Ken Murray (born Kenneth Abner Doncourt, July 14, 1903 – October 12, 1988) was an American comedian, actor, radio and television personality and author. After finding success on the vaudeville stage, Murray moved to Hollywood and made his film debut in the 1929 romantic drama Half Marriage, followed by a role in Leathernecking in 1930. Murray was the host of a weekly radio variety show (The Ken Murray Show) on NBC 1932-33 and on CBS 1936–37. He later was the original host (1945-57) of Queen for a Day, on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio show, which was simulcast on KTSL (now KCBS-TV), Channel 2 in Los Angeles. During World War II, Murray was one of the many celebrities to volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen. In 1947, he produced Bill and Coo, a feature film using trained birds and other animals as actors. Bill and Coo won a special Academy Award for "novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion picture" and "artistry and patience" . He was also the host of The Ken Murray Show, a weekly music and comedy show on CBS Television that ran from 1950 to 1953. The show was the first to win a Freedom Foundation Award. Murray also guest starred on several television series, including The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford and The Bing Crosby Show. Murray produced and co-starred as "Smiling Billy Murray" in a 1953 film, The Marshal's Daughter, a western that featured his protege Laurie Anders in the title role, her sole film performance. In 1962, Murray portrayed the top hat wearing, cigar chewing, drunken Doc Willoughby in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring John Wayne and James Stewart, arguably his most memorable screen role. Paired off for most of the picture with Edmond O'Brien as an alcoholic newspaper editor, he drunkenly rolls over the gunshot corpse of villain Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) with his boot, looks around off-handedly, and says "Dead" to the surrounding crowd of euphoric Mexicans. In 1964, Murray played Whipsaw, the operator of a stagecoach depot in the episode "Little Cayuse" of the television series Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. He and his partner take in a Cayuse orphan (Larry Domasin), who demonstrates his loyalty to the men during an Indian attack. In 1965, Murray played a THRUSH financier and owner of a caribbean casino in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In 1966, Murray was cast as Melody Murphy in the Walt Disney film Follow Me, Boys! starring Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles and Kurt Russell.

Filmography

• 1983Zelig — Thanks
• 1979Ken Murray Shooting Stars — Director
• 1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood — Souvenir Salesman
• 1968The Power — Grover
• 1966Follow Me, Boys! — Melody Murphy
• 1965Hollywood My Home Town — Self, Editor
• The Bing Crosby Show
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Anton Korbel
• Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
• Burke's Law — Charles P. Banner
• 1963Hollywood Without Make-Up — Self - Host, Producer
• 1963Son of Flubber — Mr. Hurley
• The Greatest Show on Earth
• 1962The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance — Doc Willoughby
• 1953The Marshal's Daughter — 'Smiling Billy' Murray
• The Ken Murray Show
• 1949Red Light — Ken Murray
• 1948Bill and Coo — Ken Murray, Producer
• 1946Peeks at Hollywood
• 1942Juke Box Jenny — Malcolm Hammond
• 1941Swing It Soldier — Jerry Traynor
• 1940A Night at Earl Carroll's — Barney Nelson
• 1938Swing, Sister, Swing — Nap Sisler
• 1937You're a Sweetheart — Don King
• 1933A Preferred List
• 1933Disgraced! — Jim McGuire
• 1933From Headquarters — Mac
• 1932Crooner — Peter Sturgis
• 1932Ladies of the Jury — Spencer B. Dazy
• 1930Leathernecking — Frank
• 1929Half Marriage — Charles Turner

Appearances as themselves (8)

• 1997Frank Capra's American Dream — Self (archive footage)
• The Hollywood Palace — Self
• The Judy Garland Show — Self
• The Lux Show — Self
• This Is Your Life — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• 1941Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 — Self