Morris Ankrum
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1896-08-28
Day of Death
1964-09-02 (68 years old)
Place of Birth
Danville, Illinois, USA
Morris Ankrum
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.
Acting
(1968)
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage)
(1964)
Guns of Diablo
as Ray Macklin
(1963)
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
(1962)
Tower of London
as The Archbishop
(1961)
Most Dangerous Man Alive
as Capt. Davis
(1961)
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
as Gen. Lew Wallace
(1958)
Curse of the Faceless Man
as Narrator (unconfirmed)
(1958)
Giant from the Unknown
as Dr. Frederick Cleveland
(1958)
The Power of the Resurrection
as Annas
(1958)
The Saga of Hemp Brown
as Bo Slauter
(1958)
Badman's Country
as Mayor Coleman
(1958)
How to Make a Monster
as Police Capt. Hancock
(1958)
Tarawa Beachhead
as Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
(1958)
From the Earth to the Moon
as President Ulysses S. Grant
(1958)
Twilight for the Gods
as Sea Captain
(1958)
Frontier Gun
as Andrew Barton
(1958)
Young and Wild
as Police Capt. Egan
(1957)
The Giant Claw
as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
(1957)
Kronos
as Dr. Albert Stern
(1957)
Beginning of the End
as Gen. John Hanson
(1957)
Drango
as Henry Calder
(1957)
Omar Khayyam
as Sharain's Father
(1957)
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
as Dr. Carl Jordan
(1957)
Zombies of Mora Tau
as Dr. Jonathan Eggert
(1957)
Hell's Crossroads
as Wheeler
(1956)
Walk the Proud Land
as Gen. Wade
(1956)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
as Brig. Gen. John Hanley
(1956)
Naked Gun
as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
(1956)
Fury at Gunsight Pass
as Doc Phillips
(1956)
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
as Col. Harry Conover
(1956)
When Gangland Strikes
as Leo Fantzler
(1956)
The Desperados Are in Town
as Mr. Rutherford
(1955)
(1955)
Chief Crazy Horse
as Red Cloud
(1955)
Crashout
as Head Guard
(1955)
Duel on the Mississippi
as Magistrate (uncredited)
(1955)
The Eternal Sea
as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
(1955)
Tennessee's Partner
as Judge Parker
(1955)
The Silver Star
as Charlie Childress
(1955)
No Man's Woman
as Capt. Hostedder
(1955)
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
as Azar the Shepherd
(1954)
Apache
as Dawson
(1954)
Vera Cruz
as Gen. Ramírez
(1954)
Taza, Son of Cochise
as Grey Eagle
(1954)
Drums Across the River
as Chief Ouray
(1954)
Southwest Passage
as Dr. Stanton
(1954)
Three Young Texans
as Jeff Blair
(1954)
Silver Lode
as Zachary Evans
(1954)
Cattle Queen of Montana
as J.I. 'Pop' Jones
(1954)
Two Guns and a Badge
as Sheriff Jackson
(1954)
The Outlaw Stallion
as Sheriff
(1954)
The Steel Cage
as Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
(1953)
Invaders from Mars
as Col. Fielding
(1953)
Sky Commando
as Gen. W.R. Combs
(1953)
Devil's Canyon
as Ed
(1953)
The Man Behind The Gun
as Bram Creegan
(1953)
The Moonlighter
as Alexander Prince
(1953)
Fort Vengeance
as Chief Crowfoot
(1953)
Arena
as Bucky Hillberry
(1953)
I Beheld His Glory
as Peter
(1953)
Mexican Manhunt
as Tip Morgan
(1953)
Flight Nurse
as Interrogation Officer
(1952)
Son of Ali Baba
as Ali Baba
(1952)
Mutiny
as Capt. Radford
(1952)
Red Planet Mars
as Secretary of Defense Sparks
(1952)
Fort Osage
as Arthur Pickett
(1952)
Because of You
as Dr. Travis
(1952)
Hiawatha
as Iagoo
(1952)
The Raiders
as Thomas Ainsworth
(1952)
A Star Shall Rise
as King Herod
(1951)
Tomorrow Is Another Day
as Hugh Wagner
(1951)
My Favorite Spy
as Gen. Frazer
(1951)
Along the Great Divide
as Ed Roden
(1951)
Fighting Coast Guard
as Navy Captain
(1951)
Flight to Mars
as Ikron
(1951)
The Redhead and The Cowboy
as Sheriff
(1951)
The Lion Hunters
as Tom Forbes
(1950)
In a Lonely Place
as Lloyd Barnes
(1950)
Rocketship X-M
as Dr. Ralph Fleming
(1950)
Borderline
as Bill Whittaker
(1950)
Chain Lightning
as Ed Bostwick
(1950)
The Damned Don't Cry
as Jim Whitehead
(1950)
Short Grass
as Hal Fenton
(1950)
Southside 1-1000
as Eugene Deane
(1949)
Colorado Territory
as United States Marshal
(1949)
The Fountainhead
as Prosecutor (uncredited)
(1949)
We Were Strangers
as M. Seymour
(1949)
Bad Men of Tombstone
as Mr. Jones
(1948)
Joan of Arc
as Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
(1948)
For the Love of Mary
as Adm. Walton
(1948)
Souvenirs of Death
as Gangster (uncredited)
(1948)
Fighting Back
as Robert J. Higby
(1948)
The Fabulous Fraud
as Blind Girl's Father
(1947)
Good News
as Dean Griswold
(1947)
Song of the Thin Man
as Inspector (uncredited)
(1947)
The Sea of Grass
as A.J. Crane
(1947)
High Wall
as Dr. Stanley Griffin
(1947)
Little Mister Jim
as Col. W.I. Starwell
(1947)
Cynthia
as Mr. Phillips, Principal
(1947)
The Mighty McGurk
as Fowles
(1947)
Merton of the Movies
as Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
(1947)
Desire Me
as Hector Martin
(1946)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
as Judge (uncredited)
(1946)
The Harvey Girls
as Rev. Claggett
(1946)
Lady in the Lake
as Eugene Grayson
(1946)
Courage of Lassie
as Farmer Crews
(1946)
The Green Years
as Dr. Galbraith
(1946)
The Cockeyed Miracle
as Dr. Wilson
(1945)
Adventure
as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
(1945)
The Hidden Eye
as Ferris (henchman)
(1945)
Purity Squad
as Dr. Adams (uncredited)
(1945)
Phantoms, Inc.
as Narrator (voice)
(1945)
Fall Guy
as District Attorney (uncredited)
(1944)
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
as Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
(1944)
The Thin Man Goes Home
as Willoughby Peavy
(1944)
Marriage Is a Private Affair
as Ed Scofield
(1944)
Barbary Coast Gent
as Alec Veeder
(1944)
Gentle Annie
as Deputy Gansby
(1944)
Meet the People
as Monte Rowland
(1944)
Rationing
as Morgan
(1944)
Main Street Today
as Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
(1944)
Dark Shadows
as Lt. Pat McKay
(1944)
The Heavenly Body
as Dr. Green
(1944)
Return from Nowhere
as Doctor (uncredited)
(1943)
Swing Fever
as Dan Conlon
(1943)
Dixie Dugan
as Editor
(1943)
Best Foot Forward
as Col. Harkrider
(1943)
Let's Face It
as Man in Sun Shell Cafe
(1942)
Tennessee Johnson
as Jefferson Davis
(1942)
Tales of Manhattan
as Judge
(1942)
Tales of Manhattan
as Judge Tom Barnes (Robinson sequence)
(1942)
Roxie Hart
as Martin S. Harrison
(1942)
(1942)
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
as Mr. Graham
(1942)
Reunion in France
as Martin
(1942)
The Omaha Trail
as Henchman Job
(1942)
Time to Kill
as Alexander Morny
(1942)
Ride 'Em Cowboy
as Ace Anderson
(1941)
I Wake Up Screaming
as Assistant District Attorney
(1941)
The Roundup
as 'Parenthesis'
(1941)
Border Vigilantes
as Dan Forbes
(1941)
Doomed Caravan
as Stephen Westcott
(1941)
This Woman Is Mine
as Roussel
(1941)
Wide Open Town
as Jim Stuart
(1941)
In Old Colorado
as Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
(1941)
Pirates on Horseback
as Ace Gibson
(1941)
Road Agent
as Big John Morgan
(1941)
The Bandit Trail
as Red Haggerty
(1940)
Buck Benny Rides Again
as Second Outlaw
(1940)
Three Men from Texas
as Bruce Morgan
(1940)
The Showdown
as Baron Rendor
(1940)
Light of Western Stars
as Nat Hayworth
(1940)
Cherokee Strip
as Hawk Barrett
(1940)
Knights of the Range
as Gamecock
(1937)
Borderland
as Loco
(1937)
North of the Rio Grande
as Henry Stoneham
(1937)
Rustlers' Valley
as Glen Randall
(1937)
Hills of Old Wyoming
as Andrews
(1936)
Trail Dust
as Tex Anderson
(1936)
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
as Blackie Felton
(1934)
Stand Up and Cheer!
as Washington Press Correspondent