Ken Murray
Ken Murray
Born 14/07/1903 in New York City, New York, USA

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

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.

External links

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0615108

Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q122335

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Filmography (Movies)

Frank Capra's American Dream

Frank Capra's American Dream

Character:Self (archive footage)

Release Date:01/01/1997

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

Character:Souvenir Salesman

Release Date:26/07/1976

The Power

The Power

Character:Grover

Release Date:21/02/1968

Follow Me, Boys!

Follow Me, Boys!

Character:Melody Murphy

Release Date:01/12/1966

Hollywood My Home Town

Hollywood My Home Town

Character:Self

Release Date:31/12/1965

Hollywood Without Make-Up

Hollywood Without Make-Up

Character:Self - Host

Release Date:01/07/1963

Son of Flubber

Son of Flubber

Character:Mr. Hurley

Release Date:16/01/1963

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Character:Doc Willoughby

Release Date:13/04/1962

The Marshal's Daughter

The Marshal's Daughter

Character:'Smiling Billy' Murray

Release Date:25/06/1953

Red Light

Red Light

Character:Ken Murray

Release Date:30/09/1949

Bill and Coo

Bill and Coo

Character:Ken Murray

Release Date:28/03/1948

Peeks at Hollywood

Peeks at Hollywood

Character:

Release Date:26/01/1946

Juke Box Jenny

Juke Box Jenny

Character:Malcolm Hammond

Release Date:27/03/1942

Swing It Soldier

Swing It Soldier

Character:Jerry Traynor

Release Date:07/11/1941

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Character:Self

Release Date:15/08/1941

A Night at Earl Carroll's

A Night at Earl Carroll's

Character:Barney Nelson

Release Date:06/12/1940

Swing, Sister, Swing

Swing, Sister, Swing

Character:Nap Sisler

Release Date:16/12/1938

You're a Sweetheart

You're a Sweetheart

Character:Don King

Release Date:26/12/1937

From Headquarters

From Headquarters

Character:Mac

Release Date:16/11/1933

A Preferred List

A Preferred List

Character:

Release Date:06/10/1933

Disgraced!

Disgraced!

Character:Jim McGuire

Release Date:07/07/1933

Crooner

Crooner

Character:Peter Sturgis

Release Date:20/08/1932

Ladies of the Jury

Ladies of the Jury

Character:Spencer B. Dazy

Release Date:02/02/1932

Leathernecking

Leathernecking

Character:Frank

Release Date:12/09/1930

Half Marriage

Half Marriage

Character:Charles Turner

Release Date:12/10/1929

Television Appearances

Images

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