George Murphy
Biography
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.
Known For

The Merv Griffin Show

MGM Parade

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

The Thin Man

They Died with Their Boots On

Battleground

That's Entertainment!

That's Dancing!
All Movies (59)
- Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine2003
- Frank Capra's American Dream1997 · as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! III1994 · as (archive footage)
- That's Dancing!1985 · as From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment!1974 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration1955
- The Hoaxters1952 · as Narrator (voice)
- Walk East on Beacon1952 · as Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
- Talk About a Stranger1952 · as Robert Fontaine Sr.
- It's a Big Country1951 · as Mr. Patrick Callaghan
- No Questions Asked1951 · as Police Insp. Matt Duggan
- Battleground1949 · as 'Pop' Stazak
- Border Incident1949 · as Jack Bearnes
- Big City1948 · as Patrick O'Donnell
- Tenth Avenue Angel1948 · as Steve Abbutt
- Cynthia1947 · as Larry Bishop
- The Arnelo Affair1947 · as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
- Up Goes Maisie1946 · as Joseph Morton
- Having Wonderful Crime1945 · as Jake Justus
- Step Lively1944 · as Gordon Miller
- Show Business1944 · as George Doane
- Broadway Rhythm1944 · as Johnny Demming
- Twenty Years After1944 · as (archive footage)
- This Is the Army1943 · as Jerry Jones
- Bataan1943 · as Lt. Steve Bentley
- Show-Business at War1943 · as Self
- The Powers Girl1943 · as Jerry Hendricks
- The Navy Comes Through1942 · as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
- For Me and My Gal1942 · as Jimmy K. Metcalf
- The Mayor of 44th Street1942 · as Joe Jonathan
- Rise and Shine1941 · as Jimmy McGonagle
- They Died with Their Boots On1941 · as Cavalryman (uncredited)
- Ringside Maisie1941 · as Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
- Tom, Dick and Harry1941 · as Tom
- A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob1941 · as Claudius "Coffee Cup" Cup
- Little Nellie Kelly1940 · as Jerry Kelly
- A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound1940 · as Self
- Public Deb No. 11940 · as Alan Blake
- Two Girls on Broadway1940 · as Eddie Kerns
- Broadway Melody of 19401940 · as King Shaw
- Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga1939 · as Himself (uncredited)
- Hollywood Hobbies1939 · as Self (uncredited)
- Risky Business1939 · as Dan Clifford
- Hold That Co-ed1938 · as Rusty Stevens
- Letter of Introduction1938 · as Barry Paige
- Little Miss Broadway1938 · as Roger Wendling
- You're a Sweetheart1937 · as Hal Adams
- The Women Men Marry1937 · as Bill Raeburn
- Broadway Melody of 19381937 · as Sonny Ledford
- London by Night1937 · as Michael Denis
- Top of the Town1937 · as Ted Lane
- Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)1936 · as Self
- Violets in Spring1936 · as Charlie Hall
- Woman Trap1936 · as Keat Shevlin
- The Public Menace1935 · as Edward Joseph "Red" Foster
- After the Dance1935 · as Jerry Davis
- I'll Love You Always1935 · as Carl Brent
- Jealousy1934 · as Larry O'Roarke
- Kid Millions1934 · as Jerry Lane
All TV Shows (4)
- The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958
- The Thin Man1957
- MGM Parade1955 · as Host