Ken Murray
Ken Murray (born Kenneth Abner Doncourt, July 14, 1903 – October 12, 1988) was an American comedian, actor, radio and television personality and author.
After finding success on the vaudeville stage, Murray moved to Hollywood and made his film debut in the 1929 romantic drama Half Marriage, followed by a role in Leathernecking in 1930. Murray was the host of a weekly radio variety show (The Ken Murray Show) on NBC 1932-33 and on CBS 1936–37. He later was the original host (1945-57) of Queen for a Day, on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio show, which was simulcast on KTSL (now KCBS-TV), Channel 2 in Los Angeles.
During World War II, Murray was one of the many celebrities to volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen. In 1947, he produced Bill and Coo, a feature film using trained birds and other animals as actors. Bill and Coo won a special Academy Award for "novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion picture" and "artistry and patience" .
He was also the host of The Ken Murray Show, a weekly music and comedy show on CBS Television that ran from 1950 to 1953. The show was the first to win a Freedom Foundation Award. Murray also guest starred on several television series, including The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford and The Bing Crosby Show.
Murray produced and co-starred as "Smiling Billy Murray" in a 1953 film, The Marshal's Daughter, a western that featured his protege Laurie Anders in the title role, her sole film performance. In 1962, Murray portrayed the top hat wearing, cigar chewing, drunken Doc Willoughby in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring John Wayne and James Stewart, arguably his most memorable screen role. Paired off for most of the picture with Edmond O'Brien as an alcoholic newspaper editor, he drunkenly rolls over the gunshot corpse of villain Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) with his boot, looks around off-handedly, and says "Dead" to the surrounding crowd of euphoric Mexicans.
In 1964, Murray played Whipsaw, the operator of a stagecoach depot in the episode "Little Cayuse" of the television series Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. He and his partner take in a Cayuse orphan (Larry Domasin), who demonstrates his loyalty to the men during an Indian attack. In 1965, Murray played a THRUSH financier and owner of a caribbean casino in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In 1966, Murray was cast as Melody Murphy in the Walt Disney film Follow Me, Boys! starring Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles and Kurt Russell.
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 3.175 |
Birthday | 1903-07-14 |
Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
Also Known As | Kenneth Abner Doncourt, |
1962
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
7.787/1107
Questions arise when Senator Stoddard (James Stewart) attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) in a small Western town. Flas...
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1949
Red Light
5.5/20
Nick Cherney, in prison for embezzling from Torno Freight Co., sees a chance to get back at Johnny Torno through his young priest brother Jess. He pay...
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Red Light
1966
Follow Me, Boys!
6.5/26
Lem Siddons is part of a traveling band who has a dream of becoming a lawyer. Deciding to settle down, he finds a job as a stockboy in the general sto...
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Follow Me, Boys!
1968
The Power
6.357/28
One by one members of a special project team are being killed by telekinesis - the ability to move things with the power of the mind alone. The race i...
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The Power
1948
Bill and Coo
6.444/9
The feathered residents of Chirpendale are terrorized by an evil black crow by the name of "The Black Menace". But to the citizen's rescue comes a bra...
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Bill and Coo
1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
0/0
This edition of Screen Snapshots has more of a vaudeville flavor as opposed to Ralph Staub's usual candid-camera at home with the stars offerings. Ken...
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Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
1932
Crooner
5/1
Fame goes to a priggish singer's head and almost costs him his girlfriend.
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Crooner
1929
Half Marriage
5.2/4
A young couple marries in secret. Judy's afraid her parents won't approve of Dick and she'll lose her generous allowance. Her parents bring her home f...
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Half Marriage
1932
Ladies of the Jury
6.4/8
Society matron Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane is selected as a juror in the trial of former chorus girl Yvette Gordon, who's accused of murdering her r...
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Ladies of the Jury
1963
Hollywood Without Make-Up
5.9/8
A collection of behind the scenes and home movies from the golden age of Hollywood.
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Hollywood Without Make-Up
1933
Disgraced!
0/0
A lovely fashion model's dreams of marital bliss are shattered when her fiance jilts her. To make matters worse, her father kills the cad and she gets...
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Disgraced!
1940
A Night at Earl Carroll's
3.5/4
Newly-elected reform Mayor Jones celebrates his victory over the crooked political machine with a party at Earl Carroll's night club. Steve Kalkus, th...
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A Night at Earl Carroll's
1933
A Preferred List
0/0
A Preferred List is a 1933 American Pre-Code short comedy film produced by Lou Brock. At the 6th Academy Awards, held in 1933, it was nominated for an...
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A Preferred List
1937
You're a Sweetheart
3.7/9
A Broadway producer is in a quandary when he discovers that the opening of his newest big production coincides with that of a major charity event. He...
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You're a Sweetheart
1941
Swing It Soldier
5/1
In this musical comedy, a pregnant disc jockey misses her husband who is fighting overseas. Stressed out by the situation and her job, she decides to...
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Swing It Soldier
1965
Hollywood My Home Town
5.3/3
Ken Murray narrates his 16mm home movies shot over 35 years in Hollywood.
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Hollywood My Home Town
1953
The Marshal's Daughter
2.7/3
To fully appreciate the western comedy The Marshal's Daughter, one must be aware that its star, a zaftig, wide-eyed lass named Laurie Anders, was in 1...
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The Marshal's Daughter
1938
Swing, Sister, Swing
0/0
In this musical comedy, two star-struck small town kids head for the Big Apple and become famous for their jitterbug act. Their fame doesn't last long...
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Swing, Sister, Swing
1963
Son of Flubber
5.9/61
Beleaguered professor Ned Brainard has already run into a pile of misfortunes with his discovery of the super-elastic substance "Flubber." Now he hope...
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Son of Flubber
1933
From Headquarters
5.8/6
When a Broadway playboy is found dead, it's up to detective Jim Stevens to pick the murderer out of several likely candidates.
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From Headquarters
1930
Leathernecking
0/0
Chick Evans is a Marine private in Honolulu, Hawaii. He falls for society girl Delphine Witherspoon, and begins to scheme as to how to win her over.
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Leathernecking
1942
Juke Box Jenny
0/0
Swing and jitterbug.
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Juke Box Jenny
1946
Peeks at Hollywood
0/0
Two young beautiful starlets use the Griffith Observatory telescope to find stars in Hollywood.
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Peeks at Hollywood
1997
Frank Capra's American Dream
6.167/6
A documentary looking at the life and career of film director Frank Capra. Hosted by Ron Howard.
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Frank Capra's American Dream
1976
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
4.1/15
A would-be filmmaker and actress shake up the industry with a trick dog who gets discovered by a studio bus driver in the 1920s.
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