Trivia

Before becoming an actor, he was an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of California-Berkeley.

Was a stalwart, dependable character actor whose career included supporting roles and bit parts (often uncredited) in over 150 (known) feature films. A large portion of his career involved westerns, in some of which he was cast as an Indian. He is best remembered today as one of the most familiar supporting players in low-budget science-fiction films of the 1950s (starting with Lippert's 24h chez les Martiens (1950)), where he was usually the military officer, police chief or doctor/scientist.

Played Ed Roden with Kirk Douglas in Le Désert de la peur (1951) and with Clint Walker in The Travelers (1956).

For "Mant," the movie within the movie in Panic sur Florida Beach (1993), Kevin McCarthy plays a character named "Gen. Ankrum." This was director Joe Dante's tribute to Ankrum and the roles he played in those fondly remembered sci-fi films of the 1950s.

He died at the age of 67 as a result of complications from trichinosis.

Appeared in 13 films in the Hopalong Cassidy series between 1936-41, in mostly villainous roles.

He appeared in three films about Mars in as many years: Destination Mars (1951), Red Planet Mars (1952) and Les Envahisseurs de la planète rouge (1953).

Died at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, of a heart attack that came after a week's hospitalization for an intestinal ailment. He had suffered a previous heart attack.

Father of David Ankrum.

Father: Horace Lee Ankrum; Mother: Carrie Bell Gregory.