Morris Ankrum
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Aug 28, 1896
- Died
- Sep 2, 1964 (aged 68)
- Place of birth
- Danville, Illinois, USA
- Credits
- 180
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
In a Lonely Place
1950Movie
Lloyd Barnes
Bonanza
1959TV
Mr. Mason
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1946Movie
Judge (uncredited)
Vera Cruz
1954Movie
Gen. Ramírez
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963Movie
Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
Invaders from Mars
1953Movie
Col. Fielding
Filmography
The Movie Orgy
1968Movie
Self (archive footage)
Guns of Diablo
1964Movie
Ray Macklin
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963Movie
Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
Tower of London
1962Movie
The Archbishop
Most Dangerous Man Alive
1961Movie
Capt. Davis
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
1961Movie
Gen. Lew Wallace
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960TV
Walter Harwood
Bonanza
1959TV
Mr. Mason
From the Earth to the Moon
1958Movie
President Ulysses S. Grant
Tarawa Beachhead
1958Movie
Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
Frontier Gun
1958Movie
Andrew Barton
The Rifleman
1958TV
Bronco
1958TV
Gilbert Groves
The Saga of Hemp Brown
1958Movie
Bo Slauter
Curse of the Faceless Man
1958Movie
Narrator (unconfirmed)
Twilight for the Gods
1958Movie
Sea Captain
Badman's Country
1958Movie
Mayor Coleman
How to Make a Monster
1958Movie
Police Capt. Hancock
Young and Wild
1958Movie
Police Capt. Egan
Sea Hunt
1958TV
Giant from the Unknown
1958Movie
Dr. Frederick Cleveland
The Power of the Resurrection
1958Movie
Annas
Maverick
1957TV
Joshua Haines
Perry Mason
1957TV
Judge, Judge Hoyt
M Squad
1957TV
Police Inspector Dean
Omar Khayyam
1957Movie
Sharain's Father
Beginning of the End
1957Movie
Gen. John Hanson
The Giant Claw
1957Movie
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
1957Movie
Dr. Carl Jordan
Kronos
1957Movie
Dr. Albert Stern
Hell's Crossroads
1957Movie
Wheeler
Zombies of Mora Tau
1957Movie
Dr. Jonathan Eggert
Drango
1957Movie
Henry Calder
Down Liberty Road
1957Movie
Fred Schroder
The Desperados Are in Town
1956Movie
Mr. Rutherford
Naked Gun
1956Movie
Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
On Trial
1956TV
Judge
Dr. Fu Manchu
1956TV
Professor Rutledge
Walk the Proud Land
1956Movie
Gen. Wade
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
1956Movie
Brig. Gen. John Hanley
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
1956Movie
Col. Harry Conover
When Gangland Strikes
1956Movie
Leo Fantzler
Fury at Gunsight Pass
1956Movie
Doc Phillips
No Man's Woman
1955Movie
Capt. Hostedder
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955TV
Henry
Tennessee's Partner
1955Movie
Judge Parker
Cheyenne
1955TV
John Clements
Duel on the Mississippi
1955Movie
Magistrate (uncredited)
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Merle
The Last Command
1955Movie
The Eternal Sea
1955Movie
Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
The Silver Star
1955Movie
Charlie Childress
Chief Crazy Horse
1955Movie
Red Cloud
Crashout
1955Movie
Head Guard
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
1955Movie
Azar the Shepherd
Vera Cruz
1954Movie
Gen. Ramírez
The Steel Cage
1954Movie
Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
Three Young Texans
1954Movie
Jeff Blair
Cattle Queen of Montana
1954Movie
J.I. 'Pop' Jones
Two Guns and a Badge
1954Movie
Sheriff Jackson
Apache
1954Movie
Dawson
The Outlaw Stallion
1954Movie
Sheriff
Silver Lode
1954Movie
Zachary Evans
Drums Across the River
1954Movie
Chief Ouray
Southwest Passage
1954Movie
Dr. Stanton
Taza, Son of Cochise
1954Movie
Grey Eagle
Flight Nurse
1953Movie
Interrogation Officer
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
1953TV
The Moonlighter
1953Movie
Alexander Prince
Mexican Manhunt
1953Movie
Tip Morgan
Sky Commando
1953Movie
Gen. W.R. Combs
Devil's Canyon
1953Movie
Ed
Arena
1953Movie
Bucky Hillberry
Invaders from Mars
1953Movie
Col. Fielding
I Beheld His Glory
1953Movie
Peter
Fort Vengeance
1953Movie
Chief Crowfoot
The Man Behind The Gun
1953Movie
Bram Creegan
Hiawatha
1952Movie
Iagoo
A Star Shall Rise
1952Movie
King Herod
Because of You
1952Movie
Dr. Travis
The Raiders
1952Movie
Thomas Ainsworth
Four Star Playhouse
1952TV
Warden, Mr. Mason, Mr. Raymond
Cowboy G-Men
1952TV
Son of Ali Baba
1952Movie
Ali Baba
Red Planet Mars
1952Movie
Secretary of Defense Sparks
Mutiny
1952Movie
Capt. Radford
Fort Osage
1952Movie
Arthur Pickett
My Favorite Spy
1951Movie
Gen. Frazer
Flight to Mars
1951Movie
Ikron
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Tomorrow Is Another Day
1951Movie
Hugh Wagner
Along the Great Divide
1951Movie
Ed Roden
Fighting Coast Guard
1951Movie
Navy Captain
The Lion Hunters
1951Movie
Tom Forbes
The Redhead and the Cowboy
1951Movie
Sheriff
Short Grass
1950Movie
Hal Fenton
Southside 1-1000
1950Movie
Eugene Deane
Rocketship X-M
1950Movie
Dr. Ralph Fleming
In a Lonely Place
1950Movie
Lloyd Barnes
The Damned Don't Cry
1950Movie
Jim Whitehead
Borderline
1950Movie
Bill Whittaker
Chain Lightning
1950Movie
Ed Bostwick
The Fountainhead
1949Movie
Prosecutor (uncredited)
Colorado Territory
1949Movie
United States Marshal
We Were Strangers
1949Movie
M. Seymour
Bad Men of Tombstone
1949Movie
Mr. Jones
Joan of Arc
1948Movie
Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
Studio One
1948TV
Considine
For the Love of Mary
1948Movie
Adm. Walton
The Fabulous Fraud
1948Movie
Blind Girl's Father
Fighting Back
1948Movie
Robert J. Higby
Souvenirs of Death
1948Movie
Gangster (uncredited)
High Wall
1947Movie
Dr. Stanley Griffin
Good News
1947Movie
Dean Griswold
Desire Me
1947Movie
Hector Martin
Merton of the Movies
1947Movie
Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
Cynthia
1947Movie
Mr. Phillips, Principal
Song of the Thin Man
1947Movie
Inspector (uncredited)
The Sea of Grass
1947Movie
A.J. Crane
Little Mister Jim
1947Movie
Col. W.I. Starwell
The Mighty McGurk
1947Movie
Fowles
Lady in the Lake
1946Movie
Eugene Grayson
Courage of Lassie
1946Movie
Farmer Crews
The Cockeyed Miracle
1946Movie
Dr. Wilson
The Green Years
1946Movie
Dr. Galbraith
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1946Movie
Judge (uncredited)
The Harvey Girls
1946Movie
Reverend Claggett
Adventure
1945Movie
Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
Purity Squad
1945Movie
Dr. Adams (uncredited)
The Hidden Eye
1945Movie
Ferris (henchman)
Phantoms, Inc.
1945Movie
Narrator (voice)
Fall Guy
1945Movie
District Attorney (uncredited)
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944Movie
Willoughby Peavy
Dark Shadows
1944Movie
Lt. Pat McKay
Gentle Annie
1944Movie
Deputy Gansby
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
1944Movie
Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
Return from Nowhere
1944Movie
Doctor (uncredited)
Barbary Coast Gent
1944Movie
Alec Veeder
Marriage Is a Private Affair
1944Movie
Ed Scofield
Meet the People
1944Movie
Monte Rowland
Main Street Today
1944Movie
Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
Rationing
1944Movie
Morgan
The Heavenly Body
1944Movie
Dr. Green
The Cross of Lorraine
1943Movie
Col. Demas (uncredited)
Swing Fever
1943Movie
Dan Conlon
Best Foot Forward
1943Movie
Col. Harkrider
Let's Face It
1943Movie
Man in Sun Shell Cafe
Dixie Dugan
1943Movie
Editor
Reunion in France
1942Movie
Martin
Time to Kill
1942Movie
Alexander Morny
Tennessee Johnson
1942Movie
Jefferson Davis
The Omaha Trail
1942Movie
Henchman Job
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
1942Movie
Mr. Graham
Tales of Manhattan
1942Movie
Judge
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942Movie
Wood
Roxie Hart
1942Movie
Martin S. Harrison
Road Agent
1941Movie
Big John Morgan
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1941Movie
Ace Anderson
I Wake Up Screaming
1941Movie
Assistant District Attorney
The Bandit Trail
1941Movie
Red Haggerty
This Woman Is Mine
1941Movie
Roussel
Wide Open Town
1941Movie
Jim Stuart
Pirates on Horseback
1941Movie
Ace Gibson
Border Vigilantes
1941Movie
Dan Forbes
The Roundup
1941Movie
'Parenthesis'
In Old Colorado
1941Movie
Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
Doomed Caravan
1941Movie
Stephen Westcott
Three Men from Texas
1940Movie
Bruce Morgan
Cherokee Strip
1940Movie
Hawk Barrett
Buck Benny Rides Again
1940Movie
Second Outlaw
The Light of Western Stars
1940Movie
Nat Hayworth
The Showdown
1940Movie
Baron Rendor
Knights of the Range
1940Movie
Gamecock
Rustlers' Valley
1937Movie
Glen Randall
North of the Rio Grande
1937Movie
Henry Stoneham
Hills of Old Wyoming
1937Movie
Andrews
Borderland
1937Movie
Loco
Trail Dust
1936Movie
Tex Anderson
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
1936Movie
Blackie Felton
Stand Up and Cheer!
1934Movie
Washington Press Correspondent