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Morris Ankrum

Morris Ankrum

Birthday: 1896-08-28 | 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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1964
Guns of Diablo

as    Ray Macklin

1963
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

as    Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)

1961
Most Dangerous Man Alive

as    Capt. Davis

1958
The Saga of Hemp Brown

as    Bo Slauter

1958
1958
Giant from the Unknown

as    Dr. Frederick Cleveland

1958
Curse of the Faceless Man

as    Narrator (unconfirmed)

1958
How to Make a Monster

as    Police Capt. Hancock

1958
From the Earth to the Moon

as    President Ulysses S. Grant

1957
Zombies of Mora Tau

as    Dr. Jonathan Eggert

1957
Beginning of the End

as    Gen. John Hanson

1957
Drango

as    Henry Calder

1957
The Giant Claw

as    Lt. Gen. Edward Considine

1956
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

as    Brig. Gen. John Hanley

1956
Quincannon, Frontier Scout

as    Col. Harry Conover

1956
When Gangland Strikes

as    Leo Fantzler

1956
Naked Gun

as    Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)

1955
Tennessee's Partner

as    Judge Parker

1955
Chief Crazy Horse

as    Red Cloud

1955
The Eternal Sea

as    Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble

1954
Drums Across the River

as    Chief Ouray

1954
Apache

as    Dawson

1954
Southwest Passage

as    Dr. Stanton

1954
Taza, Son of Cochise

as    Grey Eagle

1954
Cattle Queen of Montana

as    J.I. 'Pop' Jones

1953
The Moonlighter

as    Alexander Prince

1953
The Man Behind The Gun

as    Bram Creegan

1953
Invaders from Mars

as    Col. Fielding

1953
Devil's Canyon

as    Ed

1953
Sky Commando

as    Gen. W.R. Combs