Ray Bolger
Biography
Ray Bolger was born on January 10, 1904, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and died on January 15, 1987. He began his career in vaudeville as part of a team called Sanford and Bolger, and also performed in numerous Broadway shows on his own. He worked as an actor and a song-and-dance man, and was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936. His first role was as himself in The Great Ziegfeld in 1936, followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie in 1937. His first dancing and singing role was in Sweethearts in 1938, where he performed the wooden shoes number with Jeanette MacDonald. This led to his most famous role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz in 1939.
Career overview
Ray Bolger was born on January 10, 1904, in Boston, Massachusetts, and passed away on January 15, 1987, at the age of 83. He began his career in vaudeville as part of a team called Sanford and Bolger, and he also performed in numerous Broadway shows on his own. Like Gene Kelly, Bolger worked as both an actor and a song-and-dance man.
In 1936, Bolger was signed to a contract with MGM. His first film role was playing himself in The Great Ziegfeld in 1936, which was followed by a role opposite Eleanor Powell in Rosalie in 1937. His first singing and dancing role came in Sweethearts in 1938, where he performed the wooden shoes number alongside soprano and actress Jeanette MacDonald.
This performance caught the attention of MGM producers, leading to his casting in his most famous role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Throughout his career, Bolger achieved 67 known acting credits on film and television.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Wizard of Oz at Sphere (2025) as Hunk (archive footage)
- Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- To Oz! The Making of a Classic (2009) as Self
- Judy Garland: By Myself (2004) as Self - Actor (archive sound)
- The Dark Side of the Rainbow (2000) as 'Hunk' (archive footage)
- Vaudeville (1997) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (1990) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Dancing! (1985) as Self - Host
- The Whimsical World of Oz (1985) as Self
- Peter and the Magic Egg (1983) as Uncle Amos (voice)
- Annie (1982) as Sound Effects Man at Radio Station (uncredited)
- Just You and Me, Kid (1979) as Tom
- The Runner Stumbles (1979) as Monsignor Nicholson
- Heaven Only Knows (1979) as Simon
- The Making of the Wizard of Oz (1979) as Self
- Fantasy Island (1978) as Spencer Randolph
- Fantasy Island (1978) as Gaylord Nelson
- Battlestar Galactica (1978) as Vector
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
- Three on a Date (1978) as Andrew
- The Love Boat (1977) as Horace McDonald
- The Love Boat (1977) as Andy Hopkins
- Donny & Marie (1976) as Self
- Captains and the Kings (1976) as R.J. Squibbs
- The Entertainer (1976) as Billy Rice
- Baretta (1975)
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Toby Noe
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Partridge Family (1970) as Grandpa Fred Renfrew
- The Partridge Family (1970) as Grandpa Walter Renfrew
- Nanny and the Professor (1970) as Uncle Horace
- Omnibus (1967) as Self
- Omnibus (1967)
- The Daydreamer (1966) as The Pieman
- The Hollywood Palace (1964) as Self - Host
- The Judy Garland Show (1963) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- Babes in Toyland (1961) as Barnaby
- Backstage Party (1961) as Self
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self - Host
- The All-Star Christmas Show (1958) as Self
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
- Washington Square (1956) as Self - HOst
- MGM Parade (1955)
- The George Gobel Show (1954) as Self
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Self
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self
- Where's Raymond? (1953) as Raymond Wallace
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Alfred Boggs
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Stan Maylor
- April in Paris (1952) as Sam Winthrop Putnam
- Where's Charley? (1952) as Charley Wykeham
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as 'Mayor' Threadbare III
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self - Host
- Look for the Silver Lining (1949) as Jack Donahue
- Make Mine Laughs (1949) as (archive footage)
- The Harvey Girls (1946) as Chris Maule
- Stage Door Canteen (1943) as Ray Bolger
- Four Jacks and a Jill (1942) as Nifty Sullivan, a Jack
- Sunny (1941) as Bunny Billings
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) as "Hunk" / Scarecrow
- Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power (1938) as Self (uncredited)
- Sweethearts (1938) as Hans
- Rosalie (1937) as Bill Delroy
- The Great Ziegfeld (1936) as Ray Bolger
- Oz as Self / Scarecrow (archive footage)