George Murphy
Born
July 4, 1902
Died
May 3, 1992 (89 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
George Murphy was an American dancer and stage, screen, and television actor, as well as a United States Senator. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In movies, Murphy was known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938, Broadway Melody of 1940 and For Me and My Gal. He made his movie debut shortly after talking pictures had replaced silent movies in 1930, and his career continued until he retired as an actor in 1952, at the age of 50. During World War II, he organized entertainment for American troops.
In 1951, he was awarded an honorary Academy Award. He was never nominated for an Oscar in any competitive category.
He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946. He was also a vice president of Desilu Productions and of the Technicolor Corporation. He was director of entertainment for presidential inaugurations in 1953, 1957 and 1961.
Known For
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine
2003
Frank Capra's American Dream
Self (archive footage)
1997
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
1994
That's Dancing!
From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
1985
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(1 episode)
1958
The Thin Man
(1 episode)
1957
MGM Parade
Host · (5 episodes)
1955
1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration
1955
The Hoaxters
Narrator (voice)
1952
Walk East on Beacon
Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
1952
Talk About a Stranger
Robert Fontaine Sr.
1952
It's a Big Country
Mr. Patrick Callaghan
1951
No Questions Asked
Police Insp. Matt Duggan
1951
Battleground
'Pop' Stazak
1949
Border Incident
Jack Bearnes
1949
Big City
Patrick O'Donnell
1948
Tenth Avenue Angel
Steve Abbutt
1948
Cynthia
Larry Bishop
1947
The Arnelo Affair
Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
1947
Up Goes Maisie
Joseph Morton
1946
Having Wonderful Crime
Jake Justus
1945
Step Lively
Gordon Miller
1944
Show Business
George Doane
1944
Broadway Rhythm
Johnny Demming
1944
Twenty Years After
(archive footage)
1944
This Is the Army
Jerry Jones
1943
Bataan
Lt. Steve Bentley
1943
Show-Business at War
Self
1943
The Powers Girl
Jerry Hendricks
1943
The Navy Comes Through
Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
1942
For Me and My Gal
Jimmy K. Metcalf
1942
The Mayor of 44th Street
Joe Jonathan
1942
Rise and Shine
Jimmy McGonagle
1941
They Died with Their Boots On
Cavalryman (uncredited)
1941
Ringside Maisie
Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
1941
Tom, Dick and Harry
Tom
1941
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
Claudius "Coffee Cup" Cup
1941
Little Nellie Kelly
Jerry Kelly
1940
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
Self
1940
Public Deb No. 1
Alan Blake
1940
Two Girls on Broadway
Eddie Kerns
1940
Broadway Melody of 1940
King Shaw
1940
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga
Himself (uncredited)
1939
Hollywood Hobbies
Self (uncredited)
1939
Risky Business
Dan Clifford
1939
Hold That Co-ed
Rusty Stevens
1938
Letter of Introduction
Barry Paige
1938
Little Miss Broadway
Roger Wendling
1938
You're a Sweetheart
Hal Adams
1937
The Women Men Marry
Bill Raeburn
1937
Broadway Melody of 1938
Sonny Ledford
1937
London by Night
Michael Denis
1937
Top of the Town
Ted Lane
1937
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Self
1936
Violets in Spring
Charlie Hall
1936
Woman Trap
Keat Shevlin
1936
The Public Menace
Edward Joseph "Red" Foster
1935
After the Dance
Jerry Davis
1935
I'll Love You Always
Carl Brent
1935
Jealousy
Larry O'Roarke
1934
Kid Millions
Jerry Lane
1934