Ray Bolger
Acting
- Born:
- 1904-01-10
- Died:
- 1987-01-15
- Place of birth:
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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
Filmography
To Oz! The Making of a Classic
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Judy Garland: By Myself
The Dark Side of the Rainbow
Vaudeville
That's Entertainment! III
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
That's Dancing!
The Whimsical World of Oz
Peter and the Magic Egg
Annie
The Runner Stumbles
Just You and Me, Kid
The Making of the Wizard of Oz
Heaven Only Knows
Diff'rent Strokes
Battlestar Galactica
Three on a Date
Fantasy Island
The Love Boat
Captains and the Kings
The Entertainer
Donny & Marie
Baretta
Little House on the Prairie
That's Entertainment!
The Partridge Family
Nanny and the Professor
Omnibus
The Daydreamer
The Hollywood Palace
The Judy Garland Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Backstage Party
Babes in Toyland
The Mike Douglas Show
The Bell Telephone Hour
The All-Star Christmas Show
Washington Square
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Tony Awards
MGM Parade
The Wonderful World of Disney
The George Gobel Show
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Where's Raymond?
General Electric Theater
April in Paris
Where's Charley?
The Red Skelton Show
The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Bob Hope Show
What's My Line?
Make Mine Laughs
Look for the Silver Lining
The Harvey Girls
Stage Door Canteen
Four Jacks and a Jill
Sunny
The Wizard of Oz
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
Sweethearts
Rosalie
The Great Ziegfeld
Oz