Ray Bolger
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 10, 1904
- Died
- January 15, 1987
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Ray Bolger began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. He, like Gene Kelly, was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor. He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). This was soon followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie (1937). His first dancing and singing role was in Sweethearts (1938), where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald. This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, that of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO to make Four Jacks and a Jill (1942). After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953 he turned to television and got his own sitcom, Where's Raymond? (1953), later changed to "The Ray Bolger Show". After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985 he co-hosted That's Dancing! (1985) with Liza Minnelli. Bolger died in 1987 at the age of 83. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the Mausoleum, Crypt F2, Block 35.
Filmography
- Oz
Oz TBA
as Self / Scarecrow (archive footage)
- To Oz! The Making of a Classic
To Oz! The Making of a Classic 2009
as Self
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression 2009
as Self (archive footage)
Judy Garland: By Myself 2004
as Self - Actor (archive sound)
The Dark Side of the Rainbow 2000
as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
Vaudeville 1997
as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III 1994
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic 1990
as Self (archive footage)
That's Dancing! 1985
as Self - Host
- The Whimsical World of Oz
The Whimsical World of Oz 1985
as Self
Peter and the Magic Egg 1983
as Uncle Amos (voice)
Annie 1982
as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
The Runner Stumbles 1979
as Monsignor Nicholson
Just You and Me, Kid 1979
as Tom
Heaven Only Knows 1979
as Simon
The Making of the Wizard of Oz 1979
as Self
Three on a Date 1978
as Andrew
The Entertainer 1976
as Billy Rice
That's Entertainment! 1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Daydreamer 1966
as The Pieman
Backstage Party 1961
as Self
Babes in Toyland 1961
as Barnaby
The All-Star Christmas Show 1958
as Self
A Star Is Born World Premiere 1954
as Self
April in Paris 1952
as Sam Winthrop Putnam
Where's Charley? 1952
as Charley Wykeham
Make Mine Laughs 1949
as (archive footage)
Look for the Silver Lining 1949
as Jack Donahue
The Harvey Girls 1946
as Chris Maule
Stage Door Canteen 1943
as Ray Bolger
Four Jacks and a Jill 1942
as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
Sunny 1941
as Bunny Billings
The Wizard of Oz 1939
as Scarecrow / Hunk
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power 1938
as Self (uncredited)
Sweethearts 1938
as Hans
Rosalie 1937
as Bill Delroy
The Great Ziegfeld 1936
as Ray Bolger
Credits from TMDB.