Ray Bolger

Biography

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.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

Tony Awards

Little House on the Prairie

The Merv Griffin Show

All Movies (38)

• The Wizard of Oz at Sphere2025 · as Hunk (archive footage)
• To Oz! The Making of a Classic2009 · as Self
• Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression2009 · as Self (archive footage)
• Judy Garland: By Myself2004 · as Self - Actor (archive sound)
• The Dark Side of the Rainbow2000 · as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
• Vaudeville1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• That's Entertainment! III1994 · as (archive footage)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic1990 · as Self (archive footage)
• That's Dancing!1985 · as Self - Host
• The Whimsical World of Oz1985 · as Self
• Peter and the Magic Egg1983 · as Uncle Amos (voice)
• Annie1982 · as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
• The Runner Stumbles1979 · as Monsignor Nicholson
• Just You and Me, Kid1979 · as Tom
• The Making of the Wizard of Oz1979 · as Self
• Heaven Only Knows1979 · as Simon
• Three on a Date1978 · as Andrew
• The Entertainer1976 · as Billy Rice
• That's Entertainment!1974 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Daydreamer1966 · as The Pieman
• Backstage Party1961 · as Self
• Babes in Toyland1961 · as Barnaby
• The All-Star Christmas Show1958 · as Self
• A Star Is Born World Premiere1954 · as Self
• April in Paris1952 · as Sam Winthrop Putnam
• Where's Charley?1952 · as Charley Wykeham
• Make Mine Laughs1949 · as (archive footage)
• Look for the Silver Lining1949 · as Jack Donahue
• The Harvey Girls1946 · as Chris Maule
• Stage Door Canteen1943 · as Ray Bolger
• Four Jacks and a Jill1942 · as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
• Sunny1941 · as Bunny Billings
• The Wizard of Oz1939 · as "Hunk" / Scarecrow
• Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power1938 · as Self (uncredited)
• Sweethearts1938 · as Hans
• Rosalie1937 · as Bill Delroy
• The Great Ziegfeld1936 · as Ray Bolger
• Oz— · as Self / Scarecrow (archive footage)

All TV Shows (35)

• Diff'rent Strokes1978
• Battlestar Galactica1978 · as Vector
• Fantasy Island1978 · as Spencer Randolph
• Fantasy Island1978 · as Gaylord Nelson
• The Love Boat1977 · as Horace McDonald
• The Love Boat1977 · as Andy Hopkins
• Captains and the Kings1976 · as R.J. Squibbs
• Donny & Marie1976 · as Self
• Baretta1975
• Little House on the Prairie1974 · as Toby Noe
• The Partridge Family1970 · as Grandpa Fred Renfrew
• The Partridge Family1970 · as Grandpa Walter Renfrew
• Nanny and the Professor1970 · as Uncle Horace
• Omnibus1967 · as Self
• Omnibus1967
• The Hollywood Palace1964 · as Self - Host
• The Judy Garland Show1963 · as Self
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self - Co-Host
• The Bell Telephone Hour1959 · as Self
• The Bell Telephone Hour1959 · as Self - Host
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show1956 · as Self
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• MGM Parade1955
• The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as Self
• The George Gobel Show1954 · as Self
• Where's Raymond?1953 · as Raymond Wallace
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Alfred Boggs
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Stan Maylor
• The Red Skelton Show1951 · as 'Mayor' Threadbare III
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self - Host
• The Bob Hope Show1950 · as Self
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self