Ray Bolger(1904-1987)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ray Bolger was born Raymond Wallace Bolger in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to Anne C. (Wallace) and James Edward Bolger, both Irish-Americans. Ray began his career in vaudeville. He was half of a team called "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. LikeGene Kelly,he was a song-and-dance man as well as an actor. He was signed to a contract with MGM and his first role was as himself inThe Great Ziegfeld (1936).This was soon followed by a role oppositeEleanor Powellin the romantic comedyRosalie (1937).His first dancing and singing role was inSweethearts (1938),where he did the "wooden shoes" number with redheaded soprano/actressJeanette MacDonald.This got him noticed by MGM producers and resulted in his being cast in his most famous role, the Scarecrow inThe Wizard of Oz (1939).Surprisingly, even though the film was a success, Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO Radio Pictures to make the romantic comedyFour Jacks and a Jill (1942).After this, Bolger went to Broadway, where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953, he turned to television and received his own sitcom,Where's Raymond? (1953),later changed to "The Ray Bolger Show". After his series ended, Bolger had small roles in movies and guest starred on television series such asThe Love Boat (1977),Little House on the Prairie (1974),Fantasy Island (1977),Battlestar Galactica (1978),andDiff'rent Strokes (1978).In 1985, he co-hosted the documentary filmThat's Dancing! (1985)withLiza Minnelli.Ray Bolger died of bladder cancer in Los Angeles, California on January 15, 1987, five days after his 83rd birthday.
