Morris Ankrum
Acting • Born 1896-08-28 – Died 1964-09-02
Biography
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
178 credits
Lady in the Lake
Movie • 1946
Eugene Grayson
The Movie Orgy
Movie • 1968
Self (archive footage)
Invaders from Mars
Movie • 1953
Col. Fielding
Fall Guy
Movie • 1945
District Attorney (uncredited)
I Wake Up Screaming
Movie • 1941
Assistant District Attorney
The Heavenly Body
Movie • 1944
Dr. Green
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Movie • 1946
Judge (uncredited)
Young and Wild
Movie • 1958
Police Capt. Egan
Crashout
Movie • 1955
Head Guard
High Wall
Movie • 1947
Dr. Stanley Griffin
Silver Lode
Movie • 1954
Zachary Evans
Colorado Territory
Movie • 1949
United States Marshal
The Giant Claw
Movie • 1957
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
The Damned Don't Cry
Movie • 1950
Jim Whitehead
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Movie • 1951
Hugh Wagner
The Thin Man Goes Home
Movie • 1944
Willoughby Peavy
Tennessee's Partner
Movie • 1955
Judge Parker
Apache
Movie • 1954
Dawson
Flight to Mars
Movie • 1951
Ikron
Kronos
Movie • 1957
Dr. Albert Stern
Courage of Lassie
Movie • 1946
Farmer Crews
Rocketship X-M
Movie • 1950
Dr. Ralph Fleming
Zombies of Mora Tau
Movie • 1957
Dr. Jonathan Eggert
The Last Command
Movie • 1955
From the Earth to the Moon
Movie • 1958
President Ulysses S. Grant
Twilight for the Gods
Movie • 1958
Sea Captain
Most Dangerous Man Alive
Movie • 1961
Capt. Davis
Borderline
Movie • 1950
Bill Whittaker
In a Lonely Place
Movie • 1950
Lloyd Barnes
Beginning of the End
Movie • 1957
Gen. John Hanson
Southside 1-1000
Movie • 1950
Eugene Deane
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Movie • 1956
Brig. Gen. John Hanley
When Gangland Strikes
Movie • 1956
Leo Fantzler
Time to Kill
Movie • 1942
Alexander Morny
We Were Strangers
Movie • 1949
M. Seymour
Doomed Caravan
Movie • 1941
Stephen Westcott
Pirates on Horseback
Movie • 1941
Ace Gibson
In Old Colorado
Movie • 1941
Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
The Showdown
Movie • 1940
Baron Rendor
Wide Open Town
Movie • 1941
Jim Stuart
Three Men from Texas
Movie • 1940
Bruce Morgan
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
Movie • 1936
Blackie Felton
North of the Rio Grande
Movie • 1937
Henry Stoneham
Borderland
Movie • 1937
Loco
Rustlers' Valley
Movie • 1937
Glen Randall
Duel on the Mississippi
Movie • 1955
Magistrate (uncredited)
Hills of Old Wyoming
Movie • 1937
Andrews
Trail Dust
Movie • 1936
Tex Anderson
Taza, Son of Cochise
Movie • 1954
Grey Eagle
Giant from the Unknown
Movie • 1958
Dr. Frederick Cleveland
No Man's Woman
Movie • 1955
Capt. Hostedder
Son of Ali Baba
Movie • 1952
Ali Baba
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
Movie • 1961
Gen. Lew Wallace
Roxie Hart
Movie • 1942
Martin S. Harrison
The Man Behind The Gun
Movie • 1953
Bram Creegan
Guns of Diablo
Movie • 1964
Ray Macklin
The Hidden Eye
Movie • 1945
Ferris (henchman)
Chain Lightning
Movie • 1950
Ed Bostwick
Sky Commando
Movie • 1953
Gen. W.R. Combs
My Favorite Spy
Movie • 1951
Gen. Frazer
The Redhead and the Cowboy
Movie • 1951
Sheriff
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Movie • 1944
Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
Drums Across the River
Movie • 1954
Chief Ouray
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
Movie • 1956
Col. Harry Conover
Hiawatha
Movie • 1952
Iagoo
The Steel Cage
Movie • 1954
Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
The Cockeyed Miracle
Movie • 1946
Dr. Wilson
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Movie • 1957
Dr. Carl Jordan
How to Make a Monster
Movie • 1958
Police Capt. Hancock
Hell's Crossroads
Movie • 1957
Wheeler
The Fabulous Fraud
Movie • 1948
Blind Girl's Father
Devil's Canyon
Movie • 1953
Ed
Swing Fever
Movie • 1943
Dan Conlon
Rationing
Movie • 1944
Morgan
Desire Me
Movie • 1947
Hector Martin
The Lion Hunters
Movie • 1951
Tom Forbes
Mutiny
Movie • 1952
Capt. Radford
Because of You
Movie • 1952
Dr. Travis
Adventure
Movie • 1945
Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
Cynthia
Movie • 1947
Mr. Phillips, Principal
Southwest Passage
Movie • 1954
Dr. Stanton
The Eternal Sea
Movie • 1955
Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
Good News
Movie • 1947
Dean Griswold
Omar Khayyam
Movie • 1957
Sharain's Father
Fury at Gunsight Pass
Movie • 1956
Doc Phillips
For the Love of Mary
Movie • 1948
Adm. Walton
Fort Vengeance
Movie • 1953
Chief Crowfoot
Barbary Coast Gent
Movie • 1944
Alec Veeder
The Raiders
Movie • 1952
Thomas Ainsworth
A Star Shall Rise
Movie • 1952
King Herod
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
Movie • 1955
Azar the Shepherd
Fighting Back
Movie • 1948
Robert J. Higby
Gentle Annie
Movie • 1944
Deputy Gansby
Fort Osage
Movie • 1952
Arthur Pickett
Dixie Dugan
Movie • 1943
Editor
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Movie • 1941
Ace Anderson
Flight Nurse
Movie • 1953
Interrogation Officer
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Movie • 1963
Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
Dark Shadows
Movie • 1944
Lt. Pat McKay
Best Foot Forward
Movie • 1943
Col. Harkrider
Two Guns and a Badge
Movie • 1954
Sheriff Jackson
Cherokee Strip
Movie • 1940
Hawk Barrett
Purity Squad
Movie • 1945
Dr. Adams (uncredited)
Drango
Movie • 1957
Henry Calder
Meet the People
Movie • 1944
Monte Rowland
The Moonlighter
Movie • 1953
Alexander Prince
Along the Great Divide
Movie • 1951
Ed Roden
Merton of the Movies
Movie • 1947
Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
The Bandit Trail
Movie • 1941
Red Haggerty
The Omaha Trail
Movie • 1942
Henchman Job
Curse of the Faceless Man
Movie • 1958
Narrator (unconfirmed)
Mexican Manhunt
Movie • 1953
Tip Morgan
The Light of Western Stars
Movie • 1940
Nat Hayworth
Buck Benny Rides Again
Movie • 1940
Second Outlaw
Tower of London
Movie • 1962
The Archbishop
Knights of the Range
Movie • 1940
Gamecock
Vera Cruz
Movie • 1954
Gen. Ramírez
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
Movie • 1942
Mr. Graham
Phantoms, Inc.
Movie • 1945
Narrator (voice)
Short Grass
Movie • 1950
Hal Fenton
Tales of Manhattan
Movie • 1942
Judge
The Power of the Resurrection
Movie • 1958
Annas
I Beheld His Glory
Movie • 1953
Peter
This Woman Is Mine
Movie • 1941
Roussel
Border Vigilantes
Movie • 1941
Dan Forbes
The Roundup
Movie • 1941
'Parenthesis'
Bad Men of Tombstone
Movie • 1949
Mr. Jones
Arena
Movie • 1953
Bucky Hillberry
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Movie • 1942
Wood
The Silver Star
Movie • 1955
Charlie Childress
Cattle Queen of Montana
Movie • 1954
J.I. 'Pop' Jones
The Outlaw Stallion
Movie • 1954
Sheriff
The Desperados Are in Town
Movie • 1956
Mr. Rutherford
Badman's Country
Movie • 1958
Mayor Coleman
Three Young Texans
Movie • 1954
Jeff Blair
Frontier Gun
Movie • 1958
Andrew Barton
The Saga of Hemp Brown
Movie • 1958
Bo Slauter
Naked Gun
Movie • 1956
Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
Little Mister Jim
Movie • 1947
Col. W.I. Starwell
The Mighty McGurk
Movie • 1947
Fowles
Marriage Is a Private Affair
Movie • 1944
Ed Scofield
Fighting Coast Guard
Movie • 1951
Navy Captain
Return from Nowhere
Movie • 1944
Doctor (uncredited)
Song of the Thin Man
Movie • 1947
Inspector (uncredited)
Chief Crazy Horse
Movie • 1955
Red Cloud
Main Street Today
Movie • 1944
Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
Souvenirs of Death
Movie • 1948
Gangster (uncredited)
The Fountainhead
Movie • 1949
Prosecutor (uncredited)
Walk the Proud Land
Movie • 1956
Gen. Wade
Reunion in France
Movie • 1942
Martin
Red Planet Mars
Movie • 1952
Secretary of Defense Sparks
Tarawa Beachhead
Movie • 1958
Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
Joan of Arc
Movie • 1948
Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
Tennessee Johnson
Movie • 1942
Jefferson Davis
The Harvey Girls
Movie • 1946
Rev. Claggett
The Sea of Grass
Movie • 1947
A.J. Crane
Road Agent
Movie • 1941
Big John Morgan
Stand Up and Cheer!
Movie • 1934
Washington Press Correspondent
The Green Years
Movie • 1946
Dr. Galbraith
Let's Face It
Movie • 1943
Man in Sun Shell Cafe
The Cross of Lorraine
Movie • 1943
Col. Demas (uncredited)
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Merle
Cowboy G-Men
TV • 1952
The Rifleman
TV • 1958
M Squad
TV • 1957
Police Inspector Dean
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
TV • 1960
Walter Harwood
Maverick
TV • 1957
Joshua Haines
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Judge
Sea Hunt
TV • 1958
Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Warden
Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Mr. Mason
Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Mr. Raymond
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Judge Hoyt
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
TV • 1953
Cheyenne
TV • 1955
John Clements
The 20th Century Fox Hour
TV • 1955
Henry
Studio One
TV • 1948
Considine
Dr. Fu Manchu
TV • 1956
Professor Rutledge