
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.

Eugene Grayson
Lady in the Lake

Self (archive footage)
The Movie Orgy

Col. Fielding
Invaders from Mars

District Attorney (uncredited)
Fall Guy

Assistant District Attorney
I Wake Up Screaming

Dr. Green
The Heavenly Body

Judge (uncredited)
The Postman Always Rings Twice

Police Capt. Egan
Young and Wild

Head Guard
Crashout

Dr. Stanley Griffin
High Wall

Zachary Evans
Silver Lode

United States Marshal
Colorado Territory

Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
The Giant Claw

Jim Whitehead
The Damned Don't Cry

Hugh Wagner
Tomorrow Is Another Day

Willoughby Peavy
The Thin Man Goes Home

Dawson
Apache

Judge Parker
Tennessee's Partner

Ikron
Flight to Mars

Dr. Albert Stern
Kronos

Farmer Crews
Courage of Lassie

Dr. Ralph Fleming
Rocketship X-M

Dr. Jonathan Eggert
Zombies of Mora Tau

The Last Command

President Ulysses S. Grant
From the Earth to the Moon

Sea Captain
Twilight for the Gods

Capt. Davis
Most Dangerous Man Alive

Bill Whittaker
Borderline

Lloyd Barnes
In a Lonely Place

Gen. John Hanson
Beginning of the End

Eugene Deane
Southside 1-1000

Brig. Gen. John Hanley
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

Leo Fantzler
When Gangland Strikes

Alexander Morny
Time to Kill

M. Seymour
We Were Strangers

Stephen Westcott
Doomed Caravan

Baron Rendor
The Showdown

Weiler, Davidson's Foreman
In Old Colorado

Ace Gibson
Pirates on Horseback

Bruce Morgan
Three Men from Texas

Jim Stuart
Wide Open Town

Blackie Felton
Hopalong Cassidy Returns

Henry Stoneham
North of the Rio Grande

Glen Randall
Rustlers' Valley

Loco
Borderland

Magistrate (uncredited)
Duel on the Mississippi

Andrews
Hills of Old Wyoming

Tex Anderson
Trail Dust

Grey Eagle
Taza, Son of Cochise

Dr. Frederick Cleveland
Giant from the Unknown

Capt. Hostedder
No Man's Woman

Ali Baba
Son of Ali Baba

Gen. Lew Wallace
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

Martin S. Harrison
Roxie Hart

Bram Creegan
The Man Behind The Gun

Ray Macklin
Guns of Diablo

Ferris (henchman)
The Hidden Eye

Ed Bostwick
Chain Lightning

Gen. W.R. Combs
Sky Commando

Gen. Frazer
My Favorite Spy

Sheriff
The Redhead and the Cowboy

Adm. William F. Halsey - Captain of the 'Hornet' (uncredited)
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

Chief Ouray
Drums Across the River

Col. Harry Conover
Quincannon, Frontier Scout

Iagoo
Hiawatha

Prison Board Member Garvey, segment "The Hostages"
The Steel Cage

Dr. Wilson
The Cockeyed Miracle

Dr. Carl Jordan
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman

Police Capt. Hancock
How to Make a Monster

Wheeler
Hell's Crossroads

Blind Girl's Father
The Fabulous Fraud

Ed
Devil's Canyon

Dan Conlon
Swing Fever

Morgan
Rationing

Hector Martin
Desire Me

Tom Forbes
The Lion Hunters

Capt. Radford
Mutiny

Dr. Travis
Because of You

Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited)
Adventure

Mr. Phillips, Principal
Cynthia

Dr. Stanton
Southwest Passage

Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble
The Eternal Sea

Dean Griswold
Good News

Sharain's Father
Omar Khayyam

Doc Phillips
Fury at Gunsight Pass

Adm. Walton
For the Love of Mary

Chief Crowfoot
Fort Vengeance

Alec Veeder
Barbary Coast Gent

Thomas Ainsworth
The Raiders

King Herod
A Star Shall Rise

Azar the Shepherd
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story

Robert J. Higby
Fighting Back

Deputy Gansby
Gentle Annie

Arthur Pickett
Fort Osage

Editor
Dixie Dugan

Ace Anderson
Ride 'Em Cowboy

Interrogation Officer
Flight Nurse

Mr. Bowhead (uncredited)
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

Lt. Pat McKay
Dark Shadows

Col. Harkrider
Best Foot Forward

Sheriff Jackson
Two Guns and a Badge

Hawk Barrett
Cherokee Strip

Dr. Adams (uncredited)
Purity Squad

Henry Calder
Drango

Monte Rowland
Meet the People

Alexander Prince
The Moonlighter

Ed Roden
Along the Great Divide

Goodfellow's Club Manager (uncredited)
Merton of the Movies

Red Haggerty
The Bandit Trail

Henchman Job
The Omaha Trail

Narrator (unconfirmed)
Curse of the Faceless Man

Tip Morgan
Mexican Manhunt

Nat Hayworth
The Light of Western Stars

Second Outlaw
Buck Benny Rides Again

The Archbishop
Tower of London

Gamecock
Knights of the Range

Gen. Ramírez
Vera Cruz

Mr. Graham
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator (voice)
Phantoms, Inc.

Hal Fenton
Short Grass

Judge
Tales of Manhattan

Peter
I Beheld His Glory

Annas
The Power of the Resurrection

Roussel
This Woman Is Mine

Dan Forbes
Border Vigilantes

'Parenthesis'
The Roundup

Mr. Jones
Bad Men of Tombstone

Bucky Hillberry
Arena

Wood
Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Charlie Childress
The Silver Star

J.I. 'Pop' Jones
Cattle Queen of Montana

Sheriff
The Outlaw Stallion

Mayor Coleman
Badman's Country

Mr. Rutherford
The Desperados Are in Town

Jeff Blair
Three Young Texans

Bo Slauter
The Saga of Hemp Brown

Andrew Barton
Frontier Gun

Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum)
Naked Gun

Col. W.I. Starwell
Little Mister Jim

Fowles
The Mighty McGurk

Ed Scofield
Marriage Is a Private Affair

Navy Captain
Fighting Coast Guard

Doctor (uncredited)
Return from Nowhere

Inspector (uncredited)
Song of the Thin Man

Red Cloud
Chief Crazy Horse

Mayor Charlie Maxwell (uncredited)
Main Street Today

Gangster (uncredited)
Souvenirs of Death

Prosecutor (uncredited)
The Fountainhead

Gen. Wade
Walk the Proud Land

Martin
Reunion in France

Secretary of Defense Sparks
Red Planet Mars

Chief of Staff, Pearl Harbor (uncredited)
Tarawa Beachhead

Poton de Xaintrailles, Captain
Joan of Arc

Jefferson Davis
Tennessee Johnson

Rev. Claggett
The Harvey Girls

A.J. Crane
The Sea of Grass

Big John Morgan
Road Agent

Washington Press Correspondent
Stand Up and Cheer!

Dr. Galbraith
The Green Years

Man in Sun Shell Cafe
Let's Face It

Col. Demas (uncredited)
The Cross of Lorraine
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
161
Gender
Male
Birthday
1896-08-28
Place of Birth
Danville, Illinois, USA
Also Known As
Morris Nussbaum