George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, the first notable American actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who each served two terms as governor. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life

Murphy was born in

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

, of Irish Catholic extraction, the son of Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy, athletic trainer and coach, and the former Nora Long. He was educated at

Trinity-Pawling School Trinity-Pawling School, founded in 1907, is an independent college and preparatory boarding school for boys from 7th grade to 12th grade. The 230 acre campus is situated in Pawling, New York, a small hamlet in southern Dutchess County. It is lo ...

, Peddie School and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in his native New Haven. He worked as a

tool maker Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending on which area of concent ...

for the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

, as a miner, a real estate agent, and a night club dancer.

Film career

In movies, Murphy was known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals such as ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical trad ...

'' (1937), ''

Broadway Melody of 1940 ''Broadway Melody of 1940'' is a 1940 MGM film musical starring Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy (Astaire's first male dancing partner on film). It was directed by Norman Taurog and features music by Cole Porter, including " Begin ...

'' (1940) and '' For Me and My Gal'' (1942). He made his movie debut shortly after talking pictures had replaced silent movies in 1930, and his career continued until he retired as an actor in 1952, at the age of 50. During World War II, he organized entertainment for American troops. In 1951, he was awarded an honorary

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. He was never nominated for an Oscar in any competitive category. He was the president of the

from 1944 to 1946. He was also a vice president of

Desilu Productions Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

and of the

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Corporation. He was director of entertainment for presidential inaugurations in 1953, 1957 and 1961.

Political career

Murphy entered politics in 1952 by joining the leadership of the

California Republican Party The California Republican Party (CAGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the U.S. state of California. The party is based in Sacramento and is led by chair Jessica Millan Patterson. As of October 2020, Republicans repre ...

, having also directed the entertainment for the

Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

inauguration that same year. In 1964, he was elected as a Republican to the Senate, having defeated

Pierre Salinger Pierre Emil George Salinger (June 14, 1925 – October 16, 2004) was an American journalist, author and politician. He served as the ninth press secretary for United States Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Salinger served ...

, the former presidential press secretary in the Kennedy

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

, who had been appointed several months earlier to serve the remainder of the late

Clair Engle Clair Engle (September 21, 1911July 30, 1964) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from California from 1959 until his death in 1964. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for participating in the v ...

's unexpired term. Murphy served from January 1, 1965, to January 3, 1971. Murphy assumed his seat two days early, when Salinger resigned from the seat to allow Murphy to gain an edge in seniority. Murphy was then appointed by Democratic

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pat Brown Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown (April 21, 1905 – February 16, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of California from 1959 to 1967. His first elected office was as district attorney for San Francisco, and he w ...

to serve the remaining two days of Salinger's term. Murphy was in demand for a time to assist other Republican candidates seeking office. In 1966, he hosted a fundraising dinner in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, for US Representative Howard "Bo" Callaway, the first Republican candidate for Governor of Georgia since

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. In the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

, Callaway outpolled Democrat

Lester Maddox Lester Garfield Maddox Sr. (September 30, 1915 – June 25, 2003) was an American politician who served as the 75th governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. A populist Democrat, Maddox came to prominence as a staunch segregatio ...

, but did not get a majority, and the state legislature elected Maddox. In 1967 and 1968, Murphy was the chairman of the

National Republican Senatorial Committee The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lowe ...

. During his Senate term, Murphy developed

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

, and part of his larynx had to be removed. For the rest of his life, he was unable to speak above a whisper. Murphy voted in favor of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as the confirmation of

Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-A ...

to the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. In 1970, Murphy ran for re-election; he was challenged by Democratic US Representative John V. Tunney, the son of famed heavyweight

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

champion

Gene Tunney James Joseph Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1915 to 1928. He held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1 ...

. Murphy's surgery and staunch support for the lingering

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

worked against him, as did reports that he had continued to receive a salary from

after taking office. Tunney's successful Senate race in 1970 was reportedly the inspiration for the 1972 Robert Redford film '' The Candidate''.

Death

Murphy subsequently moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where he died at the age of 89, from

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

Legacy

Murphy's move from the screen to California politics paved the way for the successful transitions of actors such as Ronald Reagan and later Arnold Schwarzenegger. Reagan once famously referred to George Murphy as his own "

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

". Fellow Republicans praised Murphy's ability to speak at fundraising dinners and so consequently backed his bid to become the chairman of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. During his tenure in the Senate, Murphy created the candy desk by placing a supply of confectionery on his desk on the U.S. Senate floor. After 1971, the candy-desk duties were bequeathed to a string of successors; since 2015, the keeper of the candy desk has been

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Republican

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for Pennsylvania since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. representa ...

. Murphy was the subject of a song by

Tom Lehrer Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; born April 9, 1928) is an American former musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician, having lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy and humorous songs that he recorded in ...

included on his album ''

That Was the Year That Was ''That Was the Year That Was'' (1965) is a live album recorded at the hungry i in San Francisco, containing performances by Tom Lehrer of satiric topical songs he originally wrote for the NBC television series ''That Was The Week That Was'', kno ...

'' with the same name, which criticized Murphy's comments about Mexicans working in the US.

Personal life

Murphy was married to his ballroom dancing partner, Juliette "Julie" Henkel-Johnson, from December 18, 1926, until her death, in 1973. They had two children: Dennis Michael Murphy and Melissa Elaine Murphy. He was married to Bette Blandi from 1982 until his death in 1992; she died in 1999.

Radio

* '' Suspense'' (episode "Death on Highway 99" 1945) * ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

'' (episode ''

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...

'' 1952)

Films

* ''

Kid Millions ''Kid Millions'' (1934) is an American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and starring Eddie Cantor. Its elaborate "Ice Cream Fantasy Finale" production number was filmed in three-strip Technicolor, one ...

'' (1934) as Jerry Lane * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

'' (1934) as Larry O'Roarke * '' I'll Love You Always'' (1935) as Carl Brent * '' After the Dance'' (1935) as Jerry Davis * ''

The Public Menace ''The Public Menace'' is a 1935 American black-and-white romantic drama film starring Jean Arthur, George Murphy and Douglass Dumbrille. A newspaper reporter keeps losing and regaining his job due to a manicurist he is persuaded to marry. Plot ...

'' (1935) as Edward Joseph 'Red' Foster * '' Woman Trap'' (1936) as Keat Shevlin * '' Top of the Town'' (1937) as Ted Lane * '' London by Night'' (1937) as Michael Denis * ''

'' (1937) as Sonny Ledford * ''

The Women Men Marry ''The Women Men Marry'' is a 1937 American film directed by Errol Taggart and starring George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Claire Dodd and Toby Wing. The film's script is credited to Donald Henderson Clarke. Cast * George Murphy - Bill Raebur ...

'' (1937) as Bill Raeburn * '' You're a Sweetheart'' (1937) as Hal Adams * ''

Little Miss Broadway ''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants ...

'' (1938) as Roger Wendling * ''

Letter of Introduction ''Letter of Introduction'' is a 1938 American comedy-drama film directed by John M. Stahl. In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after p ...

'' (1938) as Barry Paige * ''

Hold That Co-ed ''Hold That Co-ed'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by George Marshall, starring John Barrymore, George Murphy and Marjorie Weaver. Plot summary Former star quarterback Rusty Stevens believes he is being hired to be prosperous Clayton Universit ...

'' (1938) as Rusty * '' Risky Business'' (1939) as Dan Clifford * ''

'' (1940) as King Shaw * ''

Two Girls on Broadway ''Two Girls on Broadway'' is a 1940 musical film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Lana Turner and Joan Blondell. The film is a remake of ''The Broadway Melody'' (1929). Plot Molly Mahoney (Joan Blondell) forms a vaudeville act with her fi ...

'' (1940) as Eddie Kerns * '' Public Deb No. 1'' (1940) as Alan Blake * ''

Little Nellie Kelly ''Little Nellie Kelly'' is a 1940 American musical-comedy film based on the stage musical of the same title by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. It ...

'' (1940) as Jerry Kelly * ''

A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob ''A Girl, a Guy and a Gob'' is a 1941 film produced by Harold Lloyd and starring George Murphy, Lucille Ball, and Edmond O'Brien. Plot summary When Stephen Herrick, a sedate, mild-mannered shipping magnate, loses his opera tickets, Mrs. Gran ...

'' (1941) as Coffee Cup * '' Tom, Dick and Harry'' (1941) as Tom * ''

Ringside Maisie ''Ringside Maisie'' is a 1941 film directed by Edwin L. Marin. It stars Ann Sothern, Robert Sterling and George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-danc ...

'' (1941) as Skeets Maguire * '' Rise and Shine'' (1941) as Mo McGonigle * ''

The Mayor of 44th Street ''The Mayor of 44th Street'' is a 1942 film directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars George Murphy and Anne Shirley. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943. Cast * George Murphy as Joe Jonathan * Anne Shirley as Jersey Lee * William Garga ...

'' (1942) as Joe Jonathan * '' For Me and My Gal'' (1942) as Mo K. Metcalf * ''

The Navy Comes Through ''The Navy Comes Through'' is a 1942 American World War II film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It stars Pat O'Brien, George Murphy and Jane Wyatt. Vernon L. Walker and James G. Stewart were nominated for an Oscar for Best Special Effects. ...

'' (1942) as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands * ''

The Powers Girl ''The Powers Girl'', sometimes retitled ''Hello, Beautiful'', is a 1943 musical comedy film about women employed by John Robert Powers' modeling agency. Starring George Murphy, Anne Shirley, and Carole Landis, the film was directed by Norman Z. ...

'' (1943) as Jerry Hendricks * ''

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

'' (1943) as Lieut. Steve Bentley * ''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical comedy film produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from a wartime stage musical with the same name, designed to boost morale in the U.S. duri ...

'' (1943) as Jerry Jones * ''

Broadway Rhythm ''Broadway Rhythm'' (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor musical film. It was produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film was originally announced as ''Broadway Melody of 1944'' to follow MGM's ''Broadway Melody' ...

'' (1944) as Jonnie Demming * ''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...

'' (1944) as George Doane * '' Step Lively'' (1944) as Gordon Miller * ''

Having Wonderful Crime ''Having Wonderful Crime'' is a 1945 American screwball comedy and mystery film directed by Eddie Sutherland from a screenplay by Howard J. Green, Stewart Sterling, and Parke Levy, based on the novel of the same name by Craig Rice. In her s ...

'' (1945) as Jake Justus * ''

Up Goes Maisie ''Up Goes Maisie'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is the ninth of 10 films starring Ann Sothern as ex-showgirl Maisie Ravier, characterized as "that double trouble doll with the sa ...

'' (1946) as Joseph Morton * '' The Arnelo Affair'' (1947) as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson * ''

Cynthia Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, ...

'' (1947) as Larry Bishop * ''

Tenth Avenue Angel ''Tenth Avenue Angel'' is a 1948 American film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Margaret O'Brien, Angela Lansbury, and George Murphy. It chronicles the life and family of Flavia Mills (Margaret O'Brien) in the late 1930s. Filming took place 1 ...

'' (1948) as Steve Abbutt * '' Big City'' (1948) as Patrick O'Donnell * ''

Border Incident ''Border Incident'' is a 1949 film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, Howard Da Silva. Directed by Anthony Mann, the MGM production was written by John C. Higgins and George Zuckerman. The film was shot by cinematographer John ...

'' (1949) as Jack Bearnes * '' Battleground'' (1949) as'Pop' Stazak * '' No Questions Asked'' (1951) as Inspector Matt Duggan * '' It's a Big Country'' (1951) as Mr. Callaghan * ''

Talk About a Stranger ''Talk About a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by David Bradley and starring George Murphy, Nancy Davis and Billy Gray. The motion picture was shot by noted cinematographer John Alton, A.S.C. and was based on Charlotte Armstron ...

'' (1952) as Robert Fontaine Sr. * ''

Walk East on Beacon ''Walk East on Beacon'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring George Murphy, Finlay Currie, and Virginia Gilmore. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was inspired by a May 1951 ''Re ...

'' (1952) as Inspector James 'Jim' Belden * '' Deep in My Heart'' (1954) (scenes deleted)

References

External links

* *
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

from www.passportland.com , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, George 1902 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American dancers 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American politicians Academy Honorary Award recipients American actor-politicians American male dancers American male film actors American miners American people of Irish descent American tap dancers California Republicans Candidates in the 1970 United States elections Catholics from Connecticut Catholics from Florida Deaths from cancer in Florida Deaths from leukemia Florida Republicans Male actors from New Haven, Connecticut Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut New Right (United States) Peddie School alumni People from Palm Beach, Florida Politicians from New Haven, Connecticut Presidents of the Screen Actors Guild Republican Party United States senators from California University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy alumni