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