Ray Bolger began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. He, like Gene Kelly, was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor. He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). This was soon followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie (1937). His first dancing and singing role was in Sweethearts (1938), where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald. This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, that of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO to make Four Jacks and a Jill (1942). After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953 he turned to television and got his own sitcom, Where's Raymond? (1953), later changed to "The Ray Bolger Show". After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985 he co-hosted That's Dancing! (1985) with Liza Minnelli. Bolger died in 1987 at the age of 83. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the Mausoleum, Crypt F2, Block 35.
Ray Bolger began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. He, like Gene Kelly, was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor. He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). This was soon followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie (1937). His first dancing and singing role was in Sweethearts (1938), where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald. This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, that of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO to make Four Jacks and a Jill (1942). After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953 he turned to television and got his own sitcom, Where's Raymond? (1953), later changed to "The Ray Bolger Show". After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985 he co-hosted That's Dancing! (1985) with Liza Minnelli. Bolger died in 1987 at the age of 83. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the Mausoleum, Crypt F2, Block 35.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0001961
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q240886
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Filmography (Movies)
To Oz! The Making of a Classic
Character:Self
Release Date:23/09/2009
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/2009
Judy Garland: By Myself
Character:Self - Actor (archive sound)
Release Date:25/02/2004
The Dark Side of the Rainbow
Character:'Hunk' (archive footage)
Release Date:01/07/2000
That's Entertainment! III
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/07/1994
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:20/02/1990
That's Dancing!
Character:Self - Host
Release Date:18/01/1985
The Whimsical World of Oz
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1985
Peter and the Magic Egg
Character:Uncle Amos (voice)
Release Date:01/02/1983
Annie
Character:Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
Release Date:21/05/1982
The Runner Stumbles
Character:Monsignor Nicholson
Release Date:16/11/1979
Just You and Me, Kid
Character:Tom
Release Date:13/07/1979
The Making of the Wizard of Oz
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1979
Heaven Only Knows
Character:Simon
Release Date:01/01/1979
Three on a Date
Character:Andrew
Release Date:17/02/1978
The Entertainer
Character:Billy Rice
Release Date:10/03/1976
That's Entertainment!
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:21/06/1974
The Daydreamer
Character:The Pieman
Release Date:01/06/1966
Backstage Party
Character:Self
Release Date:17/12/1961
Babes in Toyland
Character:Barnaby
Release Date:14/12/1961
The All-Star Christmas Show
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/1958
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/1954
April in Paris
Character:Sam Winthrop Putnam
Release Date:24/12/1952
Where's Charley?
Character:Charley Wykeham
Release Date:20/05/1952
Make Mine Laughs
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:03/08/1949
Look for the Silver Lining
Character:Jack Donahue
Release Date:30/07/1949
The Harvey Girls
Character:Chris Maule
Release Date:18/01/1946
Stage Door Canteen
Character:Ray Bolger
Release Date:24/06/1943
Four Jacks and a Jill
Character:Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
Release Date:23/01/1942
Sunny
Character:Bunny Billings
Release Date:30/05/1941
The Wizard of Oz
Character:"Hunk" / Scarecrow
Release Date:15/08/1939
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
Character:Self (uncredited)
Release Date:31/12/1938
Sweethearts
Character:Hans
Release Date:30/12/1938
Rosalie
Character:Bill Delroy
Release Date:24/12/1937
The Great Ziegfeld
Character:Ray Bolger
Release Date:08/04/1936
Television Appearances
Diff'rent Strokes
Character:
Battlestar Galactica
Character:Vector
Fantasy Island
Character:Spencer Randolph
The Love Boat
Character:Horace McDonald
The Love Boat
Character:Andy Hopkins
Captains and the Kings
Character:R.J. Squibbs
Donny & Marie
Character:Self
Baretta
Character:
Little House on the Prairie
Character:Toby Noe
The Partridge Family
Character:Grandpa Fred Renfrew
The Partridge Family
Character:Grandpa Walter Renfrew
Nanny and the Professor
Character:Uncle Horace
Omnibus
Character:Self
The Hollywood Palace
Character:Self - Host
The Judy Garland Show
Character:Self
The Merv Griffin Show
Character:Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self - Co-Host
The Bell Telephone Hour
Character:Self
The Bell Telephone Hour
Character:Self - Host
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Character:Self
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
MGM Parade
Character:
The Wonderful World of Disney
Character:Self
The George Gobel Show
Character:Self
Where's Raymond?
Character:Raymond Wallace
General Electric Theater
Character:Alfred Boggs
General Electric Theater
Character:Stan Maylor
The Red Skelton Show
Character:'Mayor' Threadbare III
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character:Self - Host
The Bob Hope Show
Character:Self
What's My Line?
Character:Self - Mystery Guest
Images
