George Murphy
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 4, 1902
- Died
- May 3, 1992
- Birthplace
- New Haven, Connecticut, USA
George Murphy was an American dancer and stage, screen, and television actor, as well as a United States Senator. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In movies, Murphy was known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938, Broadway Melody of 1940 and For Me and My Gal. He made his movie debut shortly after talking pictures had replaced silent movies in 1930, and his career continued until he retired as an actor in 1952, at the age of 50. During World War II, he organized entertainment for American troops. In 1951, he was awarded an honorary Academy Award. He was never nominated for an Oscar in any competitive category. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946. He was also a vice president of Desilu Productions and of the Technicolor Corporation. He was director of entertainment for presidential inaugurations in 1953, 1957 and 1961.
Filmography
- Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine 2003
Actor
Frank Capra's American Dream 1997
as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III 1994
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Dancing! 1985
as From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! 1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration
1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration 1955
Actor
- The Hoaxters
The Hoaxters 1952
as Narrator (voice)
Walk East on Beacon 1952
as Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
Talk About a Stranger 1952
as Robert Fontaine Sr.
It's a Big Country 1951
as Mr. Patrick Callaghan
No Questions Asked 1951
as Police Insp. Matt Duggan
Battleground 1949
as 'Pop' Stazak
Border Incident 1949
as Jack Bearnes
Big City 1948
as Patrick O'Donnell
Tenth Avenue Angel 1948
as Steve Abbutt
Cynthia 1947
as Larry Bishop
The Arnelo Affair 1947
as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
Up Goes Maisie 1946
as Joseph Morton
Having Wonderful Crime 1945
as Jake Justus
Step Lively 1944
as Gordon Miller
Show Business 1944
as George Doane
Broadway Rhythm 1944
as Johnny Demming
Twenty Years After 1944
as (archive footage)
This Is the Army 1943
as Jerry Jones
Bataan 1943
as Lt. Steve Bentley
Show-Business at War 1943
as Self
The Powers Girl 1943
as Jerry Hendricks
The Navy Comes Through 1942
as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
For Me and My Gal 1942
as Jimmy K. Metcalf
The Mayor of 44th Street 1942
as Joe Jonathan
Rise and Shine 1941
as Jimmy McGonagle
They Died with Their Boots On 1941
as Cavalryman (uncredited), Stunts
Ringside Maisie 1941
as Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
Tom, Dick and Harry 1941
as Tom
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob 1941
as Claudius "Coffee Cup" Cup
Little Nellie Kelly 1940
as Jerry Kelly
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound 1940
as Self
Public Deb No. 1 1940
as Alan Blake
Two Girls on Broadway 1940
as Eddie Kerns
Broadway Melody of 1940 1940
as King Shaw
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga 1939
as Himself (uncredited)
Hollywood Hobbies 1939
as Self (uncredited)
Risky Business 1939
as Dan Clifford
Hold That Co-ed 1938
as Rusty Stevens
Letter of Introduction 1938
as Barry Paige
Little Miss Broadway 1938
as Roger Wendling
You're a Sweetheart 1937
as Hal Adams
The Women Men Marry 1937
as Bill Raeburn
Broadway Melody of 1938 1937
as Sonny Ledford
London by Night 1937
as Michael Denis
Top of the Town 1937
as Ted Lane
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) 1936
as Self
- Violets in Spring
Violets in Spring 1936
as Charlie Hall
Woman Trap 1936
as Keat Shevlin
The Public Menace 1935
as Edward Joseph "Red" Foster
After the Dance 1935
as Jerry Davis
I'll Love You Always 1935
as Carl Brent
Jealousy 1934
as Larry O'Roarke
Kid Millions 1934
as Jerry Lane
Credits from TMDB.