MacMurray was married twice. He married Lillian Lamont, his first wife, on June 20, 1936, and the couple adopted two children, Susan (b. 1940) and Robert (b. 1946). After Lamont died on June 22, 1953, he married actress June Haver the following year.
He and Haver adopted two more children, twins Katherine and Laurie (b. 1966).
In 1941 MacMurray purchased land in the Russian River Valley in Northern California and established MacMurray Ranch. He spent time there when not making films, raising of prize-winning Aberdeen Angus cattle.
MacMurray wanted the property's agricultural heritage preserved, and it was thus sold in 1996 to Gallo, which planted vineyards on it for wines that bear the MacMurray Ranch label.
Kate MacMurray, daughter of Haver and MacMurray, now lives on the property (in a cabin built by her father), and is carrying on her family's legacy and the heritage of MacMurray Ranch."
The Apartment is a 1960 film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. It was Wilder's follow-up to Some Like It Hot. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture.
The Apartment is not your typical fuzzy feel good Christmas story. Although.. I still feel that it is a wonderful classic, in which you will see Fred MacMurray in a very different role. Please click here to view past review: The Apartment(1960).
Ray Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was a stage, television and film actor best known as the title character on the 1960s situation comedy My Favorite Martian.
He is also remembered for his roles as Luther Billis in South Pacific (1949/1958), Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees (1955/1958), J.J. Singleton in The Sting (1973), high school teacher Mr. Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and Judge Henry Bone on the drama series Picket Fences (1992-1996).
He started acting at an early age, as a "spear carrier" at many New Orleans theaters.
He played small roles with stock companies, where he not only starred in traveling shows but also worked at a movie theater, selling tickets and cleaning the stage floors. His family moved to Dallas, Texas, where he joined Margo Jones, theater company. He later traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent three years with the Cleveland Play House.
He then traveled to New York City, where he made his Broadway debut in a 1945 production of Hamlet. Three years later, Walston became one of the first members admitted to the newly formed Actors Studio.
In 1949, he appeared in the short-lived play Mrs. Gibbons' Boys directed by George Abbott, who later cast him as Satan in the musical, Damn Yankees(1955), with Gwen Verdon. They both won awards for their performances. After a decade in New York theater, he won a Tony Award, and he and Verdon were invited to reprise their roles in the 1958 film version.
He starred as Luther Billis in the London production of South Pacific(1949). He reprised that role in the 1958 film adaptation. He and Juanita Hall (as Bloody Mary) were the only cast members to appear in both the stage and movie versions.
Additional Broadway performances: The Front Page, Summer and Smoke, King Richard III, Wish You Were Here and House of Flowers, Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet.
Walston had a successful movie career beginning with: Kiss Them for Me (1957), South Pacific (1958), Say One for Me (1959); Tall Story, with Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda, Portrait in Black, and The Apartment (all in 1960), Convicts 4 (1962), Wives and Lovers, and Who's Minding the Store? (both in 1963), Kiss Me, Stupid (1964), Caprice (1967), and Paint Your Wagon (1969).
Walston is also featured in the 1973 Best-Picture-Winner The Sting, in which he is crucial to the successful swindling of an unsuspecting griftee (played by Robert Shaw) and in Silver Streak. He also played Mr. Timmer, a prominent character in the 1986 BMX movie "Rad".
He was also among many of the actors who played themselves in cameos for, The Player (1992), although Walston along with several other stars, are actually in character for a movie within a movie sequence.
Walston narrated many U.S. Department of Defense and Atomic Energy Commission (now Department of Energy) films about nuclear experiment, including, the Operation Hardtack I nuclear test film series of 1958.
He made many guest performances in the television shows beginning with, The Outlaws 1960-1961. Walston, was best known playing the title character ("Uncle Martin") on My Favorite Martian from 1963 to 1966, with Bill Bixby. My Favorite Martian, had typecast Walston and he had difficulty finding more serious roles after the show's cancellation.
He later, became a popular character actor in television of the 1970s and 1980s, appearing as a guest star in the shows: Custer, The Wild Wild West, Love, American Style, The Rookies, Mission: Impossible, Ellery Queen, The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, and The Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby (in which he played Jasper the Magician in an episode called "My Favorite Magician").
In 1976 he played the part of sleazy Edgar Whiney in the film, Silver Streak. Walston was also known for playing Starfleet Academy groundskeeper "Boothby" in Star Trek: The Next Generation and later on Star Trek: Voyager.
From 1980 to 1992, Walston starred in fourteen movies: 1981's Galaxy of Terror, and 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High (as well as its 1986 television adaptation) as Mr. Hand.
In 1984, Walston played a judge on an episode of, Night Court. Six years later, he would work with David E. Kelley while guest-starring on L.A. Law. These roles led to his work as Judge Henry Bone on Picket Fences. Judge Bone was originally a recurring role on the show, but Walston proved to be so popular that he was given a starring role the following year.
In his late 70s, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for the first time.
Walston made an appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Boothby, head groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco, and then reprised the character twice on Star Trek: Voyager, despite the series being set in a distant part of the galaxy.
During his appearance on Star Trek: Voyager in "In the Flesh", he often had trouble with remembering his lines during long one-shot dialogue scenes, but while the cameraman was changing the film for the scene in the briefing room, he quoted a line from Hamlet. Robert Beltran then quoted the next line, and Walston the next. The two went on for several minutes, amazing the entire cast and crew.
In 1985, Walston made a brief appearance in the opening credits of Steven Spielberg's series Amazing Stories, as a caveman acting out a story for his tribe. Only a few seconds long, this performance began every episode of the subsequent series.
In 1992, Walston played the role of Candy in the big-screen remake of, Of Mice and Men. He would work alongside Sinise again two years later in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.
Walston was nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for, Picket Fences, winning twice, in 1995 and 1996. Though Walston enjoyed his work in the series, its ratings were beginning to slip, and CBS cancelled the show after four seasons in 1996.
However, Walston made a guest appearance in an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman entitled "Remember Me", in which he portrayed the father of Jake Slicker, who was stricken with Alzheimer's disease.
As his career was coming to an end he played Grandfather Walter Adams, in the Addams Family Reunion (1998), the second sequel to the1991 film, The Addams Family, this time starring Tim Curry as Gomez Addams and Daryl Hannah as Morticia Addams.
One year later, he appeared in the movie remake of his hit series, My Favorite Martian (1999). His final movie role was in the independent film, Early Bird Special.
He also appeared in an AT and T, TV commercial in which his dialogue implied he was Uncle Martin from Mars, looking for good rates to talk to fellow Martians living in the United States. Just before his death, his final TV guest appearance was on, 7th Heaven.
Walston, died at the age of 86 on New Year's Day 2001 in Beverly Hills, California after a 6-year battle with lupus. He was survived by his widow, Ruth, his daughter, Katherine Ann, and two grandchildren.
5. Clifton Webb in Three Coins in a Fountain- Webb is a bit wasted in his film, but he does well to create a warmer take on his most frequent role as a snobbish intellectual.
4. Raymond Burr in Rear Window- Burr certainly gets help from his director, but in very key moments his performance as well amplifies power of his character within the film.
3. Peter Lorre in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- Lorre is a very likable and lends some very nice lighthearted relief in his film as the endearing sidekick Conseil.
2. Fred MacMurray in The Caine Mutiny- MacMurray makes for an excellent villain playing the part with such charm that he tricks you into thinking that he is not even the villain.
1. Van Johnson in The Caine Mutiny-Johnson gives the best performance not nominated for an Oscar this year through his moving down to earth portrayal of a man who tries to do the right thing despite tremendous pressures all around him.
Fred MacMurray did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Lieutenant Tom Keefer the communications officer in The Caine Mutiny.
Fred MacMurray did not find himself nominated for this role despite Tom Tully being nominated for his wholly unimpressive performance. MacMurray like he did later in the Apartment manages to show his ability to portray a slimy character with a certain style all his own. I guess maybe the academy never nominated MacMurray was that most of his work was too lightweight for their tastes, than perhaps his best work was always as too much of a despicable character for their tastes.
MacMurray though excels with the character of Tom Keefer a man who is only in the navy in the moment and seems far more interested in writing his novel than really doing a proper job on his ship. MacMurray is excellent because his naturally warm presence makes it so you really do not suspect that Keefer is nearly as lowly as one might think. He cynical behavior never really comes off as one would imagine, and he really manages to make the character of Keefer work through his distinctly Fred MacMurray manner.
Keefer role in the film ends up being the one who lays the seeds in his fellow officers mind that the Caine's new Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) is mentally unstable. MacMurray is really perfect in the role because although his character is devious from the start of Queeg's command, MacMurray shows it his eyes, but not in his way. When he tries to convince his other officers of the Captain's problems MacMurray is entirely convincing that he could sway them due to his charm that absolutely works for the character of Keefer.
When his true colors come out near the end of the film MacMurray is very good because he doesn't compromise the rest of his performance. In the moment where he even admits his pitiful actions, MacMurray is good in that he portrays the fact that Keefer still never seems to feel that much shame. MacMurray instead stays true to his self indulgent character who only really feels shame for the fact that he ended up being caught on his behavior. This is a good performance from MacMurray that succeeds in portraying well the tricky character of Keefer who needed to be a villain without ever seeming one.
The only performance better in the Caine Mutiny than MacMurray's is found in Van Johnson's who was also not nominated for his turn as Lieutenant Steve Maryk.
Van Johnson portrays the executive officer Steve Maryk who really is the heart of the film, and actually feels like he should have been lead of the film. Well that would at least make the film better since it would spare us the very dull performance by Robert Francis as Ensign Keith, and the even duller romantic subplot that could have been excised completely from the film. It also would have also been made better because Van Johnson as Maryk, who seems to be the only one of the officers who seems to treat the Naval institutions properly in the film, is clearly the standout of the film.
Van Johnson who bears his very real scars in the film, which he usually covered up with makeup, realizes the character of Maryk beautifully. Johnson plays Maryk as a friendly officer who genuinely enjoys doing his duties on the ship, but as well takes his job with the appropriate seriousness. Johnson is pretty much the exact opposite of MacMurray's portrayal. Where MacMurray's portrayal was really one of underhanded cynicism, Johnson on the other hand is one of openness and honesty. He makes the positive aspects of his character of truthful, and easily makes Maryk the most likable character in the film.
When Queeg comes on board Johnson is very good because unlike MacMurray there is not a hidden hostility portrayed, but instead a genuine concern for Queeg's methods. There is nothing false about Johnson's portrayal of Maryk caring for his men, as well as running the ship in a way that works, he makes his problems with Queeg's methods ones of true concern opposed to Keefer's far petty problems with Queeg. Johnson is already very good but his performance only becomes better when Keefer starts to push the issue of Queeg's mental instability. Johnson's portrayal of Maryk's struggle with the issue as a highlight of the film.
Van Johnson is very effective in portraying Maryk's approach to dealing with Queeg's problems as well as Keefer's persistence. He keeps Maryk as a man who is very much still devoted to the Naval code, and method as evidence by the scenes where he stops the extreme mocking of Queeg. Johnson is moving because he portrays well the strong persistent beliefs in the naval tradition and does well in showing the degree of disgust Maryk feels of the other men's over zealousness in dismissing Queeg. He as well though does properly convey the internal feelings of doubt in his mind over Queeg's performance.
It is Johnson who delivers on the central conflict of the film which is to break naval protocol and mutiny to save the ship. It is Johnson's ability to give weight to the conflict within Maryk own mind that makes us sympathize with him with the mutiny, and importantly we stay with Maryk through the court martial. Johnson makes us very concerned for Maryk because he only ever showed genuine concern on the ship. Johnson creates the most powerful moments of the film during the court material through his moving heart wrenching reactions to some of the testimony that could put him at the end of a rope. Van Johnson basically saves the film giving a performance that makes me honestly wish Maryk had been the lead of the film. Johnson simply gives the best performance of the cast, and salvages as much of the film as he can with his portrayal of Lieutenant Steve Maryk.
5. Gene Kelly in Inherit the Wind- Kelly plays with his type once again playing a loud showman, but this time with a deep rooted cynicism.
4. Charles Laughton in Spartacus- Laughton gives a nice enjoyable performance that creates a believable portrait of a politician who uses quiet methods of persuasion.
3. Fred MacMurray in The Apartment- MacMurray is quite good in role giving a commanding presence that revels to just the right degree in his character immorality.
2. Laurence Olivier in Spartacus- Olivier as usual gives a great performance here as the main villain of the film. He is effectively a tremendous force of evil, but as well still creates a three dimensional character out of the tyrant that is his character.
1. Eli Wallach in The Magnificent Seven- This was a very close one for me, and yes I was ready to give Olivier by lead and supporting for this year. Wallach though is equally excellent in his role in the Magnificent Seven, and manages to do basically anything he possibly could with his role. Even with his role being very limited Wallach never makes it feel that way giving an extremely entertaining as well as being appropriately menacing as well.
Overall Rank:
Eli Wallach in The Magnificent Seven
Laurence Olivier in Spartacus
Peter Falk in Murder, Inc.
Peter Ustinov in Spartacus
Fred MacMurray in The Apartment
Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven
James Coburn in The Magnificent Seven
Peter Ustinov in The Sundowners
Roger Livesey in The Entertainer
Charles Laughton in Spartacus
Sal Mineo in Exodus
Gene Kelly in Inherit the Wind
Arthur Kennedy in Elmer Gantry
Martin Balsam in Psycho
Trevor Howard in Sons and Lovers
Herbert Lom in Spartacus
Jack Kruschen in The Apartment
Woody Strode in Spartacus
Ray Walston in The Apartment
Alan Bates in The Entertainer
Harry Morgan in Inherit the Wind
Brad Dexter in The Magnificent Seven
David Lewis in The Apartment
Albert Finney in The Entertainer
Richard Conte in Ocean's Eleven
Laurence Harvey in The Alamo
Charles Bronson in The Magnificent Seven
Tony Curtis in Spartacus
Richard Widmark in The Alamo
Robert Vaughn in The Magnificent Seven
Dick York in Inherit the Wind
John Wayne in The Alamo
Alan Young in The Time Machine
Joseph Wiseman in The Unforgiven
Cesar Romero in Ocean's Eleven
Albert Salmi in The Unforgiven
Horst Buchholz in The Magnificent Seven
Charles Bickford in The Unforgiven
John Dall in Spartacus
Dean Jagger in Elmer Gantry
John Gavin in Psycho
John Gavin in Spartacus
Sammy Davis Jr. in Ocean's Eleven
Dean Martin in Ocean's Eleven
Michael Anderson in The Sundowners
Akim Tamrioff in Ocean's Eleven
Chill Wills in The Alamo
John Ireland in Spartacus
Claude Akins in Inherit the Wind
Vladimir Sokoloff in The Magnificent Seven
The Rest of the Villagers in The Magnificent Seven
Fred MacMurray did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jeff D. Sheldrake in The Apartment.
Fred MacMurray despite portraying three important roles in best picture nominees like Double Indemnity, The Caine Mutiny, and best picture winner The Apartment he was never nominated. This is particularly odd for the latter two since he was not nominated in favor of actors in far smaller simpler roles who gave far less impressive performances. I suppose one could say perhaps the snub came from the lowly nature of his character compared to Jack Kruschen's, but that would be hard to say since in the same year they nominated Peter Falk, and Peter Ustinov who played a hit man and a slave holder respectively.
Perhaps what really hurt MacMurray though was that what he was good at was too problematic. MacMurray in most of his less famous roles portrayed usually kindly likable fellows, here and his other darker turns he does not entirely refute his other performance even though he is playing despicable characters. MacMurray even in this role as the amoral womanizing insurance executive still has the same sort of Fred MacMurray charm, yet he brilliantly redirects here to show it being used to troubling end. Although Sheldrake is a very reprehensible sort, MacMurray portrays the part through the film showing that he either does not care or is not aware how bad of a person he is.
Fred MacMurray carries the part excellently as he makes the command of Sheldrake entirely believable in both the business sense and the personal sense. In the business sense Sheldrake pushes everyone around in the office apparently, and gets his way doing so. MacMurray with his sly grin, and his casual but no nonsense approach fully controls the scenes he is in during the early parts of the film. MacMurray equally is effective in his scenes with Shirley MacLaine. He makes the affair believable because again there is a certain charm in his performance and even a dominance in his performance that makes it so the affair can actually be believed.
Sheldrake is a constant in the film though in that he never changes really in tone, or even in his own sense of morality. When he does something that hurts someone else MacMurray portrays as only interested to a point of pure selfishness. Even when his actions hurt himself there is no change portrayed by MacMurray, but MacMurray entirely earns the lack of change. MacMurray is steadfast in making Sheldrake the unrepentant selfish jerk he should be. There is nothing learned, when something does go wrong MacMurray portrays it as only an internal annoyance for Sheldrake, that he only really cares about how it harms him. MacMurray plays the part straight and works just as it should for the part, and the film as a whole.
036. (29 Jan) Kisses for My President (1964, Curtis Bernhardt) 35
Rather than focusing on the novelty or intrigue of a female president, Kisses for My President instead is mostly interested in emasculating Fred MacMurray as the "first lady." He's irritating and unsupportive, confessing that he only let his wife run for president because he never thought she'd win. His subplots are totally undercooked like an old flame offering him a job with him realizing much too late it's because his wife is the president. His kids are extremely petulant.
With Polly Bergen playing the only remotely likable character, it makes for an often torturous comedy even if the pacing is rather brisk. In the end, she resigns due to pregnancy. Yikes.
There are some fun costumes like a lavish fur coat and hat and a foreign uniform covered in medals. It's a so-so Costume Design nominee.
Swing High, Swing Low(1937). Romantic/musical starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. This is the second film adaptation, after The Dance of Life (1929) and before When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948).
While traveling by cruise ship, Maggie King, masquerading as a hairdresser to pay her way to California, meets a soldier named, Skid Johnson. After they arrive, Skid offers to drive Maggie and her friend Ella into Panama City and introduces them to his roommate, Harry. Skid, gets into a fight defending Maggie, at a night club and they both land in jail.
After they go before a judge the next morning, Maggie's, ship has sailed on without her. Harry and Skid, invite her to move in with them. Skid, gambles away his trumpet and Maggie convinces Murphy, the owner of a cafe, to give her the money to buy back Skid's trumpet and then hire him to play at the club.
After Maggie, becomes angry with Skid, who spent the night with Anita, a girl who works at the club. Skid, decides to marry to Maggie.
A New York agent, tells Skid about a job in New York at the El Greco. Skid is a big hit, with Anita's help, but.. he keeps putting off sending money for Maggie's ticket to join him. Concerned Maggie, borrows money from Murphy and sends a telegram to Skid, but .. Anita, sees it first and tosses it out. When Maggie, arrives in New York, with no one to meet her, she calls Anita's room and Skid answers the phone. Heartbroken, Maggie files for divorce, will Maggie have a change of heart and get back together with Skid?
The lead was originally offered to Gary Cooper, who turned it down, then to Bing Crosby, who also turned it down, then to Fred Mac, who took it.
I loved the night club scene with Anthony Quinn. Wonderful little movie for all Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray fans.
Jean Dixon (July 14, 1896 – February 12, 1981). While living in France, she studied dramatics under Sarah Bernhardt. She was on the Broadway stage a number of years before Hollywood called her in 1929. She mostly played the streetwise, smart-mouthed friend of the leading lady. Her most famous performance was in the film, My Man Godfrey (1936).
Filmography: The Lady Lies (1929) The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933) Sadie McKee (1934) I’ll Love You Always (1935) She Married Her Boss (1935) My Man Godfrey (1936) You Only Live Once (1937) Swing High, Swing Low (1937) Holiday (1938) Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
