Ken Murray

Ken Murray

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1903-07-14
Deathday: 1988-10-12 (85 years old)

Check on Amazon

Biography

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.

Advertisement

Filmography

all 38

Movies 27

self 12

TV Shows 11

Director 1

Writer 1

Self (archive footage)
Frank Capra's American Dream

Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)

Movie
Thanks
Zelig

Zelig (1983)

Movie
6
Director
Ken Murray Shooting Stars

Ken Murray Shooting Stars (1979)

Movie
Souvenir Salesman
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)

Movie
Grover
The Power

The Power (1968)

Movie
Melody Murphy
Follow Me, Boys!

Follow Me, Boys! (1966)

Movie
Self
Hollywood My Home Town

Hollywood My Home Town (1965)

Movie
The Bing Crosby Show

The Bing Crosby Show (1964)

TV
Self - Film Narrator
The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace (1964)

TV
Self
The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show (1963)

TV
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

TV
Charles P. Banner
Burke's Law

Burke's Law (1963)

TV
6
The Greatest Show on Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)

TV
Self - Host
Hollywood Without Make-Up

Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963)

Movie
Mr. Hurley
Son of Flubber

Son of Flubber (1963)

Movie
6
Doc Willoughby
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Movie
3.67
Self
The Lux Show

The Lux Show (1957)

TV
'Smiling Billy' Murray
The Marshal's Daughter

The Marshal's Daughter (1953)

Movie
Self
This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life (1952)

TV
Self - Mystery Guest
What's My Line?

What's My Line? (1950)

TV
Self - Host / Self
The Ken Murray Show

The Ken Murray Show (1950)

TV
Ken Murray
Red Light

Red Light (1949)

Movie
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

TV
6
Writer
Bill and Coo

Bill and Coo (1948)

Movie
Peeks at Hollywood

Peeks at Hollywood (1946)

Movie
Malcolm Hammond
Juke Box Jenny

Juke Box Jenny (1942)

Movie
Jerry Traynor
Swing It Soldier

Swing It Soldier (1941)

Movie
Self
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 (1941)

Movie
Barney Nelson
A Night at Earl Carroll's

A Night at Earl Carroll's (1940)

Movie
Nap Sisler
Swing, Sister, Swing

Swing, Sister, Swing (1938)

Movie
Don King
You're a Sweetheart

You're a Sweetheart (1937)

Movie
Mac
From Headquarters

From Headquarters (1933)

Movie
Actor
A Preferred List

A Preferred List (1933)

Movie
Jim McGuire
Disgraced!

Disgraced! (1933)

Movie
Peter Sturgis
Crooner

Crooner (1932)

Movie
Spencer B. Dazy
Ladies of the Jury

Ladies of the Jury (1932)

Movie
Frank
Leathernecking

Leathernecking (1930)

Movie
Charles Turner
Half Marriage

Half Marriage (1929)

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.37
Based on 147 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1929
1941
1952
1949
1997
Advertisement
Ken MurrayKen Murray

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1903-07-14

Deathday
1988-10-12 (85 years old)

Birth Place
New York City, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Kenneth Abner Doncourt

Awards
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Advertisement
Andy Devine
Ken Murray
Andy Devine worked together with Ken Murray in:
3 Movies
2 TV Shows
Jack Carter
Ken Murray
Jack Carter worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
3 TV Shows
Edgar Bergen
Ken Murray
Edgar Bergen worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
3 TV Shows
Ed Wynn
Ken Murray
Ed Wynn worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
3 TV Shows
Milton Berle
Ken Murray
Milton Berle worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
2 TV Shows
Dorothy Lamour
Ken Murray
Dorothy Lamour worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
3 TV Shows
Ann Miller
Ken Murray
Ann Miller worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
2 TV Shows
Buster Keaton
Ken Murray
Buster Keaton worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
3 TV Shows
Fred MacMurray
Ken Murray
Fred MacMurray worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
2 TV Shows
George Hamilton
Ken Murray
George Hamilton worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
Vera Miles
Ken Murray
Vera Miles worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
1 TV Show
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Ken Murray
Zsa Zsa Gabor worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
Bette Davis
Ken Murray
Bette Davis worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
Dennis Day
Ken Murray
Dennis Day worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
Nanette Fabray
Ken Murray
Nanette Fabray worked together with Ken Murray in:
3 TV Shows
Walter Pidgeon
Ken Murray
Walter Pidgeon worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
William Demarest
Ken Murray
William Demarest worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
1 TV Show
Yvonne De Carlo
Ken Murray
Yvonne De Carlo worked together with Ken Murray in:
2 Movies
1 TV Show
Barrie Chase
Ken Murray
Barrie Chase worked together with Ken Murray in:
3 TV Shows
Fernando Lamas
Ken Murray
Fernando Lamas worked together with Ken Murray in:
1 Movie
2 TV Shows
  • Ken Murray
    Ken Murray
  • Filmography
  • Information
  • Related Persons
Social Media
X
Facebook
Pinterest
Telegram
Download
iOS Application
Made in Ukraine πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦
Copyright Β© MovieFit 2018 – 2024
All external content remains the property of its respective owner.