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 me ...

from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Oscar 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 power ...

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 Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

and

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, who each served two terms as governor. He is the only United States Senator represented by a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

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 (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

, 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 l ...

Peddie School The Peddie School is a college preparatory school in Hightstown, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is a non-denominational, coeducational boarding school located on a campus, and serves students in the ninth through twelfth g ...

and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

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'' (1937), '' Broadway Melody of 1940'' (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 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 repr ...

, having also directed the entertainment for the Eisenhower- Nixon inauguration that same year. In 1964, he was elected as a Republican to the Senate, having defeated Pierre Salinger, 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 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 city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

, for US Representative Howard "Bo" Callaway, the first Republican candidate for

Governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legis ...

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 operat ...

, Callaway outpolled Democrat Lester Maddox, 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, and part of his

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about ...

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 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights m ...

, 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, and the

Civil Rights Act of 1968 The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a landmark law in the United States signed into law by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles II through VII comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which appl ...

. In 1970, Murphy ran for re-election; he was challenged by Democratic US Representative

John V. Tunney John Varick Tunney (June 26, 1934 – January 12, 2018) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator and Representative from the state of California in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the son of boxing champion Gene 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 predetermined ...

champion Gene Tunney. Murphy's surgery and staunch support for the lingering

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, 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 Vie ...

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 Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intrac ...

, 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

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 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'', kn ...

'' 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 Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

'' (episode "Death on Highway 99" 1945) * '' Lux Radio Theatre'' (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 Eli ...

'' 1952)

Films

* '' Kid Millions'' (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 ''I'll Love You Always'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Leo Bulgakov and starring Nancy Carroll, George Murphy and Raymond Walburn.Nemcek p.200 Synopsis An engineer, married to an actress, pretends he is working on a job in Russia whe ...

'' (1935) as Carl Brent * '' After the Dance'' (1935) as Jerry Davis * '' The Public Menace'' (1935) as Edward Joseph 'Red' Foster * '' Woman Trap'' (1936) as Keat Shevlin * ''

Top of the Town ''Top of the Town'' was a 1950s radio programme, broadcast on the BBC Light Programme and hosted by Terry-Thomas. The pilot episode was broadcast on 5 June 1953 on the BBC Home Service; the first series started shortly afterwards, on 1 November ...

'' (1937) as Ted Lane * '' London by Night'' (1937) as Michael Denis * '' Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937) as Sonny Ledford * '' The Women Men Marry'' (1937) as Bill Raeburn * ''

You're a Sweetheart ''You're a Sweetheart'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by David Butler and starring Alice Faye, George Murphy and Ken Murray. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures who loaned Alice Faye from 20th Century Fox to he ...

'' (1937) as Hal Adams * '' Little Miss Broadway'' (1938) as Roger Wendling * '' Letter of Introduction'' (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 University ...

'' (1938) as Rusty * ''

Risky Business ''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Best known as Cruise's breakout film, ''Risky Business'' was a critica ...

'' (1939) as Dan Clifford * '' Broadway Melody of 1940'' (1940) as King Shaw * '' Two Girls on Broadway'' (1940) as Eddie Kerns * ''

Public Deb No. 1 ''Public Deb No. 1'' (or ''Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No. 1'') is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring George Murphy, Brenda Joyce and Ralph Bellamy. Plot A socialite is introduced to communism by her butler. Part ...

'' (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. ...

'' (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. Grange, ...

'' (1941) as Coffee Cup * ''

Tom, Dick and Harry The phrase "Tom, Dick, and Harry" is a placeholder for unspecified people. The phrase most commonly occurs as "every Tom, Dick, and Harry", meaning ''everyone'', and "any Tom, Dick, or Harry", meaning ''anyone'', although ''Brewer's Dictionary o ...

'' (1941) as Tom * '' Ringside Maisie'' (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 Gargan as ...

'' (1942) as Joe Jonathan * '' For Me and My Gal'' (1942) as Mo K. Metcalf * '' The Navy Comes Through'' (1942) as Lt. Thomas L. 'Tom' Sands * '' The Powers Girl'' (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'' (1943) as Jerry Jones * '' Broadway Rhythm'' (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'' (1945) as Jake Justus * '' Up Goes Maisie'' (1946) as Joseph Morton * ''

The Arnelo Affair ''The Arnelo Affair'' is a 1947 American film noir starring John Hodiak, George Murphy, Frances Gifford, and Dean Stockwell, and co-written and directed by Arch Oboler. Plot A lawyer's wife, Anne Parkson ( Frances Gifford) is bored and neg ...

'' (1947) as Theodore 'Ted' Parkson * '' Cynthia'' (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'' (1949) as Jack Bearnes * '' Battleground'' (1949) as'Pop' Stazak * '' No Questions Asked'' (1951) as Inspector Matt Duggan * ''

It's a Big Country ''It's a Big Country An American Anthology'' is a 1951 American anthology film consisting of eight segments by seven directors: Richard Thorpe, John Sturges, Charles Vidor, Don Weis, Clarence Brown, William A. Wellman and Don Hartman. Plot In ...

'' (1951) as Mr. Callaghan * '' Talk About a Stranger'' (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 ''Reade ...

'' (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