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IMDbPro

Ken Murray(1903-1988)

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Murray
Clip: You didn't kill Liberty Valance
Play clip0:33
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
3 Videos
38 Photos
He wasn't a natural, instinctive talent but entertainer Ken Murray had solid breeding to rely on. Born in 1903 in New York City, his father was a vaudeville comic and Ken taught himself to dance, sing, tell jokes, and even perform rope tricks to try and get ahead. It paid off. Touring in an act with his first wife, Ken was soon headlining the Palace during the declining days of vaudeville. At first a hobby, Ken found another lucrative outlet when he went to Hollywood and bought a 16mm home movie camera to take shots of home and family. As his name around town increased, so did the quality of his subjects, which now included famous movie stars who mugged willingly for the camera. By the mid 1930s, his movies were being utilized by Columbia in a short subject series called "Screen Snapshots", clips that are still used today for documentaries and retrospects.

In 1942, Ken appeared as producer, star and overall ringleader of the stage show "Ken Murray's Blackouts", a strange blend of risqué humor, well-proportioned young starlets, musical interludes and novelty acts that ran for many years. In fact, it set a record at the time for the longest running show in the history of Los Angeles (7 years, 3,844 performances). It became an absolute must-see during WWII.

He received a special Academy Award in 1947 for "novel and entertaining use of the medium". Ken hosted his own TV show, The Ken Murray Show (1950), between 1950 and 1953. He worked in Las Vegas showrooms as well in the 50s, managing a few acting roles on the side, notably L'homme qui tua Liberty Valance (1962). The showman with the distinct crew cut penned his autobiography "Life on a Pogo Stick" in 1960. In 1979 he edited his home movies into a film anthology called "Ken Murray's Shooting Stars".

He had four children, two boys and two girls -- his son Cort was a professional singer at one time.

Ken died at age 85 in Burbank, California.
BornJuly 14, 1903
DiedOctober 12, 1988(85)
BornJuly 14, 1903
DiedOctober 12, 1988(85)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos38

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Known for

L'homme qui tua Liberty Valance (1962)
L'homme qui tua Liberty Valance
8.1
  • Doc Willoughby
  • 1962
Lona Andre, Ken Murray, Ruth Rogers, Sheila Ryan, and Beryl Wallace in A Night at Earl Carroll's (1940)
A Night at Earl Carroll's
6.0
  • Barney Nelson
  • 1940
Kurt Russell and Fred MacMurray in Demain... des hommes (1966)
Demain... des hommes
7.1
  • Melody Murphy
  • 1966
Ken Murray in Printemps à gazouilliville (1948)
Printemps à gazouilliville
5.5
  • Ken Murray (Prologue)
  • 1948

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor



  • Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Art Carney, and Augustus von Schumacher in Won Ton Ton, le chien qui sauva Hollywood (1976)
    Won Ton Ton, le chien qui sauva Hollywood
    4.8
    • Souvenir Salesman
    • 1976
  • Love, American Style (1969)
    Love, American Style
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Ben (segment "Love and the Marriage Counselor")
    • 1970
  • George Hamilton, Richard Carlson, Arthur O'Connell, and Suzanne Pleshette in La guerre des cerveaux (1968)
    La guerre des cerveaux
    5.9
    • Grover
    • 1968
  • Kurt Russell and Fred MacMurray in Demain... des hommes (1966)
    Demain... des hommes
    7.1
    • Melody Murphy
    • 1966
  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)
    Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Vicenzo
    • 1965
  • The Bing Crosby Show (1964)
    The Bing Crosby Show
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Yates
    • 1965
  • Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in Des agents très spéciaux (1964)
    Des agents très spéciaux
    7.7
    TV Series
    • Anton Korbel
    • 1965
  • Jack Palance, Tuesday Weld, and Russ Tamblyn in Le plus grand chapiteau du monde (1963)
    Le plus grand chapiteau du monde
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Sean Rusher
    • 1964
  • Les aventuriers du Far-West (1952)
    Les aventuriers du Far-West
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Whipsaw
    • Dave Eldridge
    • 1961–1964
  • L'homme à la Rolls (1963)
    L'homme à la Rolls
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Charles P. Banner
    • 1963
  • Paul Lynde, William Demarest, Tommy Kirk, Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Charles Ruggles, Ed Wynn, and Charlie in Après lui, le déluge (1962)
    Après lui, le déluge
    6.1
    • Mr. Hurley
    • 1962
  • L'homme qui tua Liberty Valance (1962)
    L'homme qui tua Liberty Valance
    8.1
    • Doc Willoughby
    • 1962
  • Ed Sullivan in Toast of the Town (1948)
    Toast of the Town
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Comedian
    • 1960–1962
  • Walter Matthau and Frank McGee in The DuPont Show of the Week (1961)
    The DuPont Show of the Week
    6.1
    TV Series
    • Narrator
    • 1962
  • John Bromfield and Maxie Rosenbloom in Damon Runyon Theater (1955)
    Damon Runyon Theater
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Harry the Horse
    • 1955

Producer



  • Bob Terry in The Forsaken Westerns (2017)
    The Forsaken Westerns
    8.0
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 2017
  • Clark Gable, Cary Grant, June Allyson, and Lucille Ball in Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963)
    Hollywood Without Make-Up
    7.2
    • producer
    • 1963
  • Candid Hollywood
    • producer
    • 1962
  • El coyote
    5.9
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1957
  • Judy Garland in Ford Star Jubilee (1955)
    Ford Star Jubilee
    7.0
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 1955
  • Laurie Anders in The Marshal's Daughter (1953)
    The Marshal's Daughter
    5.7
    • producer
    • 1953
  • The Ken Murray Show (1950)
    The Ken Murray Show
    6.9
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 1950–1951
  • Ken Murray in Printemps à gazouilliville (1948)
    Printemps à gazouilliville
    5.5
    • producer
    • 1948

Writer



  • Bob Terry in The Forsaken Westerns (2017)
    The Forsaken Westerns
    8.0
    TV Series
    • creator
    • 2017
  • El coyote
    5.9
    TV Movie
    • creator
    • 1957
  • The Ken Murray Show (1950)
    The Ken Murray Show
    6.9
    TV Series
    • Writer
    • 1951
  • Ken Murray in Printemps à gazouilliville (1948)
    Printemps à gazouilliville
    5.5
    • idea
    • 1948
  • Brother Could You Spare a Million?
    Short
    • story
    • 1933

Videos3

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
Clip 0:33
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
Clip 0:44
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
Clip 0:44
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection
Clip 1:17
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Paramount Centennial Collection

Personal details

Edit
  • Born
    • July 14, 1903
    • Nyack, New York, USA
  • Died
    • October 12, 1988
    • Burbank, California, USA(natural causes)
  • Spouses
      Betty Lou MurrayDecember 1, 1948 - October 12, 1988 (his death, 2 children)
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared in "Earl Carroll's Sketch Book" on Broadway. Musical revue. Music by Charles Tobias, Murray Mencher, Charles Newman, Norman Zeno and Will Irwin. Material by Eugene Conrad, Charles Sherman and Royal Foster. Lyrics by Charles Tobias. Murray Mencher, Charles Newman, Norman Zeno and Will Irwin. Musical Direction by Ray Kavanaugh. Dialogue Staged by Edward C. Lilley. Choreographed by Boots McKenna. Conceived by / produced by / directed by Earl Carroll. Winter Garden Theatre: (moved to The Majestic Theatre from 4 Sep 1935 to close): 4 Jun 1935-30 Nov 1935 (207 performances). Cast: Ken Murray, Nora Anderson, Elaine Arden, Charlotte Arren, Brenton Beattie, Libby Bennett, Sibyl Bowan, Johnny Broderick, Dorothy Buck, Marion Callahan, Lois Carlile, Lillian Carmen, Milton Charleston, Connie Crandall, Janet Davis, Nancy Dolan, Jessie Draper, Matt Duffin, Althea Elders, Joan Evans, Marie Farley, Irene Frank, Peggy Gill, Ruth Greeley, Arthur Griffin, Bernice Hanlon, Faith Harding, Mary Louise Harper, Rose Heitner, Peter Higgins, Agatha Hoff, Amalie Ideal, Grace Jackson, Carol Karson, Lilian Keyes, Allen Lee, Nancy Lee, George Lessey (as "George Washington"), Dionis Little, Bert Lynn, Fay Lytell, Ruth Mann, Helene Marano, Frances March, Lillian Martin, Patricia Martin, Joan Mears, Ann Metzger, Dolly Miller, Julia Mooney, Jane Moore, Barbara Nelson, Sunnie O'Dea, Alice Oland, Pat Palmer, Ellen Patti, Billy Rayes, Billy Revel, Sandra Roy, Caroline Russ, Alice Sampers, Sassafrass, Marion Semler, Thelma Shearon, Ann Simms, Lelia Stepp, Carol Sterling, Marlyn Strewart, Paula Surelle, George R. Taylor, Lorraine Teatom, Helen Terris, Lucille Turner, Marion Volk, Beryl Wallace, Davenie Watson, Robert Williams.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 3 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His short film on the history of William Randolph Hearst's huge estate in San Simeon, California is still being shown every day to visitors touring the Hearst Castle estate.
  • Quotes
    On Hollywood: "A place where you spend more than you make on things you don't need to impress people you don't like."

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Ken Murray die?
    October 12, 1988
  • How did Ken Murray die?
    Natural causes
  • How old was Ken Murray when he died?
    85 years old
  • Where did Ken Murray die?
    Burbank, California, USA
  • When was Ken Murray born?
    July 14, 1903

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