Morris Ankrum

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

177

Gender

Male

Birthday

1896-08-28

Day of death

1964-09-02 (68 years old)

Place of Birth

Danville, Illinois, USA

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

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Studio One

    Studio One

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • M Squad

    M Squad

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour

    The 20th Century Fox Hour

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Sea Hunt

    Sea Hunt

  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show

    The Barbara Stanwyck Show

  • Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

    Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

  • Vera Cruz

    Vera Cruz

  • The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse

    The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse

  • Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

    Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

  • Dark Shadows

    Dark Shadows

  • The Omaha Trail

    The Omaha Trail

  • Flight to Mars

    Flight to Mars

  • Good News

    Good News

  • Zombies of Mora Tau

    Zombies of Mora Tau

  • When Gangland Strikes

    When Gangland Strikes

  • Apache

    Apache

  • From the Earth to the Moon

    From the Earth to the Moon

  • Gentle Annie

    Gentle Annie

  • Trail Dust

    Trail Dust

  • The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

    The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

  • Walk the Proud Land

    Walk the Proud Land

  • Guns of Diablo

    Guns of Diablo

  • In a Lonely Place

    In a Lonely Place

  • The Thin Man Goes Home

    The Thin Man Goes Home

  • Hopalong Cassidy Returns

    Hopalong Cassidy Returns

  • The Giant Claw

    The Giant Claw

  • Tales of Manhattan

    Tales of Manhattan

  • Tales of Manhattan

    Tales of Manhattan

  • Tower of London

    Tower of London

  • The Bandit Trail

    The Bandit Trail

  • Joan of Arc

    Joan of Arc

  • The Fountainhead

    The Fountainhead

  • Cynthia

    Cynthia

  • In Old Colorado

    In Old Colorado

  • Flight Nurse

    Flight Nurse

  • My Favorite Spy

    My Favorite Spy

  • Three Young Texans

    Three Young Texans

  • Drango

    Drango

  • Cattle Queen of Montana

    Cattle Queen of Montana

  • Cowboy G-Men

    Cowboy G-Men

  • Rustlers' Valley

    Rustlers' Valley

  • Three Men from Texas

    Three Men from Texas

  • Fury at Gunsight Pass

    Fury at Gunsight Pass

  • Lady in the Lake

    Lady in the Lake

  • The Lion Hunters

    The Lion Hunters

  • Twilight for the Gods

    Twilight for the Gods

  • The Moonlighter

    The Moonlighter

  • The Showdown

    The Showdown

  • Taza, Son of Cochise

    Taza, Son of Cochise

  • I Wake Up Screaming

    I Wake Up Screaming

  • Mutiny

    Mutiny

  • Because of You

    Because of You

  • Ten Gentlemen from West Point

    Ten Gentlemen from West Point

  • The Man Behind The Gun

    The Man Behind The Gun

  • Omar Khayyam

    Omar Khayyam

  • Rationing

    Rationing

  • The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

    The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe

  • Invaders from Mars

    Invaders from Mars

  • The Sea of Grass

    The Sea of Grass

  • Drums Across the River

    Drums Across the River

  • The Outlaw Stallion

    The Outlaw Stallion

  • X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

    X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

  • Kronos

    Kronos

  • Reunion in France

    Reunion in France

  • The Desperados Are in Town

    The Desperados Are in Town

  • Best Foot Forward

    Best Foot Forward

  • The Saga of Hemp Brown

    The Saga of Hemp Brown

  • Frontier Gun

    Frontier Gun

  • Colorado Territory

    Colorado Territory

  • Light of Western Stars

    Light of Western Stars

  • Most Dangerous Man Alive

    Most Dangerous Man Alive

  • The Eternal Sea

    The Eternal Sea

  • Giant from the Unknown

    Giant from the Unknown

  • Fort Osage

    Fort Osage

  • Southside 1-1000

    Southside 1-1000

  • Main Street Today

    Main Street Today

  • How to Make a Monster

    How to Make a Monster

  • High Wall

    High Wall

  • Doomed Caravan

    Doomed Caravan

  • Silver Lode

    Silver Lode

  • The Green Years

    The Green Years

  • Hills of Old Wyoming

    Hills of Old Wyoming

  • Fort Vengeance

    Fort Vengeance

  • Wide Open Town

    Wide Open Town

  • Chief Crazy Horse

    Chief Crazy Horse

  • Rocketship X-M

    Rocketship X-M

  • Quincannon, Frontier Scout

    Quincannon, Frontier Scout

  • Along the Great Divide

    Along the Great Divide

  • Sky Commando

    Sky Commando

  • Border Vigilantes

    Border Vigilantes

  • The Roundup

    The Roundup

  • Meet the People

    Meet the People

  • Let's Face It

    Let's Face It

  • The Steel Cage

    The Steel Cage

  • Adventure

    Adventure

  • Crashout

    Crashout

  • Tennessee Johnson

    Tennessee Johnson

  • Borderland

    Borderland

  • Swing Fever

    Swing Fever

  • Hell's Crossroads

    Hell's Crossroads

  • Southwest Passage

    Southwest Passage

  • The Harvey Girls

    The Harvey Girls

  • Ride 'Em Cowboy

    Ride 'Em Cowboy

  • Beginning of the End

    Beginning of the End

  • Tennessee's Partner

    Tennessee's Partner

  • Fighting Back

    Fighting Back

  • Son of Ali Baba

    Son of Ali Baba

  • Return from Nowhere

    Return from Nowhere

  • For the Love of Mary

    For the Love of Mary

  • North of the Rio Grande

    North of the Rio Grande

  • Chain Lightning

    Chain Lightning

  • The Redhead and The Cowboy

    The Redhead and The Cowboy

  • Fall Guy

    Fall Guy

  • Tomorrow Is Another Day

    Tomorrow Is Another Day

  • Two Guns and a Badge

    Two Guns and a Badge

  • A Star Shall Rise

    A Star Shall Rise

  • The Postman Always Rings Twice

    The Postman Always Rings Twice

  • This Woman Is Mine

    This Woman Is Mine

  • The Heavenly Body

    The Heavenly Body

  • Borderline

    Borderline

  • Mexican Manhunt

    Mexican Manhunt

  • Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman

    Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman

  • Badman's Country

    Badman's Country

  • The Raiders

    The Raiders

  • Knights of the Range

    Knights of the Range

  • Song of the Thin Man

    Song of the Thin Man

  • Cherokee Strip

    Cherokee Strip

  • The Movie Orgy

    The Movie Orgy

  • Young and Wild

    Young and Wild

  • The Cockeyed Miracle

    The Cockeyed Miracle

  • Fighting Coast Guard

    Fighting Coast Guard

  • Merton of the Movies

    Merton of the Movies

  • The Mighty McGurk

    The Mighty McGurk

  • Naked Gun

    Naked Gun

  • Stand Up and Cheer!

    Stand Up and Cheer!

  • Devil's Canyon

    Devil's Canyon

  • Tarawa Beachhead

    Tarawa Beachhead

  • Bad Men of Tombstone

    Bad Men of Tombstone

  • The Last Command

    The Last Command

  • Arena

    Arena

  • Roxie Hart

    Roxie Hart

  • Hiawatha

    Hiawatha

  • I Beheld His Glory

    I Beheld His Glory

  • Souvenirs of Death

    Souvenirs of Death

  • Courage of Lassie

    Courage of Lassie

  • Time to Kill

    Time to Kill

  • The Damned Don't Cry

    The Damned Don't Cry

  • Short Grass

    Short Grass

  • We Were Strangers

    We Were Strangers

  • Duel on the Mississippi

    Duel on the Mississippi

  • Little Mister Jim

    Little Mister Jim

  • Purity Squad

    Purity Squad

  • No Man's Woman

    No Man's Woman

  • Desire Me

    Desire Me

  • Road Agent

    Road Agent

  • The Power of the Resurrection

    The Power of the Resurrection

  • Red Planet Mars

    Red Planet Mars

  • Curse of the Faceless Man

    Curse of the Faceless Man

  • Marriage Is a Private Affair

    Marriage Is a Private Affair

  • The Silver Star

    The Silver Star

  • The Hidden Eye

    The Hidden Eye

  • Phantoms, Inc.

    Phantoms, Inc.

  • Buck Benny Rides Again

    Buck Benny Rides Again

  • Barbary Coast Gent

    Barbary Coast Gent

  • Dixie Dugan

    Dixie Dugan

  • The Fabulous Fraud

    The Fabulous Fraud

  • The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story

    The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story

  • Pirates on Horseback

    Pirates on Horseback