Ray Bolger
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2009 · To Oz! The Making of a Classic as Self
- 2009 · Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression as Self (archive)
- 2004 · Judy Garland: By Myself as Self - Actor (archive sound)
- 2000 · The Dark Side of the Rainbow as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
- 1995 · The Dark Side of Oz as Hunk / Scarecrow (archive footage)
- 1994 · That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- 1990 · The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic as Self (archive footage)
- 1985 · That's Dancing! as Self - Host
- 1985 · The Whimsical World of Oz as Self
- 1983 · Peter and the Magic Egg as Uncle Amos (voice)
- 1982 · Annie as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
- 1979 · The Runner Stumbles as Monsignor Nicholson
- 1979 · Just You and Me, Kid as Tom
- 1979 · The Making of the Wizard of Oz as Self
- 1978 · Diff'rent Strokes as
- 1978 · Battlestar Galactica as Vector
- 1978 · Three on a Date as Andrew
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Horace McDonald
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Andy Hopkins
- 1976 · Captains and the Kings as R.J. Squibbs
- 1976 · The Entertainer as Billy Rice
- 1976 · Donny & Marie as Self
- 1975 · Baretta as
- 1974 · Little House on the Prairie as
- 1974 · That's Entertainment! as (archive footage)
- 1970 · Nanny and the Professor as
- 1967 · Omnibus as Self (archive footage)
- 1966 · The Daydreamer as The Pieman
- 1964 · The Hollywood Palace as Self - Host
- 1963 · The Judy Garland Show as Self
- 1961 · Back Stage Party as Self
- 1961 · Babes in Toyland as Barnaby
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1959 · The Bell Telephone Hour as Self
- 1959 · The Bell Telephone Hour as Self - Host
- 1956 · The Dinah Shore Chevy Show as Self
- 1954 · The George Gobel Show as Self
- 1954 · A Star Is Born World Premiere as Self
- 1953 · Where's Raymond? as Raymond Wallace
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Alfred Boggs
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Stan Maylor
- 1952 · April in Paris as Sam Winthrop Putnam
- 1952 · Where's Charley? as Charley Wykeham
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1949 · Make Mine Laughs as (archive footage)
- 1949 · Look for the Silver Lining as Jack Donahue
- 1946 · The Harvey Girls as Chris Maule
- 1943 · Stage Door Canteen as Ray Bolger
- 1942 · Four Jacks and a Jill as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
- 1941 · Sunny as Bunny Billings
- 1939 · The Wizard of Oz as Hunk / Scarecrow
- 1938 · Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power as Self (uncredited)
- 1938 · Sweethearts as Hans
- 1937 · Rosalie as Bill Delroy
- 1936 · The Great Ziegfeld as Ray Bolger