Morris Ankrum

Morris Ankrum

Date of Birth:

Aug 28, 1896

Place of Birth:

Danville, Illinois, USA

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.

filmography:

Short Grass Short Grass

1950

Tales of Manhattan Tales of Manhattan

1942

I Beheld His Glory I Beheld His Glory

1953

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

1942

Vera Cruz Vera Cruz

1954

Buck Benny Rides Again Buck Benny Rides Again

1940

Phantoms, Inc. Phantoms, Inc.

1945

Knights of the Range Knights of the Range

1940

The Power of the Resurrection The Power of the Resurrection

1958

Fort Osage Fort Osage

1952

Arena Arena

1953

The Silver Star The Silver Star

1955

Cattle Queen of Montana Cattle Queen of Montana

1954

Ten Gentlemen from West Point Ten Gentlemen from West Point

1942

Bad Men of Tombstone Bad Men of Tombstone

1949

This Woman Is Mine This Woman Is Mine

1941

Border Vigilantes Border Vigilantes

1941

The Roundup The Roundup

1941

Light of Western Stars Light of Western Stars

1940

Tower of London Tower of London

1962

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

1963

Best Foot Forward Best Foot Forward

1943

Purity Squad Purity Squad

1945

Flight Nurse Flight Nurse

1953

Ride 'Em Cowboy Ride 'Em Cowboy

1942

The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story

1955

Gentle Annie Gentle Annie

1944

Dixie Dugan Dixie Dugan

1943

Drango Drango

1957

Meet the People Meet the People

1944

Curse of the Faceless Man Curse of the Faceless Man

1958

Mexican Manhunt Mexican Manhunt

1953

Cherokee Strip Cherokee Strip

1940

The Bandit Trail The Bandit Trail

1941

The Omaha Trail The Omaha Trail

1942

Merton of the Movies Merton of the Movies

1947

The Moonlighter The Moonlighter

1953

Along the Great Divide Along the Great Divide

1951

The Outlaw Stallion The Outlaw Stallion

1954

Two Guns and a Badge Two Guns and a Badge

1954

Road Agent Road Agent

1941

The Movie Orgy The Movie Orgy

1968

The Last Command The Last Command

1955

The Sea of Grass The Sea of Grass

1947

The Harvey Girls The Harvey Girls

1946

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc

1948

Tennessee Johnson Tennessee Johnson

1942

Tales of Manhattan Tales of Manhattan

1942

Twilight for the Gods Twilight for the Gods

1958

Hiawatha Hiawatha

1952

Duel on the Mississippi Duel on the Mississippi

1955

The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

1961

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

1944

Young and Wild Young and Wild

1958

Fall Guy Fall Guy

1945

Because of You Because of You

1952

The Raiders The Raiders

1952

Dark Shadows Dark Shadows

1944

Tarawa Beachhead Tarawa Beachhead

1958

Red Planet Mars Red Planet Mars

1952

Frontier Gun Frontier Gun

1958

Little Mister Jim Little Mister Jim

1947

The Mighty McGurk The Mighty McGurk

1947

The Saga of Hemp Brown The Saga of Hemp Brown

1958

Badman's Country Badman's Country

1958

The Desperados Are in Town The Desperados Are in Town

1956

Three Young Texans Three Young Texans

1954

Naked Gun Naked Gun

1956

Marriage Is a Private Affair Marriage Is a Private Affair

1944

Fighting Coast Guard Fighting Coast Guard

1951

The Fountainhead The Fountainhead

1949

Walk the Proud Land Walk the Proud Land

1956

Reunion in France Reunion in France

1942

Souvenirs of Death Souvenirs of Death

1948

Main Street Today Main Street Today

1944

Return from Nowhere Return from Nowhere

1944

Song of the Thin Man Song of the Thin Man

1947

Chief Crazy Horse Chief Crazy Horse

1955

Fighting Back Fighting Back

1948

A Star Shall Rise A Star Shall Rise

1952

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

1956

We Were Strangers We Were Strangers

1949

When Gangland Strikes When Gangland Strikes

1956

Beginning of the End Beginning of the End

1957

Southside 1-1000 Southside 1-1000

1950

Most Dangerous Man Alive Most Dangerous Man Alive

1961

Borderline Borderline

1950

In a Lonely Place In a Lonely Place

1950

Time to Kill Time to Kill

1942

Pirates on Horseback Pirates on Horseback

1941

Hopalong Cassidy Returns Hopalong Cassidy Returns

1936

North of the Rio Grande North of the Rio Grande

1937

Borderland Borderland

1937

Doomed Caravan Doomed Caravan

1941

Wide Open Town Wide Open Town

1941

The Showdown The Showdown

1940

Three Men from Texas Three Men from Texas

1940

In Old Colorado In Old Colorado

1941

From the Earth to the Moon From the Earth to the Moon

1958

Zombies of Mora Tau Zombies of Mora Tau

1957

Silver Lode Silver Lode

1954

Crashout Crashout

1955

Colorado Territory Colorado Territory

1949

High Wall High Wall

1947

The Heavenly Body The Heavenly Body

1944

Invaders from Mars Invaders from Mars

1953

I Wake Up Screaming I Wake Up Screaming

1941

The Postman Always Rings Twice The Postman Always Rings Twice

1946

The Giant Claw The Giant Claw

1957

Tomorrow Is Another Day Tomorrow Is Another Day

1951

Flight To Mars Flight To Mars

1951

Courage of Lassie Courage of Lassie

1946

Rocketship X-M Rocketship X-M

1950

Tennessee's Partner Tennessee's Partner

1955

Apache Apache

1954

The Damned Don't Cry The Damned Don't Cry

1950

The Thin Man Goes Home The Thin Man Goes Home

1944

Kronos Kronos

1957

Trail Dust Trail Dust

1936

Rustlers' Valley Rustlers' Valley

1937

Desire Me Desire Me

1947

The Lion Hunters The Lion Hunters

1951

Mutiny Mutiny

1952

Rationing Rationing

1944

Swing Fever Swing Fever

1943

Hell's Crossroads Hell's Crossroads

1957

The Fabulous Fraud The Fabulous Fraud

1948

Devil's Canyon Devil's Canyon

1953

Adventure Adventure

1945

Cynthia Cynthia

1947

For the Love of Mary For the Love of Mary

1948

Fort Vengeance Fort Vengeance

1953

Barbary Coast Gent Barbary Coast Gent

1944

Fury at Gunsight Pass Fury at Gunsight Pass

1956

Good News Good News

1947

Omar Khayyam Omar Khayyam

1957

Southwest Passage Southwest Passage

1954

The Eternal Sea The Eternal Sea

1955

Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman

1958

How to Make a Monster How to Make a Monster

1958

Roxie Hart Roxie Hart

1942

Guns of Diablo Guns of Diablo

1964

The Man Behind The Gun The Man Behind The Gun

1953

Son of Ali Baba Son of Ali Baba

1952

No Man's Woman No Man's Woman

1955

Hills of Old Wyoming Hills of Old Wyoming

1937

Taza, Son of Cochise Taza, Son of Cochise

1954

Giant from the Unknown Giant from the Unknown

1958

The Hidden Eye The Hidden Eye

1945

Chain Lightning Chain Lightning

1950

Quincannon, Frontier Scout Quincannon, Frontier Scout

1956

The Steel Cage The Steel Cage

1954

The Cockeyed Miracle The Cockeyed Miracle

1946

Drums Across the River Drums Across the River

1954

The Redhead and The Cowboy The Redhead and The Cowboy

1951

Sky Commando Sky Commando

1953

My Favorite Spy My Favorite Spy

1951

Lady in the Lake Lady in the Lake

1946

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