Wayne Morris
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
Filmography · 77
Maverick
1957
Gunsmoke
1955 · Nat
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958 · Mayor Barney Pax
Bat Masterson
1958 · Mace Pomeroy
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Bret Johnson
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · Self
Adventures in Paradise
1959 · Sam Agnew
Bronco
1958
Paths of Glory
1957 · Lt. Roget/Singing man
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
Official Detective
1957
Fighting Lawman
1953 · Deputy Marshal Jim Bur...
Plunder Road
1957 · Commando Munson
Ladies Must Live
1940 · Corey Lake
The Return of Doctor X
1939 · Walter Wichita Garrett
Riding Shotgun
1954 · Deputy Sheriff Tub Mur...
Kid Galahad
1937 · Ward 'Kid Galahad' Gui...
Gambling on the High Seas
1940 · Jim Carter
John Loves Mary
1949 · Lt. Victor O'Leary
Task Force
1949 · McKinney
Breakdowns of 1949
1949 · Self
Valley of the Giants
1938 · Bill Cardigan
Two Guns and a Badge
1954 · Deputy Jim Blake
The Marksman
1953 · Deputy Marshal Mike Ma...
Yellow Fin
1951 · Mike Donovan
Brother Rat and a Baby
1940 · Billy Randolph
The Time of Your Life
1948 · Tom
I Wanted Wings
1941 · Tom Cassidy
The Crooked Sky
1957 · Mike Conlin
The Big Gusher
1951 · Kenny Blake
Deep Valley
1947 · Jeff Barker
The Bushwhackers
1951 · Marshal John Harding
An Angel from Texas
1940 · Mac McClure
The Younger Brothers
1949 · Cole Younger
Polo Joe
1936 · Spectator (uncredited)
Johnny One-Eye
1950 · Dane Cory
The House Across the Street
1949 · Dave Joslin
Bad Men of Missouri
1941 · Bob Younger
The Desperado
1954 · Sam Garrett
Smart Blonde
1937 · Railroad Information C...
The Lonesome Trail
1955 · Dandy Dayton
Submarine D-1
1937 · "Sock" McGillis
China Clipper
1936 · Navigator on Clipper
Port of Hell
1954 · Stanley Povich
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936 · Self
The Big Punch
1948 · Chris Thorgenson
Men Are Such Fools
1938 · Jimmy Hall
The Smiling Ghost
1941 · Alexander "Lucky" Down...
The Voice of the Turtle
1947 · Comm. Ned Burling
Three Sons o' Guns
1941 · Charley Patterson
Love, Honor and Behave
1938 · Ted Painter
Sierra Passage
1950 · Johnny Yorke
King of Hockey
1936 · Bill "Jumbo" Mullins
Arctic Flight
1952 · Mike Wien
Brother Rat
1938 · Billy Randolph
Blow-Ups of 1947
1947 · Self
Out Where the Stars Begin
1938 · Wayne Morris
Double Alibi
1940 · Stephen Wayne
Stage to Tucson
1950 · Barney Broderick
A Kiss in the Dark
1949 · Bruce Arnold
The Quarterback
1940 · Jimmy Jones and Billy...
The Gelignite Gang
1956 · Jimmy Baxter
Flight Angels
1940 · Artie Dixon
Once a Doctor
1937 · Sailor on Nirvana
Desert Pursuit
1952 · Ford Smith
Land Beyond the Law
1937 · Dave Seymour
Star of Texas
1953 · Texas Ranger Ed Ryan /...
Texas Bad Man
1953 · Walt
Here Comes Carter
1936 · Bill
The Kid Comes Back
1938 · Rush Conway
The Green Buddha
1954 · Gary Holden
The Kid from Kokomo
1939 · Homer Baston
The Tougher They Come
1950 · Bill Shaw
Lord of the Jungle
1955 · Jeff Wood
Cross Channel
1955 · Tex Parker
The Master Plan
1954 · Major Thomas Brent
Buffalo Gun
1961 · Roche