Morris Ankrum
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.
Known For
Credits
- 1968 · The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)
- 1964 · Guns of Diablo as Ray Macklin
- 1963 · X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
- 1962 · Tower of London as The Archbishop
- 1961 · Most Dangerous Man Alive as Capt. Davis
- 1961 · The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come as Gen. Lew Wallace
- 1960 · The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Walter Harwood
- 1958 · Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman as Dr. Carl Jordan
- 1958 · From the Earth to the Moon as President Ulysses S. Grant
- 1958 · Tarawa Beachhead as Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
- 1958 · Frontier Gun as Andrew Barton
- 1958 · The Saga of Hemp Brown as Bo Slauter
- 1958 · The Rifleman as
- 1958 · Curse of the Faceless Man as Narrator (unconfirmed)
- 1958 · Twilight for the Gods as Sea Captain
- 1958 · Badman's Country as Mayor Coleman
- 1958 · How to Make a Monster as Police Capt. Hancock
- 1958 · Young and Wild as Police Capt. Egan
- 1958 · Sea Hunt as
- 1958 · Giant from the Unknown as Dr. Frederick Cleveland
- 1958 · The Power of the Resurrection as Annas
- 1957 · Maverick as Joshua Haines
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Judge
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Judge Hoyt
- 1957 · M Squad as Police Inspector Dean
- 1957 · Omar Khayyam as Sharain's Father
- 1957 · Beginning of the End as Gen. John Hanson
- 1957 · The Giant Claw as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
- 1957 · Kronos as Dr. Albert Stern
- 1957 · Hell's Crossroads as Wheeler
- 1957 · Zombies of Mora Tau as Dr. Jonathan Eggert
- 1957 · Drango as Henry Calder
- 1956 · Naked Gun as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
- 1956 · The Desperados Are in Town as Mr. Rutherford
- 1956 · Walk the Proud Land as Gen. Wade
- 1956 · Earth vs. the Flying Saucers as Brig. Gen. John Hanley
- 1956 · Quincannon, Frontier Scout as Col. Harry Conover
- 1956 · When Gangland Strikes as Leo Fantzler
- 1956 · Fury at Gunsight Pass as Doc Phillips
- 1955 · No Man's Woman as Capt. Hostedder
- 1955 · Tennessee's Partner as Judge Parker
- 1955 · Duel on the Mississippi as Magistrate (uncredited)
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Merle
- 1955 · The Last Command as
- 1955 · The Eternal Sea as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
- 1955 · The Silver Star as Charlie Childress
- 1955 · Chief Crazy Horse as Red Cloud
- 1955 · Crashout as Head Guard
- 1955 · The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story as Azar the Shepherd
- 1954 · Vera Cruz as Gen. Ramírez
- 1954 · The Steel Cage as Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
- 1954 · Three Young Texans as Jeff Blair
- 1954 · Cattle Queen of Montana as J.I. 'Pop' Jones
- 1954 · Two Guns and a Badge as Sheriff Jackson
- 1954 · Silver Lode as Zachary Evans
- 1954 · Apache as Dawson
- 1954 · The Outlaw Stallion as Sheriff
- 1954 · Drums Across the River as Chief Ouray
- 1954 · Southwest Passage as Dr. Stanton
- 1954 · Taza, Son of Cochise as Grey Eagle
- 1953 · Flight Nurse as Interrogation Officer
- 1953 · The Moonlighter as Alexander Prince
- 1953 · Mexican Manhunt as Tip Morgan
- 1953 · Sky Commando as Gen. W.R. Combs
- 1953 · Devil's Canyon as Ed
- 1953 · Arena as Bucky Hillberry
- 1953 · Invaders from Mars as Col. Fielding
- 1953 · I Beheld His Glory as Peter
- 1953 · Fort Vengeance as Chief Crowfoot
- 1953 · The Man Behind The Gun as Bram Creegan
- 1952 · Hiawatha as Iagoo
- 1952 · A Star Shall Rise as King Herod
- 1952 · Because of You as Dr. Travis
- 1952 · The Raiders as Thomas Ainsworth
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Warden
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Mr. Raymond
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Mr. Mason
- 1952 · Cowboy G-Men as
- 1952 · Son of Ali Baba as Ali Baba
- 1952 · Red Planet Mars as Secretary of Defense Sparks
- 1952 · Mutiny as Capt. Radford
- 1952 · Fort Osage as Arthur Pickett
- 1951 · My Favorite Spy as Gen. Frazer
- 1951 · Flight To Mars as Ikron
- 1951 · Tomorrow Is Another Day as Hugh Wagner
- 1951 · Along the Great Divide as Ed Roden
- 1951 · Fighting Coast Guard as Navy Captain
- 1951 · The Lion Hunters as Tom Forbes
- 1951 · The Redhead and The Cowboy as Sheriff
- 1950 · Short Grass as Hal Fenton
- 1950 · Southside 1-1000 as Eugene Deane
- 1950 · Rocketship X-M as Dr. Ralph Fleming
- 1950 · In a Lonely Place as Lloyd Barnes
- 1950 · The Damned Don't Cry as Jim Whitehead
- 1950 · Borderline as Bill Whittaker
- 1950 · Chain Lightning as Ed Bostwick
- 1949 · The Fountainhead as Prosecutor (uncredited)
- 1949 · Colorado Territory as United States Marshal
- 1949 · We Were Strangers as M. Seymour
- 1949 · Bad Men of Tombstone as Mr. Jones
- 1948 · Joan of Arc as Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
- 1948 · For the Love of Mary as Adm. Walton
- 1948 · The Fabulous Fraud as Blind Girl's Father
- 1948 · Fighting Back as Robert J. Higby
- 1948 · Souvenirs of Death as Gangster (uncredited)
- 1947 · High Wall as Dr. Stanley Griffin
- 1947 · Good News as Dean Griswold
- 1947 · Desire Me as Hector Martin
- 1947 · Merton of the Movies as Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
- 1947 · Cynthia as Mr. Phillips, Principal
- 1947 · Song of the Thin Man as Inspector (uncredited)
- 1947 · The Sea of Grass as A.J. Crane
- 1947 · Little Mister Jim as Col. W.I. Starwell
- 1947 · The Mighty McGurk as Fowles
- 1946 · Lady in the Lake as Eugene Grayson
- 1946 · Courage of Lassie as Farmer Crews
- 1946 · The Cockeyed Miracle as Dr. Wilson
- 1946 · The Postman Always Rings Twice as Judge (uncredited)
- 1946 · The Harvey Girls as Rev. Claggett
- 1945 · Adventure as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
- 1945 · Purity Squad as Dr. Adams (uncredited)
- 1945 · The Hidden Eye as Ferris (henchman)
- 1945 · Phantoms, Inc. as Narrator (voice)
- 1945 · Fall Guy as District Attorney (uncredited)
- 1944 · The Thin Man Goes Home as Willoughby Peavy
- 1944 · Dark Shadows as Lt. Pat McKay
- 1944 · Gentle Annie as Deputy Gansby
- 1944 · Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo as Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
- 1944 · Return from Nowhere as Doctor (uncredited)
- 1944 · Barbary Coast Gent as Alec Veeder
- 1944 · Marriage Is a Private Affair as Ed Scofield
- 1944 · Meet the People as Monte Rowland
- 1944 · Main Street Today as Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
- 1944 · Rationing as Morgan
- 1944 · The Heavenly Body as Dr. Green
- 1943 · Swing Fever as Dan Conlon
- 1943 · Best Foot Forward as Col. Harkrider
- 1943 · Dixie Dugan as Editor
- 1942 · Reunion in France as Martin
- 1942 · Time to Kill as Alexander Morny
- 1942 · Tennessee Johnson as Jefferson Davis
- 1942 · The Omaha Trail as Henchman Job
- 1942 · The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe as Mr. Graham
- 1942 · Tales of Manhattan as Judge
- 1942 · Tales of Manhattan as Judge Tom Barnes (Robinson sequence)
- 1942 · Ten Gentlemen from West Point as Wood
- 1942 · Roxie Hart as Martin S. Harrison
- 1942 · Ride 'Em Cowboy as Ace Anderson
- 1941 · Road Agent as Big John Morgan
- 1941 · I Wake Up Screaming as Assistant District Attorney
- 1941 · The Bandit Trail as Red Haggerty
- 1941 · This Woman Is Mine as Roussel
- 1941 · Wide Open Town as Jim Stuart
- 1941 · Pirates on Horseback as Ace Gibson
- 1941 · Border Vigilantes as Dan Forbes
- 1941 · The Roundup as 'Parenthesis'
- 1941 · In Old Colorado as Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
- 1941 · Doomed Caravan as Stephen Westcott
- 1940 · Three Men from Texas as Bruce Morgan
- 1940 · Cherokee Strip as Hawk Barrett
- 1940 · Buck Benny Rides Again as Second Outlaw
- 1940 · Light of Western Stars as Nat Hayworth
- 1940 · The Showdown as Baron Rendor
- 1940 · Knights of the Range as Gamecock
- 1937 · Rustlers' Valley as Glen Randall
- 1937 · North of the Rio Grande as Henry Stoneham
- 1937 · Hills of Old Wyoming as Andrews
- 1937 · Borderland as Loco
- 1936 · Trail Dust as Tex Anderson
- 1936 · Hopalong Cassidy Returns as Blackie Felton
- 1934 · Stand Up and Cheer! as Washington Press Correspondent