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Morris Ankrum
Known for: ActingFrom 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.
Filmography 82
Vera Cruz
+2
as Gen. Ramírez 
In a Lonely Place
as Lloyd Barnes 
Flight to Mars
as Ikron 
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
+3
as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited) 
Adventure
+1
as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited) 
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
+1
as Brig. Gen. John Hanley 
Apache
+2
as Dawson 
Hell's Crossroads
as Wheeler 
Mutiny
+4
as Capt. Radford 
Chief Crazy Horse
as Red Cloud 
Cattle Queen of Montana
+2
as J.I. 'Pop' Jones 
Desire Me
as Hector Martin 
The Postman Always Rings Twice
as Judge (uncredited) 
Invaders from Mars
+2
as Col. Fielding 
Song of the Thin Man
as Inspector (uncredited) 
The Fountainhead
as Prosecutor (uncredited) 
Along the Great Divide
+1
as Ed Roden 
Red Planet Mars
as Secretary of Defense Sparks 
Silver Lode
+3
as Zachary Evans 
The Damned Don't Cry
+1
as Jim Whitehead 
We Were Strangers
as M. Seymour 
The Thin Man Goes Home
as Willoughby Peavy 
Lady in the Lake
+1
as Eugene Grayson 
Reunion in France
+1
as Martin 
The Giant Claw
as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine 
Good News
+1
as Dean Griswold 
The Man Behind The Gun
as Bram Creegan 
The Harvey Girls
+1
as Reverend Claggett 
Taza, Son of Cochise
as Grey Eagle 
Colorado Territory
as United States Marshal 
Tennessee's Partner
+1
as Judge Parker 
Tower of London
as The Archbishop 
Kronos
as Dr. Albert Stern 
Courage of Lassie
+2
as Farmer Crews 
Beginning of the End
as Gen. John Hanson 
Ride 'Em Cowboy
as Ace Anderson 
The Eternal Sea
as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble 
Short Grass
as Hal Fenton 
Chain Lightning
as Ed Bostwick 
Walk the Proud Land
as Gen. Wade 
The Outlaw Stallion
as Sheriff 
How to Make a Monster
+1
as Police Capt. Hancock 
The Sea of Grass
as A.J. Crane 
Rocketship X-M
as Dr. Ralph Fleming 
Because of You
as Dr. Travis 
Hiawatha
as Iagoo 
The Redhead and the Cowboy
as Sheriff 
Omar Khayyam
+1
as Sharain's Father 
Guns of Diablo
as Ray Macklin 
Drums Across the River
as Chief Ouray 
From the Earth to the Moon
as President Ulysses S. Grant 
Duel on the Mississippi
as Magistrate (uncredited) 
Giant from the Unknown
+2
as Dr. Frederick Cleveland 
My Favorite Spy
+1
as Gen. Frazer 
The Cross of Lorraine
as Col. Demas (uncredited) 
The Saga of Hemp Brown
as Bo Slauter 
Curse of the Faceless Man
+4
as Narrator (unconfirmed) 
The Moonlighter
as Alexander Prince 
The Power of the Resurrection
as Annas 
Most Dangerous Man Alive
as Capt. Davis 
Zombies of Mora Tau
as Dr. Jonathan Eggert 
Three Men from Texas
as Bruce Morgan 
The Hidden Eye
as Ferris (henchman) 
A Star Shall Rise
as King Herod 
Borderline
+2
as Bill Whittaker 
Naked Gun
as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum) 
Time to Kill
as Alexander Morny 
The Light of Western Stars
as Nat Hayworth 
Crashout
as Head Guard 
Best Foot Forward
as Col. Harkrider 
Southwest Passage
as Dr. Stanton 
For the Love of Mary
as Adm. Walton 
I Beheld His Glory
+4
as Peter 
Fort Vengeance
as Chief Crowfoot 
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
as Blackie Felton 
Meet the People
as Monte Rowland 
Hills of Old Wyoming
as Andrews 
North of the Rio Grande
as Henry Stoneham 
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
as Col. Harry Conover 
Badman's Country
as Mayor Coleman