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Ray Bolger

Actor | * 01/10/1904 († 83, 01/15/1987) | Boston, Massachusetts (United States of America (USA))
Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and stage performer (particularly musical theater) who started his movie career in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in the 1930s and beyond. He is best known for his roles in The Wizard of Oz (1939) as the Scarecrow and in Walt Disney's holiday musical fantasy Babes in Toyland in 1961 as the villainous Barnaby. Bolger was the host of The Ray Bolger Show on TV from 1953 to 1955, originally titled Where's Raymond? ()
Photo of Ray Bolger

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.

Most frequent genres for this person: Comedies | Music | Drama

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for Ray Bolger

Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
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Movies with Ray Bolger as Actor(30)

as Self - Actor (archive sound)2004 Judy Garland: By Myself
as (archive footage)1994 That's Entertainment! III
as Self (archive footage)1990 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
as Self - Host1985 That's Dancing!
as Uncle Amos (voice)1983 Peter and the Magic Egg
as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)1982 Annie
as Monsignor Nicholson1979 The Runner Stumbles
as Andrew1978 Three on a Date
as Billy Rice1976 The Entertainer
as (archive footage)1974 That's Entertainment!
as The Pieman1966 The Daydreamer
as Barnaby1961 Babes in Toyland
as himself1961 Back Stage Party
as Sam Winthrop Putnam1952 April in Paris
as Charley Wykeham1952 Where's Charley?
as Jack Donahue1949 Look for the Silver Lining
as (archive footage)1949 Make Mine Laughs
as Chris Maule1946 The Harvey Girls
as himself1943 Stage Door Canteen
as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack1942 Four Jacks and a Jill
as Bunny Billings1941 Sunny
as Hunk / Scarecrow1939 The Wizard of Oz
as Hans1938 Sweethearts
as Bill Delroy1937 Rosalie
as himself1936 The Great Ziegfeld

TV Shows/Series with Ray Bolger as Actor(17)

as Vector1978 Battlestar Galactica
as Horace McDonald1977 The Love Boat
as Andy Hopkins1977 The Love Boat
as R.J. Squibbs1976 Captains and the Kings
as himself1976 Donny & Marie
1975 Baretta
as Self - Host1964 The Hollywood Palace
as himself1963 The Judy Garland Show
as Alfred Boggs1953 GE Theater
as Stan Maylor1953 GE Theater
as Self - Mystery Guest1950 What's My Line?

Born: Sunday, 01/10 1904 (January) in Boston, Massachusetts (United States of America (USA))
Died: Thursday, 01/15 1987 (January) in Los Angeles (aged: 83)
Zodiac sign: Capricorn (Chinese zodiac sign: Dragon)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: Dorchester High School
Employer: Warner Bros.
Spouses (current/former): Gwendolyn Rickard
Other names for Ray Bolger (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Raymond Wallace Bulcao"
"Рэй Болджер"
Ray Bolger frequently works together with these people:
Judy Garland (10x, Actress)
Ray Milland (9x, Actor)
Red Buttons (9x, Actor)
Polly Bergen (9x, Actress)
Art Linkletter (9x, Actor)
Jack Haley Jr. (9x, Crew)
Vera Miles (8x, Actress)
Van Johnson (8x, Actor)
Joan Fontaine (8x, Actress)
Zsa Zsa Gabor (8x, Actress)
George Gobel (8x, Actor)
Juliet Mills (7x, Actress)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:33360, Added: 05/13/2018, Last updated: 03/11/2024