CineScope
Ray Bolger picture

Ray Bolger

Acting
Known For

83 Years Old

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.

Born

Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 10th January 1904

Died

15th January 1987

All Credits

The Love Boat Image
The Love Boat
Andy Hopkins
The Love Boat Image
The Love Boat
Horace McDonald
The Merv Griffin Show Image
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Image
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The Red Skelton Show Image
The Red Skelton Show
'Mayor' Threadbare III
Donny & Marie Image
Donny & Marie
Self
Omnibus Image
Omnibus
Self
Little House on the Prairie Image
Little House on the Prairie
The Mike Douglas Show Image
The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host
The Mike Douglas Show Image
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
The Bob Hope Show Image
The Bob Hope Show
Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour Image
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self - Host
Tony Awards Image
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
Fantasy Island Image
Fantasy Island
Spencer Randolph
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Image
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
Battlestar Galactica Image
Battlestar Galactica
Vector
No Image
The Bell Telephone Hour
Self - Host
No Image
The Bell Telephone Hour
Self
Baretta Image
Baretta
The Hollywood Palace Image
The Hollywood Palace
Self - Host
No Image
The George Gobel Show
Self
Where's Raymond? Image
Where's Raymond?
Raymond Wallace
The Partridge Family Image
The Partridge Family
Grandpa Walter Renfrew
The Partridge Family Image
The Partridge Family
Grandpa Fred Renfrew
What's My Line? Image
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest
Nanny and the Professor Image
Nanny and the Professor
Uncle Horace
The Wizard of Oz Image
The Wizard of Oz
"Hunk" / Scarecrow
The Wonderful World of Disney Image
The Wonderful World of Disney
Self
The Judy Garland Show Image
The Judy Garland Show
Self
General Electric Theater Image
General Electric Theater
Stan Maylor
General Electric Theater Image
General Electric Theater
Alfred Boggs
Captains and the Kings Image
Captains and the Kings
R.J. Squibbs
Annie Image
Annie
Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
Diff'rent Strokes Image
Diff'rent Strokes
Babes in Toyland Image
Babes in Toyland
Barnaby
The Harvey Girls Image
The Harvey Girls
Chris Maule
Stage Door Canteen Image
Stage Door Canteen
Ray Bolger
That's Dancing! Image
That's Dancing!
Self - Host
That's Entertainment! III Image
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment! Image
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage)
The Daydreamer Image
The Daydreamer
The Pieman
The Great Ziegfeld Image
The Great Ziegfeld
Ray Bolger
April in Paris Image
April in Paris
Sam Winthrop Putnam
Rosalie Image
Rosalie
Bill Delroy
Sweethearts Image
Sweethearts
Hans
The Runner Stumbles Image
The Runner Stumbles
Monsignor Nicholson
Judy Garland: By Myself Image
Judy Garland: By Myself
Self - Actor (archive sound)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic Image
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
Self (archive footage)
Look for the Silver Lining Image
Look for the Silver Lining
Jack Donahue
Just You and Me, Kid Image
Just You and Me, Kid
Tom
Three on a Date Image
Three on a Date
Andrew
No Image
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Self
The Entertainer Image
The Entertainer
Billy Rice
Sunny Image
Sunny
Bunny Billings
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression Image
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Self (archive)
Four Jacks and a Jill Image
Four Jacks and a Jill
Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
Make Mine Laughs Image
Make Mine Laughs
(archive footage)
The Dark Side of the Rainbow Image
The Dark Side of the Rainbow
'Hunk' (archive footage)
No Image
The Whimsical World of Oz
Self
Backstage Party Image
Backstage Party
Self
Where's Charley? Image
Where's Charley?
Charley Wykeham
The Making of the Wizard of Oz Image
The Making of the Wizard of Oz
Self
Peter and the Magic Egg Image
Peter and the Magic Egg
Uncle Amos (voice)
The Dark Side of Oz Image
The Dark Side of Oz
Hunk / Scarecrow (archive footage)
No Image
To Oz! The Making of a Classic
Self
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power Image
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
Self (uncredited)