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
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
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
161
Gender
Male
Birthday
1896-08-28
Place of Birth
Danville, Illinois, USA
Also Known As
Morris Nussbaum