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Ray Bolger

Born · January 10, 1904

Died · January 15, 1987 (83 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Bio

Ray Bolger began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. He, like Gene Kelly, was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor. He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). This was soon followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie (1937). His first dancing and singing role was in Sweethearts (1938), where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald. This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, that of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO to make Four Jacks and a Jill (1942). After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953 he turned to television and got his own sitcom, Where's Raymond? (1953), later changed to "The Ray Bolger Show". After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985 he co-hosted That's Dancing! (1985) with Liza Minnelli. Bolger died in 1987 at the age of 83. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the Mausoleum, Crypt F2, Block 35.

Known for

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the Prairie

Annie

Annie

Diff'rent Strokes

Diff'rent Strokes

Lynch/Oz

Scarecrow (archive footage) (uncredited)

2023

To Oz! The Making of a Classic

Self

2009

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression

Self (archive)

2009

Judy Garland: By Myself

Self - Actor (archive sound)

2004

The Dark Side of the Rainbow

'Hunk' (archive footage)

2000

The Dark Side of Oz

Hunk / Scarecrow (archive footage)

1995

That's Entertainment! III

(archive footage)

1994

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic

Self (archive footage)

1990

That's Dancing!

Self - Host

1985

The Whimsical World of Oz

Self

1985

Peter and the Magic Egg

Uncle Amos (voice)

1983

Annie

Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)

1982

The Runner Stumbles

Monsignor Nicholson

1979

Just You and Me, Kid

Tom

1979

The Making of the Wizard of Oz

Self

1979

Diff'rent Strokes

(1 episode)

1978

Battlestar Galactica

Vector · (1 episode)

1978

Three on a Date

Andrew

1978

Fantasy Island

Spencer Randolph · (1 episode)

1978

The Love Boat

Horace McDonald · (1 episode)

1977

The Love Boat

Andy Hopkins · (1 episode)

1977

Captains and the Kings

R.J. Squibbs · (8 episodes)

1976

The Entertainer

Billy Rice

1976

Donny & Marie

Self · (1 episode)

1976

Baretta

(1 episode)

1975

Little House on the Prairie

(2 episodes)

1974

That's Entertainment!

(archive footage)

1974

Nanny and the Professor

Uncle Horace · (1 episode)

1970

The Daydreamer

The Pieman

1966

The Hollywood Palace

Self - Host · (2 episodes)

1964

The Judy Garland Show

Self · (1 episode)

1963

Backstage Party

Self

1961

Babes in Toyland

Barnaby

1961

The Mike Douglas Show

Self · (1 episode)

1961

The Bell Telephone Hour

Self · (1 episode)

1959

The Bell Telephone Hour

Self - Host · (2 episodes)

1959

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

Self · (2 episodes)

1956

Tony Awards

Self - Presenter · (1 episode)

1956

The George Gobel Show

Self · (1 episode)

1954

A Star Is Born World Premiere

Self

1954

Where's Raymond?

Raymond Wallace · (60 episodes)

1953

General Electric Theater

Alfred Boggs · (1 episode)

1953

General Electric Theater

Stan Maylor · (1 episode)

1953

April in Paris

Sam Winthrop Putnam

1952

Where's Charley?

Charley Wykeham

1952

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Self · (1 episode)

1950

What's My Line?

Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)

1950

Make Mine Laughs

(archive footage)

1949

Look for the Silver Lining

Jack Donahue

1949

The Harvey Girls

Chris Maule

1946

Stage Door Canteen

Ray Bolger

1943

Four Jacks and a Jill

Nifty Sullivan, a Jack

1942

Sunny

Bunny Billings

1941

Harold Arlen's Home Movies on set of The Wizard of Oz

1939

The Wizard of Oz

"Hunk" / Scarecrow

1939

Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power

Self (uncredited)

1938

Sweethearts

Hans

1938

Rosalie

Bill Delroy

1937

The Great Ziegfeld

Ray Bolger

1936