George Murphy
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.
Acted in
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine
2003
Frank Capra's American Dream
1997
as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
1985
as From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
The Thin Man
1957
MGM Parade
1955
as Host
1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration
1955
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)
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
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