Wayne Morris
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Wayne Morris (February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959), born Bert DeWayne Morris in Los Angeles, was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many notable films, including Paths of Glory (1957), The Bushwackers (1952) and the title role of Kid Galahad in 1937. While filming Flight Angels (1940), Morris became interested in flying and became a pilot. With war in the wind, he joined the Naval Reserve and became a Navy flier in 1942, leaving his film career behind for the duration of the war. Flying the F6F Hellcat off the aircraft carrier USS Essex, Morris shot down seven Japanese planes and contributed to the sinking of five ships. He was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals. Morris was considered by the Navy as physically 'too big' to fly fighters. After being turned down several times as a fighter pilot, he went to his brother in law, Cdr. David McCampbell, imploring him for the chance to fly fighters. Cdr. McCampbell said "Give me a letter." He flew with the VF-15, the famed "McCampbell Heroes." He married Patricia O'Rourke, an Olympic swimmer, and sister to B-movie actress Peggy Stewart. Following the war, Morris returned to films, but his nearly four-year absence had cost him his burgeoning stardom. He continued to act in movies, but the pictures, for the most part, sank in quality. Losing his boyish looks but not demeanor, Morris spent most of the fifties in low-budget westerns. He made an unusual career move in 1957, making his Broadway debut as a washed-up boxing champ in William Saroyan's The Cave Dwellers. He also appeared as a weakling in Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory (1957). Morris suffered a massive heart attack while visiting aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard in San Francisco Bay and was pronounced dead after being transported to Oakland Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. He was 45. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Description above from the Wikipedia article Wayne Morris (American actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Known for
Credits
Paths of Glory (1957)
as Lt. Roget/Singing man
Fighting Lawman (1953)
as Deputy Marshal Jim Burke
Plunder Road (1957)
as Commando Munson
The Marksman (1953)
as Deputy Marshal Mike Martin
Kid Galahad (1937)
as Ward 'Kid Galahad' Guisenberry
Ladies Must Live (1940)
as Corey Lake
Yellow Fin (1951)
as Mike Donovan
Valley of the Giants (1938)
as Bill Cardigan
I Wanted Wings (1941)
as Tom Cassidy
The Return of Doctor X (1939)
as Walter Wichita Garrett
Johnny One-Eye (1950)
as Dane Cory
John Loves Mary (1949)
as Lt. Victor O'Leary
Riding Shotgun (1954)
as Deputy Sheriff Tub Murphy
China Clipper (1936)
as Navigator on Clipper
Deep Valley (1947)
as Jeff Barker
The Time of Your Life (1948)
as Tom
The Big Punch (1948)
as Chris Thorgenson
Breakdowns of 1949 (1949)
as Self
The Bushwhackers (1951)
as Marshal John Harding
Brother Rat and a Baby (1940)
as Billy Randolph
Task Force (1949)
as McKinney
A Kiss in the Dark (1949)
as Bruce Arnold
The Big Gusher (1951)
as Kenny Blake
The Voice of the Turtle (1947)
as Comm. Ned Burling
The Kid from Kokomo (1939)
as Homer Baston
Smart Blonde (1937)
as Railroad Information Clerk (uncredited)
The Younger Brothers (1949)
as Cole Younger
Port of Hell (1954)
as Stanley Povich
The Crooked Sky (1957)
as Mike Conlin
The Green Buddha (1954)
as Gary Holden
Two Guns and a Badge (1954)
as Deputy Jim Blake
Bad Men of Missouri (1941)
as Bob Younger
Brother Rat (1938)
as Billy Randolph
Flight Angels (1940)
as Artie Dixon
The Smiling Ghost (1941)
as Alexander "Lucky" Downing
Double Alibi (1940)
as Stephen Wayne
The Quarterback (1940)
as Jimmy Jones and Billy Jones
Star of Texas (1953)
as Texas Ranger Ed Ryan / Robert Larkin
Love, Honor and Behave (1938)
as Ted Painter
Out Where the Stars Begin (1938)
as Wayne Morris
The Desperado (1954)
as Sam Garrett
Men Are Such Fools (1938)
as Jimmy Hall
Arctic Flight (1952)
as Mike Wien
Stage to Tucson (1950)
as Barney Broderick
An Angel from Texas (1940)
as Mac McClure
Gambling on the High Seas (1940)
as Jim Carter
Blow-Ups of 1947 (1947)
as Self
The Tougher They Come (1950)
as Bill Shaw
King of Hockey (1936)
as Bill "Jumbo" Mullins
The Kid Comes Back (1938)
as Rush Conway
The Lonesome Trail (1955)
as Dandy Dayton
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) (1936)
as Self
Texas Bad Man (1953)
as Walt
The House Across the Street (1949)
as Dave Joslin
Cross Channel (1955)
as Tex Parker
Buffalo Gun (1961)
as Roche
Submarine D-1 (1937)
as "Sock" McGillis
Under Southern Stars (1937)
as Dallas
The Gelignite Gang (1956)
as Jimmy Baxter
Once a Doctor (1937)
as Sailor on Nirvana
Here Comes Carter (1936)
as Bill
Land Beyond the Law (1937)
as Dave Seymour
Desert Pursuit (1952)
as Ford Smith
Lord of the Jungle (1955)
as Jeff Wood
Polo Joe (1936)
as Spectator (uncredited)
So You Want to Be in Pictures (1947)
as Self (uncredited)
Three Sons o' Guns (1941)
as Charley Patterson
The Master Plan (1954)
as Major Thomas Brent
Sierra Passage (1950)
as Johnny Yorke