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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
In a Lonely Place
+5
as Lloyd Barnes 
+1 
Vera Cruz
+9
as Gen. Ramírez 
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
+20
as Mr. Bowhead (uncredited) 
The Postman Always Rings Twice
+5
as Judge (uncredited) 
Chief Crazy Horse
+2
as Red Cloud 
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
+5
as Brig. Gen. John Hanley 
Desire Me
as Hector Martin 
Invaders from Mars
+8
as Col. Fielding 
Song of the Thin Man
+5
as Inspector (uncredited) 
The Fountainhead
+2
as Prosecutor (uncredited) 
Along the Great Divide
+2
as Ed Roden 
Apache
+10
as Dawson 
Cattle Queen of Montana
+11
as J.I. 'Pop' Jones 
The Damned Don't Cry
+2
as Jim Whitehead 
We Were Strangers
as M. Seymour 
The Thin Man Goes Home
+2
as Willoughby Peavy 
Lady in the Lake
+2
as Eugene Grayson 
Reunion in France
+3
as Martin 
Chain Lightning
as Ed Bostwick 
The Giant Claw
as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine 
The Harvey Girls
+4
as Reverend Claggett 
Taza, Son of Cochise
+2
as Grey Eagle 
Colorado Territory
as United States Marshal 
The Sea of Grass
+2
as A.J. Crane 
Tower of London
+7
as The Archbishop 
Courage of Lassie
+2
as Farmer Crews 
Beginning of the End
+5
as Gen. John Hanson 
The Man Behind The Gun
+1
as Bram Creegan 
Ride 'Em Cowboy
+2
as Ace Anderson 
Red Planet Mars
+3
as Secretary of Defense Sparks 
Tennessee's Partner
+6
as Judge Parker 
Walk the Proud Land
+2
as Gen. Wade 
The Outlaw Stallion
as Sheriff 
How to Make a Monster
+10
as Police Capt. Hancock 
Rocketship X-M
+3
as Dr. Ralph Fleming 
Because of You
+2
as Dr. Travis 
Hiawatha
as Iagoo 
Silver Lode
+16
as Zachary Evans 
The Redhead and the Cowboy
+2
as Sheriff 
Omar Khayyam
+1
as Sharain's Father 
Guns of Diablo
+2
as Ray Macklin 
Drums Across the River
+2
as Chief Ouray 
From the Earth to the Moon
as President Ulysses S. Grant 
Duel on the Mississippi
as Magistrate (uncredited) 
Hell's Crossroads
as Wheeler 
Flight to Mars
+3
as Ikron 
Giant from the Unknown
+16
as Dr. Frederick Cleveland 
My Favorite Spy
+2
as Gen. Frazer 
Kronos
+1
as Dr. Albert Stern 
The Cross of Lorraine
as Col. Demas (uncredited) 
The Saga of Hemp Brown
+2
as Bo Slauter 
Curse of the Faceless Man
+12
as Narrator (unconfirmed) 
The Moonlighter
as Alexander Prince 
Adventure
+3
as Mr. Ludlow - Farmer (uncredited) 
The Power of the Resurrection
+5
as Annas 
Most Dangerous Man Alive
as Capt. Davis 
Zombies of Mora Tau
as Dr. Jonathan Eggert 
The Eternal Sea
as Vice-Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble 
Three Men from Texas
+7
as Bruce Morgan 
A Star Shall Rise
as King Herod 
Borderline
+16
as Bill Whittaker 
Naked Gun
+2
as Sheriff Jim Jackson (as Morrie Ankrum) 
Time to Kill
as Alexander Morny 
The Light of Western Stars
+14
as Nat Hayworth 
Best Foot Forward
+2
as Col. Harkrider 
Southwest Passage
+5
as Dr. Stanton 
For the Love of Mary
+2
as Adm. Walton 
Good News
+6
as Dean Griswold 
I Beheld His Glory
+7
as Peter 
Mutiny
+11
as Capt. Radford 
Short Grass
as Hal Fenton 
Fort Vengeance
as Chief Crowfoot 
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
+3
as Blackie Felton 
Meet the People
as Monte Rowland 
Hills of Old Wyoming
as Andrews 
North of the Rio Grande
+3
as Henry Stoneham 
Crashout
as Head Guard 
Quincannon, Frontier Scout
+1
as Col. Harry Conover 
The Hidden Eye
as Ferris (henchman) 
Badman's Country
+3
as Mayor Coleman