
Morris Ankrum
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.
179 acting credits
Acting · 179

Perry Mason
1957

Bonanza
1959

The Rifleman
1958

Maverick
1957

Cheyenne
1955
Four Star Playhouse
1952

Studio One
1948

Gunsmoke
1955

Sea Hunt
1958

M Squad
1957

The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955

The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
1953

Cowboy G-Men
1952

The Fountainhead
1949

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
1944
On Trial
1956

The Postman Always Rings Twice
1946

Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
1957

Dr. Fu Manchu
1956

The Movie Orgy
1968

In a Lonely Place
1950

Joan of Arc
1948

Vera Cruz
1954

Apache
1954

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
1956

The Sea of Grass
1947

Lady in the Lake
1946

The Thin Man Goes Home
1944

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963

Chief Crazy Horse
1955

Colorado Territory
1949

Guns of Diablo
1964

Along the Great Divide
1951

The Harvey Girls
1946

Invaders from Mars
1953

Tales of Manhattan
1942

Song of the Thin Man
1947

Reunion in France
1942

High Wall
1947

The Damned Don't Cry
1950

Roxie Hart
1942

The Giant Claw
1957

The Last Command
1955

Tennessee Johnson
1942

Southwest Passage
1954

Courage of Lassie
1946

The Man Behind The Gun
1953

Mutiny
1952

Son of Ali Baba
1952

Frontier Gun
1958

We Were Strangers
1949

Borderline
1950

Duel on the Mississippi
1955

Crashout
1955

Adventure
1945

Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942

Drango
1957

Curse of the Faceless Man
1958

Desire Me
1947

The Moonlighter
1953

For the Love of Mary
1948

From the Earth to the Moon
1958

Zombies of Mora Tau
1957

Walk the Proud Land
1956

Kronos
1957

Arena
1953

This Woman Is Mine
1941

Tower of London
1962

The Heavenly Body
1944

Wide Open Town
1941

The Saga of Hemp Brown
1958

Rocketship X-M
1950

Fort Osage
1952

My Favorite Spy
1951

Giant from the Unknown
1958

Doomed Caravan
1941

Naked Gun
1956

Beginning of the End
1957

Red Planet Mars
1952

Cattle Queen of Montana
1954

Gentle Annie
1944

How to Make a Monster
1958

Ride 'Em Cowboy
1941

Because of You
1952

Silver Lode
1954

The Green Years
1946

Good News
1947

I Wake Up Screaming
1941

Time to Kill
1942

Taza, Son of Cochise
1954

The Silver Star
1955

Tennessee's Partner
1955

Stand Up and Cheer!
1934

Cynthia
1947

Dark Shadows
1944

The Showdown
1940

Flight to Mars
1951

Sky Commando
1953

Chain Lightning
1950

Road Agent
1941

Meet the People
1944

Phantoms, Inc.
1945

Fort Vengeance
1953

Dixie Dugan
1943

The Redhead and the Cowboy
1951

The Mighty McGurk
1947

Cherokee Strip
1940

The Desperados Are in Town
1956

The Light of Western Stars
1940

The Eternal Sea
1955

Borderland
1937

Drums Across the River
1954

The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
1961

Mexican Manhunt
1953

The Power of the Resurrection
1958

Quincannon, Frontier Scout
1956

Best Foot Forward
1943

Rationing
1944

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe
1942

When Gangland Strikes
1956

Border Vigilantes
1941

The Lion Hunters
1951

Short Grass
1950

The Steel Cage
1954

Omar Khayyam
1957

In Old Colorado
1941

Twilight for the Gods
1958

North of the Rio Grande
1937

Three Men from Texas
1940

Southside 1-1000
1950

Swing Fever
1943

The Cross of Lorraine
1943

Barbary Coast Gent
1944

Bad Men of Tombstone
1949

Main Street Today
1944

Devil's Canyon
1953

Fighting Back
1948

Tomorrow Is Another Day
1951

The Roundup
1941

Hell's Crossroads
1957

Flight Nurse
1953

Tarawa Beachhead
1958

Hopalong Cassidy Returns
1936

Young and Wild
1958

Pirates on Horseback
1941

Trail Dust
1936

Badman's Country
1958

The Raiders
1952

Purity Squad
1945

Fighting Coast Guard
1951

Marriage Is a Private Affair
1944

Buck Benny Rides Again
1940

Knights of the Range
1940

Fury at Gunsight Pass
1956

Let's Face It
1943

The Omaha Trail
1942

The Hidden Eye
1945

The Bandit Trail
1941

Merton of the Movies
1947

Souvenirs of Death
1948

Hiawatha
1952

Rustlers' Valley
1937

No Man's Woman
1955

Most Dangerous Man Alive
1961

Hills of Old Wyoming
1937

Fall Guy
1945

The Outlaw Stallion
1954

I Beheld His Glory
1953

A Star Shall Rise
1952

The Cockeyed Miracle
1946

Two Guns and a Badge
1954

Return from Nowhere
1944

Three Young Texans
1954

The Fabulous Fraud
1948

The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
1955

Little Mister Jim
1947

Down Liberty Road
1957