Morris Ankrum

Birthday: 1896-08-28
Deathday: 1964-09-02
Birthplace: Danville, Illinois, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1964-10-04 Guns of Diablo Ray Macklin
1963-07-13 X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
1962-10-24 Tower of London The Archbishop
1961-07-04 Most Dangerous Man Alive Capt. Davis
1961-06-01 The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come Gen. Lew Wallace
1958-12-01 Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman Dr. Carl Jordan
1958-11-26 From the Earth to the Moon President Ulysses S. Grant
1958-11-02 Tarawa Beachhead Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
1958-10-31 Frontier Gun Andrew Barton
1958-10-01 The Saga of Hemp Brown Bo Slauter
1958-08-04 Twilight for the Gods Sea Captain
1958-08-02 Badman's Country Mayor Coleman
1958-07-01 How to Make a Monster Police Capt. Hancock
1958-04-24 Young and Wild Police Capt. Egan
1958-01-03 Giant from the Unknown Dr. Frederick Cleveland
1958-01-01 The Power of the Resurrection Annas
1957-08-23 Omar Khayyam Sharain's Father
1957-06-28 Beginning of the End Gen. John Hanson
1957-06-01 The Giant Claw Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
1957-03-31 Kronos Dr. Albert Stern
1957-03-08 Hell's Crossroads Wheeler
1957-03-01 Zombies of Mora Tau Dr. Jonathan Eggert
1957-01-01 Drango Henry Calder
1956-11-01 The Desperados Are in Town Mr. Rutherford
1956-11-01 Naked Gun Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
1956-09-01 Walk the Proud Land Gen. Wade
1956-07-04 Earth vs. the Flying Saucers Brig. Gen. John Hanley
1956-05-01 Quincannon, Frontier Scout Col. Harry Conover
1956-03-15 When Gangland Strikes Leo Fantzler
1956-02-15 Fury at Gunsight Pass Doc Phillips
1955-10-27 No Man's Woman Capt. Hostedder
1955-09-21 Tennessee's Partner Judge Parker
1955-09-16 Duel on the Mississippi Magistrate (uncredited)
1955-08-03 The Last Command
1955-04-19 The Eternal Sea Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
1955-04-07 The Silver Star Charlie Childress
1955-04-01 Chief Crazy Horse Red Cloud
1955-03-01 Crashout Head Guard
1955-01-01 The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story Azar the Shepherd
1954-12-25 Vera Cruz Gen. Ramírez
1954-12-01 The Steel Cage Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
1954-11-25 Three Young Texans Jeff Blair
1954-11-18 Cattle Queen of Montana J.I. 'Pop' Jones
1954-09-11 Two Guns and a Badge Sheriff Jackson
1954-07-23 Silver Lode Zachary Evans
1954-07-09 Apache Dawson
1954-07-03 The Outlaw Stallion Sheriff
1954-06-01 Drums Across the River Chief Ouray
1954-04-01 Southwest Passage Dr. Stanton
1954-02-18 Taza, Son of Cochise Grey Eagle
1953-11-15 Flight Nurse Interrogation Officer
1953-09-19 The Moonlighter Alexander Prince
1953-09-13 Mexican Manhunt Tip Morgan
1953-08-21 Sky Commando Gen. W.R. Combs
1953-08-13 Devil's Canyon Ed
1953-06-24 Arena Bucky Hillberry
1953-04-22 Invaders from Mars Col. Fielding
1953-03-31 I Beheld His Glory Peter
1953-03-28 Fort Vengeance Chief Crowfoot
1953-01-31 The Man Behind The Gun Bram Creegan
1952-12-28 Hiawatha Iagoo
1952-12-25 A Star Shall Rise King Herod
1952-12-04 Because of You Dr. Travis
1952-11-20 The Raiders Thomas Ainsworth
1952-08-15 Son of Ali Baba Ali Baba
1952-05-15 Red Planet Mars Secretary of Defense Sparks
1952-03-05 Mutiny Capt. Radford
1952-02-10 Fort Osage Arthur Pickett
1951-12-25 My Favorite Spy Gen. Frazer
1951-11-11 Flight to Mars Ikron
1951-08-08 Tomorrow Is Another Day Hugh Wagner
1951-06-02 Along the Great Divide Ed Roden
1951-05-31 Fighting Coast Guard Navy Captain
1951-03-25 The Lion Hunters Tom Forbes
1951-03-15 The Redhead and The Cowboy Sheriff
1950-12-24 Short Grass Hal Fenton
1950-11-16 Southside 1-1000 Eugene Deane
1950-06-02 Rocketship X-M Dr. Ralph Fleming
1950-05-17 In a Lonely Place Lloyd Barnes
1950-05-13 The Damned Don't Cry Jim Whitehead
1950-03-01 Borderline Bill Whittaker
1950-02-18 Chain Lightning Ed Bostwick
1949-06-25 The Fountainhead Prosecutor (uncredited)
1949-06-11 Colorado Territory United States Marshal
1949-04-27 We Were Strangers M. Seymour
1949-01-21 Bad Men of Tombstone Mr. Jones
1948-12-22 Joan of Arc Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
1948-09-01 For the Love of Mary Adm. Walton
1948-08-28 The Fabulous Fraud Blind Girl's Father
1948-07-30 Fighting Back Robert J. Higby
1948-06-19 Souvenirs of Death Gangster (uncredited)
1947-12-17 High Wall Dr. Stanley Griffin
1947-12-04 Good News Dean Griswold
1947-10-31 Desire Me Hector Martin
1947-10-11 Merton of the Movies Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
1947-08-29 Cynthia Mr. Phillips, Principal
1947-08-28 Song of the Thin Man Inspector (uncredited)
1947-04-25 The Sea of Grass A.J. Crane
1947-04-01 Little Mister Jim Col. W.I. Starwell
1947-01-02 The Mighty McGurk Fowles
1946-12-19 Lady in the Lake Eugene Grayson
1946-11-08 Courage of Lassie Farmer Crews
1946-10-26 The Cockeyed Miracle Dr. Wilson
1946-05-02 The Postman Always Rings Twice Judge (uncredited)
1946-01-18 The Harvey Girls Rev. Claggett
1945-12-28 Adventure Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
1945-11-03 Purity Squad Dr. Adams (uncredited)
1945-08-31 The Hidden Eye Ferris (henchman)
1945-04-14 Fall Guy District Attorney (uncredited)
1944-12-24 The Thin Man Goes Home Willoughby Peavy
1944-12-16 Dark Shadows Lt. Pat McKay
1944-12-05 Gentle Annie Deputy Gansby
1944-11-15 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
1944-10-28 Return from Nowhere Doctor (uncredited)
1944-09-01 Barbary Coast Gent Alec Veeder
1944-08-23 Marriage Is a Private Affair Ed Scofield
1944-06-01 Meet the People Monte Rowland
1944-03-25 Main Street Today Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
1944-03-24 Rationing Morgan
1944-03-23 The Heavenly Body Dr. Green
1943-11-01 Swing Fever Dan Conlon
1943-10-08 Best Foot Forward Col. Harkrider
1943-03-12 Dixie Dugan Editor
1942-12-25 Reunion in France Martin
1942-12-24 Time to Kill Alexander Morny
1942-12-01 Tennessee Johnson Jefferson Davis
1942-09-01 The Omaha Trail Henchman Job
1942-08-28 The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe Mr. Graham
1942-08-05 Tales of Manhattan Judge
1942-08-05 Tales of Manhattan Judge Tom Barnes (Robinson sequence)
1942-06-26 Ten Gentlemen from West Point Wood
1942-02-20 Roxie Hart Martin S. Harrison
1942-02-13 Ride 'Em Cowboy Ace Anderson
1941-12-19 Road Agent Big John Morgan
1941-10-31 I Wake Up Screaming Assistant District Attorney
1941-10-10 The Bandit Trail Red Haggerty
1941-08-22 This Woman Is Mine Roussel
1941-08-08 Wide Open Town Jim Stuart
1941-05-23 Pirates on Horseback Ace Gibson
1941-04-18 Border Vigilantes Dan Forbes
1941-04-03 The Roundup 'Parenthesis'
1941-03-14 In Old Colorado Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
1941-01-10 Doomed Caravan Stephen Westcott
1940-11-15 Three Men from Texas Bruce Morgan
1940-10-10 Cherokee Strip Hawk Barrett
1940-05-31 Buck Benny Rides Again Second Outlaw
1940-04-17 Light of Western Stars Nat Hayworth
1940-03-08 The Showdown Baron Rendor
1940-02-23 Knights of the Range Gamecock
1937-07-23 Rustlers' Valley Glen Randall
1937-06-28 North of the Rio Grande Henry Stoneham
1937-04-16 Hills of Old Wyoming Andrews
1937-02-26 Borderland Loco
1936-12-11 Trail Dust Tex Anderson
1936-10-16 Hopalong Cassidy Returns Blackie Felton
1934-05-04 Stand Up and Cheer! Washington Press Correspondent