Actor · Acting

Morris Ankrum

Born 1896-08-28

Died 1964-09-02

📍 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.

Filmography 177

as Self (archive footage)

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)

Tower of London

as The Archbishop

Most Dangerous Man Alive

The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

as Gen. Lew Wallace

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

as Walter Harwood

From the Earth to the Moon

as President Ulysses S. Grant

Tarawa Beachhead

as Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)

as Andrew Barton

The Saga of Hemp Brown

Curse of the Faceless Man

as Narrator (unconfirmed)

Twilight for the Gods

Badman's Country

as Mayor Coleman

How to Make a Monster

as Police Capt. Hancock

as Police Capt. Egan

Giant from the Unknown

as Dr. Frederick Cleveland

The Power of the Resurrection

as Joshua Haines

as Police Inspector Dean

as Sharain's Father

Beginning of the End

as Gen. John Hanson

as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine

Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman

as Dr. Carl Jordan

as Dr. Albert Stern

Hell's Crossroads

Zombies of Mora Tau

as Dr. Jonathan Eggert

as Henry Calder

Down Liberty Road

as Fred Schroder

The Desperados Are in Town

as Mr. Rutherford

as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)

as Professor Rutledge

Walk the Proud Land

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

as Brig. Gen. John Hanley

Quincannon, Frontier Scout

as Col. Harry Conover

When Gangland Strikes

as Leo Fantzler

Fury at Gunsight Pass

as Doc Phillips

as Capt. Hostedder

The 20th Century Fox Hour

Tennessee's Partner

as Judge Parker

as John Clements

Duel on the Mississippi

as Magistrate (uncredited)

The Last Command

The Eternal Sea

as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble

The Silver Star

as Charlie Childress

Chief Crazy Horse

The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story

as Azar the Shepherd

as Gen. Ramírez

as Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"

Three Young Texans

Cattle Queen of Montana

as J.I. 'Pop' Jones

Two Guns and a Badge

as Sheriff Jackson

The Outlaw Stallion

as Zachary Evans

Drums Across the River

Southwest Passage

Taza, Son of Cochise

as Interrogation Officer

The Moonlighter

as Alexander Prince

Mexican Manhunt

as Gen. W.R. Combs

as Bucky Hillberry

Invaders from Mars

as Col. Fielding

I Beheld His Glory

as Chief Crowfoot

The Man Behind The Gun

as Bram Creegan

A Star Shall Rise

as Thomas Ainsworth

Son of Ali Baba

Red Planet Mars

as Secretary of Defense Sparks

as Capt. Radford

as Arthur Pickett

My Favorite Spy

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Tomorrow Is Another Day

Along the Great Divide

Fighting Coast Guard

as Navy Captain

The Lion Hunters

The Redhead and the Cowboy

Southside 1-1000

as Eugene Deane

as Dr. Ralph Fleming

In a Lonely Place

as Lloyd Barnes

The Damned Don't Cry

as Jim Whitehead

as Bill Whittaker

Chain Lightning

The Fountainhead

as Prosecutor (uncredited)

Colorado Territory

as United States Marshal

We Were Strangers

Bad Men of Tombstone

as Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain

For the Love of Mary

The Fabulous Fraud

as Blind Girl's Father

as Robert J. Higby

Souvenirs of Death

as Gangster (uncredited)

as Dr. Stanley Griffin

as Dean Griswold

as Hector Martin

Merton of the Movies

as Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)

as Mr. Phillips, Principal

Song of the Thin Man

as Inspector (uncredited)

The Sea of Grass

Little Mister Jim

as Col. W.I. Starwell

The Mighty McGurk

Lady in the Lake

as Eugene Grayson

Courage of Lassie

as Farmer Crews

The Cockeyed Miracle

The Green Years

as Dr. Galbraith

The Postman Always Rings Twice

as Judge (uncredited)

The Harvey Girls

as Rev. Claggett

as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)

as Dr. Adams (uncredited)

as Ferris (henchman)

as Narrator (voice)

as District Attorney (uncredited)

The Thin Man Goes Home

as Willoughby Peavy

as Lt. Pat McKay

as Deputy Gansby

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

as Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)

Return from Nowhere

as Doctor (uncredited)

Barbary Coast Gent

Marriage Is a Private Affair

Meet the People

as Monte Rowland

Main Street Today

as Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)

The Heavenly Body

The Cross of Lorraine

as Col. Demas (uncredited)

Best Foot Forward

as Col. Harkrider

as Man in Sun Shell Cafe

Reunion in France

as Alexander Morny

Tennessee Johnson

as Jefferson Davis

The Omaha Trail

as Henchman Job

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

Tales of Manhattan

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

as Martin S. Harrison

as Big John Morgan

Ride 'Em Cowboy

as Ace Anderson

I Wake Up Screaming

as Assistant District Attorney

The Bandit Trail

as Red Haggerty

This Woman Is Mine

Pirates on Horseback

Border Vigilantes

as 'Parenthesis'

In Old Colorado

as Weiler, Davidson's Foreman

as Stephen Westcott

Three Men from Texas

as Bruce Morgan

as Hawk Barrett

Buck Benny Rides Again

as Second Outlaw

The Light of Western Stars

as Nat Hayworth

as Baron Rendor

Knights of the Range

Rustlers' Valley

as Glen Randall

North of the Rio Grande

as Henry Stoneham

Hills of Old Wyoming

as Tex Anderson

Hopalong Cassidy Returns

as Blackie Felton

Stand Up and Cheer!

as Washington Press Correspondent