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Ray Bolger

Ray Bolger

Actor · 1904 – 1987 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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.

Movies24

  • Movie7.6

    The Wizard of Oz

    1939 · 6.3K votes

  • Movie6.5

    Annie

    1982 · 799 votes

  • Movie6.3

    The Great Ziegfeld

    1936 · 148 votes

  • Movie5.9

    Babes in Toyland

    1961 · 110 votes

  • Movie7.4

    That's Entertainment!

    1974 · 71 votes

  • Movie8.3
  • Movie7.1
  • Movie6.6

    The Harvey Girls

    1946 · 55 votes

  • Movie5.8

    The Entertainer

    1976 · 2 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Rosalie

    1937 · 7 votes

  • Movie8.0

    Vaudeville

    1997 · 1 votes

  • Movie
  • Movie6.9

    That's Dancing!

    1985 · 22 votes

  • Movie8.7
  • Movie4.9

    April in Paris

    1952 · 13 votes

  • Movie3.3

    Three on a Date

    1978 · 3 votes

  • Movie5.5

    Just You and Me, Kid

    1979 · 20 votes

  • Movie8.0
  • Movie8.3
  • Movie6.3

    Stage Door Canteen

    1943 · 20 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Four Jacks and a Jill

    1942 · 4 votes

  • Movie5.1

    The Daydreamer

    1966 · 12 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Sweethearts

    1938 · 13 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Backstage Party

    1961 · 1 votes

Series24

  • TV7.5
  • TV7.0

    What's My Line?

    1950 · 29 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Mike Douglas Show

    1961 · 11 votes

  • TV6.3

    The Love Boat

    1977 · 199 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Merv Griffin Show

    1962 · 12 votes

  • TV8.0
  • TV7.4

    The Red Skelton Show

    1951 · 19 votes

  • TV
  • TV6.8

    The Partridge Family

    1970 · 35 votes

  • TV7.2

    Omnibus

    1967 · 9 votes

  • TV6.5

    Fantasy Island

    1978 · 130 votes

  • TV7.0

    The Bob Hope Show

    1950 · 5 votes

  • TV6.9

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    1950 · 13 votes

  • TV6.4
  • TV6.5

    Baretta

    1975 · 42 votes

  • TV8.2

    The Judy Garland Show

    1963 · 4 votes

  • TV7.1

    Battlestar Galactica

    1978 · 297 votes

  • TV7.9
  • TV7.5

    MGM Parade

    1955 · 2 votes

  • TV6.8

    Donny & Marie

    1976 · 9 votes

  • TV7.8

    The George Gobel Show

    1954 · 4 votes

  • TV8.0
  • TV5.0

    The Hollywood Palace

    1964 · 5 votes

  • TV6.7

    Nanny and the Professor

    1970 · 11 votes