Morris Ankrum
Born
August 28, 1896
Died
September 2, 1964 (68 years old)
Known For
Acting
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.
Known For
The Movie Orgy
Self (archive footage)
1968
Guns of Diablo
Ray Macklin
1964
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
1963
Tower of London
The Archbishop
1962
Most Dangerous Man Alive
Capt. Davis
1961
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
Gen. Lew Wallace
1961
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
Walter Harwood · (1 episode)
1960
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Dr. Carl Jordan
1958
From the Earth to the Moon
President Ulysses S. Grant
1958
Tarawa Beachhead
Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
1958
Frontier Gun
Andrew Barton
1958
The Saga of Hemp Brown
Bo Slauter
1958
The Rifleman
(2 episodes)
1958
Curse of the Faceless Man
Narrator (unconfirmed)
1958
Twilight for the Gods
Sea Captain
1958
Badman's Country
Mayor Coleman
1958
How to Make a Monster
Police Capt. Hancock
1958
Young and Wild
Police Capt. Egan
1958
Sea Hunt
(1 episode)
1958
Giant from the Unknown
Dr. Frederick Cleveland
1958
The Power of the Resurrection
Annas
1958
Maverick
Joshua Haines · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Judge · (5 episodes)
1957
Perry Mason
Judge Hoyt · (1 episode)
1957
M Squad
Police Inspector Dean · (1 episode)
1957
Omar Khayyam
Sharain's Father
1957
Beginning of the End
Gen. John Hanson
1957
The Giant Claw
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
1957
Kronos
Dr. Albert Stern
1957
Hell's Crossroads
Wheeler
1957
Zombies of Mora Tau
Dr. Jonathan Eggert
1957
Drango
Henry Calder
1957
The Desperados Are in Town
Mr. Rutherford
1956
Naked Gun
Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
1956
Walk the Proud Land
Gen. Wade
1956
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Brig. Gen. John Hanley
1956
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
Col. Harry Conover
1956
When Gangland Strikes
Leo Fantzler
1956
Fury at Gunsight Pass
Doc Phillips
1956
No Man's Woman
Capt. Hostedder
1955
Tennessee's Partner
Judge Parker
1955
Duel on the Mississippi
Magistrate (uncredited)
1955
Gunsmoke
Merle · (1 episode)
1955
The Last Command
1955
The Eternal Sea
Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
1955
The Silver Star
Charlie Childress
1955
Chief Crazy Horse
Red Cloud
1955
Crashout
Head Guard
1955
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
Azar the Shepherd
1955
Vera Cruz
Gen. Ramírez
1954
The Steel Cage
Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
1954
Three Young Texans
Jeff Blair
1954
Cattle Queen of Montana
J.I. 'Pop' Jones
1954
Two Guns and a Badge
Sheriff Jackson
1954
Silver Lode
Zachary Evans
1954
Apache
Dawson
1954
The Outlaw Stallion
Sheriff
1954
Drums Across the River
Chief Ouray
1954
Southwest Passage
Dr. Stanton
1954
Taza, Son of Cochise
Grey Eagle
1954
Flight Nurse
Interrogation Officer
1953
The Moonlighter
Alexander Prince
1953
Mexican Manhunt
Tip Morgan
1953
Sky Commando
Gen. W.R. Combs
1953
Devil's Canyon
Ed
1953
Arena
Bucky Hillberry
1953
Invaders from Mars
Col. Fielding
1953
I Beheld His Glory
Peter
1953
Fort Vengeance
Chief Crowfoot
1953
The Man Behind The Gun
Bram Creegan
1953
Hiawatha
Iagoo
1952
A Star Shall Rise
King Herod
1952
Because of You
Dr. Travis
1952
The Raiders
Thomas Ainsworth
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Warden · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Mr. Mason · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Mr. Raymond · (1 episode)
1952
Cowboy G-Men
(39 episodes)
1952
Son of Ali Baba
Ali Baba
1952
Red Planet Mars
Secretary of Defense Sparks
1952
Mutiny
Capt. Radford
1952
Fort Osage
Arthur Pickett
1952
My Favorite Spy
Gen. Frazer
1951
Flight to Mars
Ikron
1951
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Hugh Wagner
1951
Along the Great Divide
Ed Roden
1951
Fighting Coast Guard
Navy Captain
1951
The Lion Hunters
Tom Forbes
1951
The Redhead and The Cowboy
Sheriff
1951
Short Grass
Hal Fenton
1950
Southside 1-1000
Eugene Deane
1950
Rocketship X-M
Dr. Ralph Fleming
1950
In a Lonely Place
Lloyd Barnes
1950
The Damned Don't Cry
Jim Whitehead
1950
Borderline
Bill Whittaker
1950
Chain Lightning
Ed Bostwick
1950
The Fountainhead
Prosecutor (uncredited)
1949
Colorado Territory
United States Marshal
1949
We Were Strangers
M. Seymour
1949
Bad Men of Tombstone
Mr. Jones
1949
Joan of Arc
Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
1948
For the Love of Mary
Adm. Walton
1948
The Fabulous Fraud
Blind Girl's Father
1948
Fighting Back
Robert J. Higby
1948
Souvenirs of Death
Gangster (uncredited)
1948
High Wall
Dr. Stanley Griffin
1947
Good News
Dean Griswold
1947
Desire Me
Hector Martin
1947
Merton of the Movies
Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
1947
Cynthia
Mr. Phillips, Principal
1947
Song of the Thin Man
Inspector (uncredited)
1947
The Sea of Grass
A.J. Crane
1947
Little Mister Jim
Col. W.I. Starwell
1947
The Mighty McGurk
Fowles
1947
Lady in the Lake
Eugene Grayson
1946
Courage of Lassie
Farmer Crews
1946
The Cockeyed Miracle
Dr. Wilson
1946
The Green Years
Dr. Galbraith
1946
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Judge (uncredited)
1946
The Harvey Girls
Rev. Claggett
1946
Adventure
Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
1945
Purity Squad
Dr. Adams (uncredited)
1945
The Hidden Eye
Ferris (henchman)
1945
Phantoms, Inc.
Narrator (voice)
1945
Fall Guy
District Attorney (uncredited)
1945
The Thin Man Goes Home
Willoughby Peavy
1944
Dark Shadows
Lt. Pat McKay
1944
Gentle Annie
Deputy Gansby
1944
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
1944
Return from Nowhere
Doctor (uncredited)
1944
Barbary Coast Gent
Alec Veeder
1944
Marriage Is a Private Affair
Ed Scofield
1944
Meet the People
Monte Rowland
1944
Main Street Today
Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
1944
Rationing
Morgan
1944
The Heavenly Body
Dr. Green
1944
Swing Fever
Dan Conlon
1943
Best Foot Forward
Col. Harkrider
1943
Let's Face It
Man in Sun Shell Cafe
1943
Dixie Dugan
Editor
1943
Reunion in France
Martin
1942
Time to Kill
Alexander Morny
1942
Tennessee Johnson
Jefferson Davis
1942
The Omaha Trail
Henchman Job
1942
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
Mr. Graham
1942
Tales of Manhattan
Judge
1942
Tales of Manhattan
Judge Tom Barnes (Robinson sequence)
1942
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Wood
1942
Roxie Hart
Martin S. Harrison
1942
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Ace Anderson
1942
Road Agent
Big John Morgan
1941
I Wake Up Screaming
Assistant District Attorney
1941
The Bandit Trail
Red Haggerty
1941
This Woman Is Mine
Roussel
1941
Wide Open Town
Jim Stuart
1941
Pirates on Horseback
Ace Gibson
1941
Border Vigilantes
Dan Forbes
1941
The Roundup
'Parenthesis'
1941
In Old Colorado
Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
1941
Doomed Caravan
Stephen Westcott
1941
Three Men from Texas
Bruce Morgan
1940
Cherokee Strip
Hawk Barrett
1940
Buck Benny Rides Again
Second Outlaw
1940
Light of Western Stars
Nat Hayworth
1940
The Showdown
Baron Rendor
1940
Knights of the Range
Gamecock
1940
Rustlers' Valley
Glen Randall
1937
North of the Rio Grande
Henry Stoneham
1937
Hills of Old Wyoming
Andrews
1937
Borderland
Loco
1937
Trail Dust
Tex Anderson
1936
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
Blackie Felton
1936
Stand Up and Cheer!
Washington Press Correspondent
1934