Ray Bolger
Acting
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.
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 70 (now 83)
The Wizard of Oz at Sphere
as Hunk (archive footage)
Age 121 (now 83)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
as Self (archive footage)
Age 104 (now 83)
Judy Garland: By Myself
as Self - Actor (archive sound)
Age 100 (now 83)
The Dark Side of the Rainbow
as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
Age 96 (now 83)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic
as Self (archive footage)
Age 86 (now 83)
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 70 (now 83)
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
as Self (uncredited)
Age 34 (now 83)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
Age 58 (now 83)
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
Raymond Wallace Bulcao, Рэй Болджер, Raymond Wallace Bolger
IMDB
nm0001961