George Murphy
George Murphy was an American dancer and stage, screen, and television actor, as well as a United States Senator. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In movies, Murphy was known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938, Broadway Melody of 1940 and For Me and My Gal. He made his movie debut shortly after talking pictures had replaced silent movies in 1930, and his career continued until he retired as an actor in 1952, at the age of 50. During World War II, he organized entertainment for American troops. In 1951, he was awarded an honorary Academy Award. He was never nominated for an Oscar in any competitive category. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946. He was also a vice president of Desilu Productions and of the Technicolor Corporation. He was director of entertainment for presidential inaugurations in 1953, 1957 and 1961.
Known For
Credits
- 2003 · Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine as
- 1997 · Frank Capra's American Dream as Self (archive footage)
- 1994 · That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- 1985 · That's Dancing! as From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
- 1974 · That's Entertainment! as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as
- 1957 · The Thin Man as
- 1955 · MGM Parade as Host
- 1955 · 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration as
- 1952 · The Hoaxters as Narrator (voice)
- 1952 · Walk East on Beacon as Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
- 1952 · Talk About a Stranger as Robert Fontaine Sr.
- 1951 · It's a Big Country as Mr. Patrick Callaghan
- 1951 · No Questions Asked as Police Insp. Matt Duggan
- 1949 · Battleground as 'Pop' Stazak
- 1949 · Border Incident as Jack Bearnes
- 1948 · Big City as Patrick O'Donnell
- 1948 · Tenth Avenue Angel as Steve Abbutt
- 1947 · Cynthia as Larry Bishop
- 1947 · The Arnelo Affair as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
- 1946 · Up Goes Maisie as Joseph Morton
- 1945 · Having Wonderful Crime as Jake Justus
- 1944 · Step Lively as Gordon Miller
- 1944 · Show Business as George Doane
- 1944 · Broadway Rhythm as Johnny Demming
- 1944 · Twenty Years After as (archive footage)
- 1943 · This Is the Army as Jerry Jones
- 1943 · Bataan as Lt. Steve Bentley
- 1943 · Show-Business at War as Self
- 1943 · The Powers Girl as Jerry Hendricks
- 1942 · The Navy Comes Through as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
- 1942 · For Me and My Gal as Jimmy K. Metcalf
- 1942 · The Mayor of 44th Street as Joe Jonathan
- 1941 · Rise and Shine as Jimmy McGonagle
- 1941 · They Died with Their Boots On as Cavalryman (uncredited)
- 1941 · Ringside Maisie as Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
- 1941 · Tom, Dick and Harry as Tom
- 1941 · A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob as Claudius "Coffee Cup" Cup
- 1940 · Little Nellie Kelly as Jerry Kelly
- 1940 · A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- 1940 · Public Deb No. 1 as Alan Blake
- 1940 · Two Girls on Broadway as Eddie Kerns
- 1940 · Broadway Melody of 1940 as King Shaw
- 1939 · Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga as Himself (uncredited)
- 1939 · Hollywood Hobbies as Self (uncredited)
- 1939 · Risky Business as Dan Clifford
- 1938 · Hold That Co-ed as Rusty Stevens
- 1938 · Letter of Introduction as Barry Paige
- 1938 · Little Miss Broadway as Roger Wendling
- 1937 · You're a Sweetheart as Hal Adams
- 1937 · The Women Men Marry as Bill Raeburn
- 1937 · Broadway Melody of 1938 as Sonny Ledford
- 1937 · London by Night as Michael Denis
- 1937 · Top of the Town as Ted Lane
- 1936 · Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) as Self
- 1936 · Violets in Spring as Charlie Hall
- 1936 · Woman Trap as Keat Shevlin
- 1935 · The Public Menace as Edward Joseph "Red" Foster
- 1935 · After the Dance as Jerry Davis
- 1935 · I'll Love You Always as Carl Brent
- 1934 · Jealousy as Larry O'Roarke
- 1934 · Kid Millions as Jerry Lane