
Ray 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.
Acting (32 movies)

The Wizard of Oz
1939

Just You and Me, Kid
1979

Babes in Toyland
1961

April in Paris
1952

The Harvey Girls
1946

That's Dancing!
1985

The Great Ziegfeld
1936

Rosalie
1937

Sweethearts
1938

The Making of the Wizard of Oz
1979

Look for the Silver Lining
1949

Where's Charley?
1952

The Runner Stumbles
1979

Sunny
1941

Four Jacks and a Jill
1942

The Daydreamer
1966

The Entertainer
1976

Peter and the Magic Egg
1983

That's Entertainment!
1974

Make Mine Laughs
1949

The Dark Side of the Rainbow
2000

That's Entertainment! III
1994

Judy Garland: By Myself
2004

Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
1938

A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954

Stage Door Canteen
1943

Annie
1982

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
1990

Backstage Party
1961

Three on a Date
1978

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009

The All-Star Christmas Show
1958
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