Person Details

Birthday: 1904-01-10 02:38:13

Death: 1987-01-15 02:38:13

Aliases: Raymond Wallace Bulcao

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 23

TV Involvements: 4


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

What's My Line?
Average
7

What's My Line?

(1950) Self - Mystery Guest
Captains and the Kings
Average
8

Captains and the Kings

(1976) R.J. Squibbs
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Average
4
Battlestar Galactica
Average
7

Battlestar Galactica

(1978) Vector
The Wizard of Oz
Average
8

The Wizard of Oz

(1939) Hunk / Scarecrow
The Great Ziegfeld
Average
6

The Great Ziegfeld

(1936) Ray Bolger
That's Entertainment!
Average
7

That's Entertainment!

(1974) (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
Average
7

That's Entertainment! III

(1994) (archive footage)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2009 Self
2004 Self - Actor (archive sound)
2000 'Hunk' (archive footage)
1994 (archive footage)
1990 Self (archive footage)
1985 Self - Host
Self
1983 Uncle Amos (voice)
1982 Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
1979 Monsignor Nicholson
Tom
Self
1978 N/A
Vector
Andrew
1977 Horace McDonald
Andy Hopkins
1976 R.J. Squibbs
Billy Rice
Self
1975 N/A
1974 N/A
(archive footage)
1970 N/A
1966 The Pieman
1964 Self - Host
1963 Himself
1961 Self
Self
Barnaby
Self
1956 Self
1954 Self
Self
1953 N/A
Alfred Boggs
Stan Maylor
1952 Sam Winthrop Putnam
Charley Wykeham
1950 Self
Self - Mystery Guest
1949 (archive footage)
Jack Donahue
1946 Chris Maule
1943 Ray Bolger
1942 Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
1941 Bunny Billings
1939 Hunk / Scarecrow
1938 Self (uncredited)
Hans
1937 Bill Delroy
1936 Ray Bolger
Year Character Movie/Tv

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