Morris Ankrum

Biography

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.

Known For

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

Baron Rendor

The Showdown

Stephen Westcott

Doomed Caravan

Ace Gibson

Pirates on Horseback

Weiler, Davidson's Foreman

In Old Colorado

Bruce Morgan

Three Men from Texas

Jim Stuart

Wide Open Town

Henry Stoneham

North of the Rio Grande

Blackie Felton

Hopalong Cassidy Returns

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

Hawk Barrett

Cherokee Strip

Sheriff Jackson

Two Guns and a Badge

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

Henchman Job

The Omaha Trail

Red Haggerty

The Bandit 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

Annas

The Power of the Resurrection

Peter

I Beheld His Glory

Roussel

This Woman Is Mine

Dan Forbes

Border Vigilantes

'Parenthesis'

The Roundup

Mr. Jones

Bad Men of Tombstone

Bucky Hillberry

Arena

Charlie Childress

The Silver Star

Wood

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

J.I. 'Pop' Jones

Cattle Queen of Montana

Sheriff

The Outlaw Stallion

Mr. Rutherford

The Desperados Are in Town

Mayor Coleman

Badman's Country

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

Judge Tom Barnes (Robinson sequence)

Tales of Manhattan

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

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

161

Gender

Male

Birthday

1896-08-28

Place of Birth

Danville, Illinois, USA

Also Known As

Morris Nussbaum