- Crashout as Head Guard
- The Eternal Sea as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
- No Man's Woman as Capt. Hostedder
- The Silver Star as Charlie Childress
- The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story as Azar the Shepherd
1954
- Vera Cruz as Gen. Ramírez
- Apache as Dawson
- Silver Lode as Zachary Evans
- Cattle Queen of Montana as J.I. 'Pop' Jones
- Three Young Texans as Jeff Blair
- Taza, Son of Cochise as Grey Eagle
- Two Guns and a Badge as Sheriff Jackson
- Drums Across the River as Chief Ouray
- The Steel Cage as Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
- Southwest Passage as Dr. Stanton
- The Outlaw Stallion as Sheriff
1953
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
- Invaders from Mars as Col. Fielding
- The Man Behind The Gun as Bram Creegan
- Devil's Canyon as Ed
- The Moonlighter as Alexander Prince
- Fort Vengeance as Chief Crowfoot
- Sky Commando as Gen. W.R. Combs
- Flight Nurse as Interrogation Officer
- I Beheld His Glory as Peter
- Arena as Bucky Hillberry
- Mexican Manhunt as Tip Morgan
1952
- Four Star Playhouse as Warden
- Cowboy G-Men
- Son of Ali Baba as Ali Baba
- Because of You as Dr. Travis
- The Raiders as Thomas Ainsworth
- Red Planet Mars as Secretary of Defense Sparks
- Mutiny as Capt. Radford
- Fort Osage as Arthur Pickett
- Hiawatha as Iagoo
- A Star Shall Rise as King Herod
1951
- Along the Great Divide as Ed Roden
- My Favorite Spy as Gen. Frazer
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
- The Redhead and the Cowboy as Sheriff
- Flight to Mars as Ikron
- Fighting Coast Guard as Navy Captain
- Tomorrow Is Another Day as Hugh Wagner
- The Lion Hunters as Tom Forbes
1950
- In a Lonely Place as Lloyd Barnes
- Chain Lightning as Ed Bostwick
- The Damned Don't Cry as Jim Whitehead
- Rocketship X-M as Dr. Ralph Fleming
- Borderline as Bill Whittaker
- Short Grass as Hal Fenton
- Southside 1-1000 as Eugene Deane
1949
- The Fountainhead as Prosecutor (uncredited)
- Colorado Territory as United States Marshal
- We Were Strangers as M. Seymour
- Bad Men of Tombstone as Mr. Jones
1948
- Studio One as Considine
- Joan of Arc as Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
- Fighting Back as Robert J. Higby
- For the Love of Mary as Adm. Walton
- Souvenirs of Death as Gangster (uncredited)
- The Fabulous Fraud as Blind Girl's Father
1947
- Desire Me as Hector Martin
- High Wall as Dr. Stanley Griffin
- The Sea of Grass as A.J. Crane
- Song of the Thin Man as Inspector (uncredited)
- Good News as Dean Griswold
- Cynthia as Mr. Phillips, Principal
- The Mighty McGurk as Fowles
- Merton of the Movies as Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
- Little Mister Jim as Col. W.I. Starwell
1946
- The Postman Always Rings Twice as Judge (uncredited)
- The Harvey Girls as Reverend Claggett
- Courage of Lassie as Farmer Crews
- Lady in the Lake as Eugene Grayson
- The Green Years as Dr. Galbraith
- The Cockeyed Miracle as Dr. Wilson
1945
- Adventure as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
- Phantoms, Inc. as Narrator (voice)
- Purity Squad as Dr. Adams (uncredited)
- Fall Guy as District Attorney (uncredited)
- The Hidden Eye as Ferris (henchman)
1944
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo as Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
- The Thin Man Goes Home as Willoughby Peavy
- The Heavenly Body as Dr. Green
- Marriage Is a Private Affair as Ed Scofield
- Barbary Coast Gent as Alec Veeder
- Main Street Today as Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
- Gentle Annie as Deputy Gansby
- Meet the People as Monte Rowland
- Rationing as Morgan
- Return from Nowhere as Doctor (uncredited)
- Dark Shadows as Lt. Pat McKay
1943
- Swing Fever as Dan Conlon
- The Cross of Lorraine as Col. Demas (uncredited)
- Best Foot Forward as Col. Harkrider
- Let's Face It as Man in Sun Shell Cafe
- Dixie Dugan as Editor
1942
- Reunion in France as Martin
- Tales of Manhattan as Judge
- Roxie Hart as Martin S. Harrison
- Ten Gentlemen from West Point as Wood
- Time to Kill as Alexander Morny
- Tennessee Johnson as Jefferson Davis
- The Omaha Trail as Henchman Job
- The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe as Mr. Graham
1941
- Ride 'Em Cowboy as Ace Anderson
- I Wake Up Screaming as Assistant District Attorney
- Road Agent as Big John Morgan
- In Old Colorado as Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
- Border Vigilantes as Dan Forbes
- The Roundup as 'Parenthesis'
- This Woman Is Mine as Roussel
- Doomed Caravan as Stephen Westcott
- Wide Open Town as Jim Stuart
- The Bandit Trail as Red Haggerty
- Pirates on Horseback as Ace Gibson
1940
- Buck Benny Rides Again as Second Outlaw
- The Light of Western Stars as Nat Hayworth
- Three Men from Texas as Bruce Morgan
- The Showdown as Baron Rendor
- Knights of the Range as Gamecock
- Cherokee Strip as Hawk Barrett
1937
- Hills of Old Wyoming as Andrews
- Rustlers' Valley as Glen Randall
- North of the Rio Grande as Henry Stoneham
- Borderland as Loco
1936
- Hopalong Cassidy Returns as Blackie Felton
- Trail Dust as Tex Anderson
1934
- Stand Up and Cheer! as Washington Press Correspondent