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.
Acting
Movie
They Died with Their Boots On
as Cavalryman (uncredited)
1941
Movie
Battleground
as 'Pop' Stazak
1949
Movie
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Movie
For Me and My Gal
as Jimmy K. Metcalf
1942
Movie
Border Incident
as Jack Bearnes
1949
Movie
Broadway Melody of 1940
as King Shaw
1940
Movie
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)
1994
Movie
Bataan
as Lt. Steve Bentley
1943
Movie
This Is the Army
as Jerry Jones
1943
Movie
Tom, Dick and Harry
as Tom
1941
Movie
Walk East on Beacon
as Inspector James 'Jim' Belden
1952
Movie
That's Dancing!
as From 'Broadway Rhythm' (archive footage)
1985
Movie
Talk About a Stranger
as Robert Fontaine Sr.
1952
Movie
No Questions Asked
as Police Insp. Matt Duggan
1951
Movie
Little Miss Broadway
as Roger Wendling
1938
Movie
Broadway Melody of 1938
as Sonny Ledford
1937
Movie
The Arnelo Affair
as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson
1947
Movie
You're a Sweetheart
as Hal Adams
1937
Movie
Tenth Avenue Angel
as Steve Abbutt
1948
Movie
Letter of Introduction
as Barry Paige
1938
Movie
The Navy Comes Through
as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands
1942
TV
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
1962
Movie
Step Lively
as Gordon Miller
1944
TV
The Thin Man
1957