Morris Ankrum
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Perry Mason
Judge
1957
Series
Perry Mason
Judge Hoyt
1957
Series
Bonanza
Mr. Mason
1959
Series
Maverick
Joshua Haines
1957
Series
Studio One
Considine
1948
Series
The Rifleman
1958
Series
Four Star Playhouse
Warden
1952
Series
Four Star Playhouse
Mr. Raymond
1952
Series
Four Star Playhouse
Mr. Mason
1952
Series
Cheyenne
John Clements
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Merle
1955
Series
Sea Hunt
1958
Series
M Squad
Police Inspector Dean
1957
Series
Bronco
Gilbert Groves
1958
Series
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Henry
1955
Series
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
Walter Harwood
1960
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
1953
Series
Cowboy G-Men
1952
On Trial
Judge
1956
Series
Dr. Fu Manchu
Professor Rutledge
1956
Film
Chain Lightning
Ed Bostwick
1950
Film
Desire Me
Hector Martin
1947
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Film
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Judge (uncredited)
1946
Film
Phantoms, Inc.
Narrator (voice)
1945
Film
In a Lonely Place
Lloyd Barnes
1950
Film
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Brig. Gen. John Hanley
1956
Film
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
1963
Film
Stand Up and Cheer!
Washington Press Correspondent
1934
Film
Tarawa Beachhead
Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
1958
Film
Vera Cruz
Gen. Ramírez
1954
Film
Chief Crazy Horse
Red Cloud
1955
Film
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
1944
Film
We Were Strangers
M. Seymour
1949
Film
Roxie Hart
Martin S. Harrison
1942
Film
The Redhead and the Cowboy
Sheriff
1951
Film
Invaders from Mars
Col. Fielding
1953
Film
Courage of Lassie
Farmer Crews
1946
Film
The Movie Orgy
Self (archive footage)
1968
Film
Taza, Son of Cochise
Grey Eagle
1954
Film
Apache
Dawson
1954
Film
Joan of Arc
Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
1948
Film
The Man Behind The Gun
Bram Creegan
1953
Film
The Green Years
Dr. Galbraith (uncredited)
1946
Film
Song of the Thin Man
Inspector (uncredited)
1947
Film
The Damned Don't Cry
Jim Whitehead
1950
Film
Swing Fever
Dan Conlon
1943
Film
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Dr. Carl Jordan
1957
Film
The Thin Man Goes Home
Willoughby Peavy
1944
Film
Two Guns and a Badge
Sheriff Jackson
1954
Film
Fall Guy
District Attorney (uncredited)
1945
Film
Fighting Back
Robert J. Higby
1948
Film
Road Agent
Big John Morgan
1941
Film
The Fountainhead
Prosecutor (uncredited)
1949
Film
Son of Ali Baba
Ali Baba
1952
Film
Walk the Proud Land
Gen. Wade
1956
Film
I Wake Up Screaming
Assistant District Attorney
1941
Film
Rocketship X-M
Dr. Ralph Fleming
1950
Film
Along the Great Divide
Ed Roden
1951
Film
From the Earth to the Moon
President Ulysses S. Grant
1958
Film
Little Mister Jim
Col. W.I. Starwell
1947
Film
Fighting Coast Guard
Navy Captain
1951
Film
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Wood
1942
Film
The Sea of Grass
A.J. Crane
1947
Film
The Giant Claw
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
1957
Film
Lady in the Lake
Eugene Grayson
1946
Film
Beginning of the End
Gen. John Hanson
1957
Film
Cattle Queen of Montana
J.I. 'Pop' Jones
1954
Film
My Favorite Spy
Gen. Frazer
1951
Film
The Steel Cage
Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
1954
Film
The Harvey Girls
Reverend Claggett
1946
Film
Silver Lode
Zachary Evans
1954
Film
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Ace Anderson
1942
Film
Tales of Manhattan
Judge
1942
Film
Drums Across the River
Chief Ouray
1954
Film
Duel on the Mississippi
Magistrate (uncredited)
1955
Film
The Saga of Hemp Brown
Bo Slauter
1958
Film
Mutiny
Capt. Radford
1952
Film
The Last Command
1955
Film
Hiawatha
Iagoo
1952
Film
Kronos
Dr. Albert Stern
1957
Film
Devil's Canyon
Ed
1953
Film
How to Make a Monster
Police Capt. Hancock
1958
Film
Time to Kill
Alexander Morny
1942
Film
Adventure
Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
1945
Film
Flight to Mars
Ikron
1951
Film
Red Planet Mars
Secretary of Defense Sparks
1952
Film
Guns of Diablo
Ray Macklin
1964
Film
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Hugh Wagner
1951
Film
No Man's Woman
Capt. Hostedder
1955
Film
Zombies of Mora Tau
Dr. Jonathan Eggert
1957
Film
The Eternal Sea
Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
1955
Film
Reunion in France
Martin
1942
Film
Curse of the Faceless Man
Narrator (unconfirmed)
1958
Film
Borderline
Bill Whittaker
1950
Film
Southwest Passage
Dr. Stanton
1954
Film
Tennessee's Partner
Judge Parker
1955
Film
Purity Squad
Dr. Adams (uncredited)
1945
Film
Bad Men of Tombstone
Mr. Jones
1949
Film
Crashout
Head Guard
1955
Film
The Raiders
Thomas Ainsworth
1952
Film
Tower of London
The Archbishop
1962
Film
Hell's Crossroads
Wheeler
1957
Film
Omar Khayyam
Sharain's Father
1957
Film
Tennessee Johnson
Jefferson Davis
1942
Film
Fort Osage
Arthur Pickett
1952
Film
The Silver Star
Charlie Childress
1955
Film
The Light of Western Stars
Nat Hayworth
1940
Film
Colorado Territory
United States Marshal
1949
Film
The Power of the Resurrection
Annas
1958
Film
The Cross of Lorraine
Col. Demas (uncredited)
1943
Film
Let's Face It
Man in Sun Shell Cafe
1943
Film
Good News
Dean Griswold
1947
Film
Down Liberty Road
Fred Schroder
1957
Film
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
Gen. Lew Wallace
1961
Film
I Beheld His Glory
Peter
1953
Film
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
Col. Harry Conover
1956
Film
Southside 1-1000
Eugene Deane
1950
Film
For the Love of Mary
Adm. Walton
1948
Film
The Mighty McGurk
Fowles
1947
Film
Hills of Old Wyoming
Andrews
1937
Film
Most Dangerous Man Alive
Capt. Davis
1961
Film
Giant from the Unknown
Dr. Frederick Cleveland
1958
Film
Merton of the Movies
Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
1947
Film
Buck Benny Rides Again
Second Outlaw
1940
Film
Best Foot Forward
Col. Harkrider
1943
Film
Three Young Texans
Jeff Blair
1954
Film
The Desperados Are in Town
Mr. Rutherford
1956
Film
High Wall
Dr. Stanley Griffin
1947
Film
Cynthia
Mr. Phillips, Principal
1947
Film
Because of You
Dr. Travis
1952
Film
Three Men from Texas
Bruce Morgan
1940
Film
Gentle Annie
Deputy Gansby
1944
Film
The Cockeyed Miracle
Dr. Wilson
1946
Film
The Moonlighter
Alexander Prince
1953
Film
Twilight for the Gods
Sea Captain
1958
Film
The Roundup
'Parenthesis'
1941
Film
North of the Rio Grande
Henry Stoneham
1937
Film
Rationing
Morgan
1944
Film
Souvenirs of Death
Gangster (uncredited)
1948
Film
Marriage Is a Private Affair
Ed Scofield
1944
Film
Short Grass
Hal Fenton
1950
Film
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
Mr. Graham
1942
Film
Flight Nurse
Interrogation Officer
1953
Film
The Heavenly Body
Dr. Green
1944
Film
A Star Shall Rise
King Herod
1952
Film
Borderland
Loco
1937
Film
Wide Open Town
Jim Stuart
1941
Film
Badman's Country
Mayor Coleman
1958
Film
This Woman Is Mine
Roussel
1941
Film
The Outlaw Stallion
Sheriff
1954
Film
Fort Vengeance
Chief Crowfoot
1953
Film
Fury at Gunsight Pass
Doc Phillips
1956
Film
Barbary Coast Gent
Alec Veeder
1944
Film
Arena
Bucky Hillberry
1953
Film
Drango
Henry Calder
1957
Film
Main Street Today
Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
1944
Film
Meet the People
Monte Rowland
1944
Film
Knights of the Range
Gamecock
1940
Film
The Lion Hunters
Tom Forbes
1951
Film
Rustlers' Valley
Glen Randall
1937
Film
The Omaha Trail
Henchman Job
1942
Film
Border Vigilantes
Dan Forbes
1941
Film
Sky Commando
Gen. W.R. Combs
1953
Film
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
Azar the Shepherd
1955
Film
Pirates on Horseback
Ace Gibson
1941
Film
In Old Colorado
Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
1941
Film
When Gangland Strikes
Leo Fantzler
1956
Film
Doomed Caravan
Stephen Westcott
1941
Film
Naked Gun
Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
1956
Film
The Bandit Trail
Red Haggerty
1941
Film
Cherokee Strip
Hawk Barrett
1940
Film
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
Blackie Felton
1936
Film
Dark Shadows
Lt. Pat McKay
1944
Film
Trail Dust
Tex Anderson
1936
Film
The Showdown
Baron Rendor
1940
Film
The Hidden Eye
Ferris (henchman)
1945
Film
Dixie Dugan
Editor
1943
Film
Young and Wild
Police Capt. Egan
1958
Film
Frontier Gun
Andrew Barton
1958
Film
Return from Nowhere
Doctor (uncredited)
1944
Film
Mexican Manhunt
Tip Morgan
1953
Film
The Fabulous Fraud
Blind Girl's Father
1948