Ray Bolger
Known for Acting · 65 credits
- Born
- 1904-01-10
- Died
- 1987-01-15
- Place of birth
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Also known as
- Raymond Wallace Bulcao · Рэй Болджер · Raymond Wallace Bolger
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
TV Shows (28)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self / Self - Co-Host
The Love Boat
1977
as Horace McDonald / Andy Hopkins
Little House on the Prairie
1974
as Toby Noe
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Presenter
Fantasy Island
1978
as Spencer Randolph / Gaylord Nelson
The Red Skelton Show
1951
as 'Mayor' Threadbare III
Omnibus
1967
as Self
Baretta
1975
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self - Host
The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self
The Partridge Family
1970
as Grandpa Fred Renfrew / Grandpa Walter Renfrew
Battlestar Galactica
1978
as Vector
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
The Hollywood Palace
1964
as Self - Host
The Bell Telephone Hour
1959
as Self / Self - Host
MGM Parade
1955
Nanny and the Professor
1970
as Uncle Horace
The George Gobel Show
1954
as Self
Donny & Marie
1976
as Self
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Self
Captains and the Kings
1976
as R.J. Squibbs
General Electric Theater
1953
as Alfred Boggs / Stan Maylor
Where's Raymond?
1953
as Raymond Wallace
The Judy Garland Show
1963
as Self
Diff'rent Strokes
1978
Movies (37)
The Wizard of Oz
1939
as "Hunk" / Scarecrow
Annie
1982
as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
Sweethearts
1938
as Hans
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Babes in Toyland
1961
as Barnaby
Rosalie
1937
as Bill Delroy
The Harvey Girls
1946
as Chris Maule
That's Dancing!
1985
as Self - Host
The Great Ziegfeld
1936
as Ray Bolger
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
as Self
Where's Charley?
1952
as Charley Wykeham
Sunny
1941
as Bunny Billings
Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Ray Bolger
The Entertainer
1976
as Billy Rice
The Daydreamer
1966
as The Pieman
Just You and Me, Kid
1979
as Tom
Three on a Date
1978
as Andrew
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009
as Self (archive footage)
The All-Star Christmas Show
1958
as Self
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic
1990
as Self (archive footage)
April in Paris
1952
as Sam Winthrop Putnam
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004
as Self - Actor (archive sound)
Backstage Party
1961
as Self
The Dark Side of the Rainbow
2000
as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
The Runner Stumbles
1979
as Monsignor Nicholson
Peter and the Magic Egg
1983
as Uncle Amos (voice)
To Oz! The Making of a Classic
2009
as Self
Oz
as Self / Scarecrow (archive footage)
Make Mine Laughs
1949
as (archive footage)
Four Jacks and a Jill
1942
as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
Look for the Silver Lining
1949
as Jack Donahue
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
1938
as Self (uncredited)
Vaudeville
1997
as Self (archive footage)
The Making of the Wizard of Oz
1979
as Self
The Whimsical World of Oz
1985
as Self
Heaven Only Knows
1979
as Simon
About 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. Th… With 65 credits spanning from 1936 to 2009, Ray Bolger has appeared in 37 films and 28 TV shows.
Fans searching for Ray Bolger movies, Ray Bolger filmography, or the latest projects starring Ray Bolger can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ray Bolger Movies
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) — as "Hunk" / Scarecrow
- Annie (1982) — as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
- Sweethearts (1938) — as Hans
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) — as (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) — as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Where to Watch Ray Bolger Films
Most Ray Bolger movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Ray Bolger, check our movies catalogue and browse page.