Ken Murray

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 193233 and on CBS 193637 He later was the original host 194557 of Queen for a Day on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio show which was simulcast on KTSL now KCBSTV 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 costarred as Smiling Billy Murray in a 1953 film The Marshals 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 Fords 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 OBrien as an alcoholic newspaper editor he drunkenly rolls over the gunshot corpse of villain Liberty Valance Lee Marvin with his boot looks around offhandedly 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 UNCLE In 1966 Murray was cast as Melody Murphy in the Walt Disney film Follow Me Boys starring Fred MacMurray Vera Miles and Kurt Russell