George Murphy
Biography
George Murphy was an American dancer and stage, screen, and television actor, as well as a United States Senator. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In movies, Murphy was known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938, Broadway Melody of 1940 and For Me and My Gal. He made his movie debut shortly after talking pictures had replaced silent movies in 1930, and his career continued until he retired as an actor in 1952, at the age of 50. During World War II, he organized entertainment for American troops. In 1951, he was awarded an honorary Academy Award. He was never nominated for an Oscar in any competitive category. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946. He was also a vice president of Desilu Productions and of the Technicolor Corporation. He was director of entertainment for presidential inaugurations in 1953, 1957 and 1961.
Known For
'Pop' Stazak
Battleground
Narrator (voice)
The Hoaxters
Jimmy K. Metcalf
For Me and My Gal
Jack Bearnes
Border Incident
Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
The Arnelo Affair
Lt. Steve Bentley
Bataan
Gordon Miller
Step Lively
Jerry Jones
This Is the Army
King Shaw
Broadway Melody of 1940
Jerry Kelly
Little Nellie Kelly
Sonny Ledford
Broadway Melody of 1938
Roger Wendling
Little Miss Broadway
Jimmy McGonagle
Rise and Shine
Johnny Demming
Broadway Rhythm
Police Insp. Matt Duggan
No Questions Asked
Mr. Patrick Callaghan
It's a Big Country
Tom
Tom, Dick and Harry
Robert Fontaine Sr.
Talk About a Stranger
Eddie Kerns
Two Girls on Broadway
Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
Walk East on Beacon
Barry Paige
Letter of Introduction
Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
The Navy Comes Through
Steve Abbutt
Tenth Avenue Angel
Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
Ringside Maisie
Jake Justus
Having Wonderful Crime
Larry Bishop
Cynthia
Edward Joseph "Red" Foster
The Public Menace
Bill Raeburn
The Women Men Marry
George Doane
Show Business
Claudius "Coffee Cup" Cup
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
Joseph Morton
Up Goes Maisie
Joe Jonathan
The Mayor of 44th Street
Patrick O'Donnell
Big City
Michael Denis
London by Night
Rusty Stevens
Hold That Co-ed
Self (uncredited)
Hollywood Hobbies
1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration
Jerry Lane
Kid Millions
Dan Clifford
Risky Business
Jerry Hendricks
The Powers Girl
Alan Blake
Public Deb No. 1
Hal Adams
You're a Sweetheart
Ted Lane
Top of the Town
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine
Jerry Davis
After the Dance
(archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Entertainment!
Keat Shevlin
Woman Trap
Himself (uncredited)
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga
Cavalryman (uncredited)
They Died with Their Boots On
Larry O'Roarke
Jealousy
Carl Brent
I'll Love You Always
Self
Show-Business at War
Charlie Hall
Violets in Spring
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
Self
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
(archive footage)
Twenty Years After
Self
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
Self (archive footage)
Frank Capra's American Dream
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
59
Gender
Male
Birthday
1902-07-04
Place of Birth
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Also Known As
George Lloyd Murphy