Morris Ankrum makes an officer or a judge sound as though somebody sensible has taken charge. We value his firm, unfussy authority, though the repeated casting gives him too few chances to surprise us.
Fi1m perspective
Morris Ankrum sounds as though he expects to be obeyed. The resonant voice and gruff manner establish authority quickly, without much need for the script to explain his standing. As Colonel Fielding in Invaders from Mars (1953), he gives the military presence a reassuring firmness. We felt steadier with him there because he makes the officer seem capable of dealing with what confronts him. We would not dismiss that contribution merely because it looks straightforward.
The westerns had already made use of the less reassuring side of that manner. In the Hopalong Cassidy series, between 1936 and 1941, he often played villains; the sternness that later suggested competence could also serve an antagonist. He worked repeatedly with directors Lesley Selander and Nate Watt, making seven films with Selander and six with Watt. This was largely supporting work, and his ability to establish authority quickly was well suited to parts that could not take long over introductions.
During the 1950s, science fiction made him a familiar military and scientific authority. He plays Brigadier General John Hanley in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), another part built around an officer facing an extraterrestrial threat. The westerns continued too, with General Ramírez in Vera Cruz (1954). We value how clearly he establishes these men, but the casting is narrow even when the genres differ. Ankrum's firmness can settle the question of who is in charge before we have learnt much else about the person.
Television continued to find use for that authority: he played judges in 22 episodes of Perry Mason between 1957 and 1964. There is a limit to how much novelty we should claim for such consistent casting. There is also pleasure in an actor doing a familiar job without making us notice the effort. Start with Invaders from Mars for a supporting performance that makes taking the situation seriously seem entirely reasonable.
Biography
Morris Ankrum was an American character actor who appeared in more than 150 films and numerous television episodes, primarily in supporting roles as authority figures such as judges, military officers and scientists.
Born Morris Nussbaum in Danville, Illinois, he trained as a lawyer at the University of Southern California and later taught economics and drama before entering the theatre. He performed on Broadway from 1923 to 1939 and began his film career in the 1930s, initially under the name Stephen Morris before adopting Morris Ankrum in 1939.
He is known for roles in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), In a Lonely Place (1950), Vera Cruz (1954), Invaders from Mars (1953) and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), as well as recurring appearances as judges in series including Perry Mason and Bonanza. Ankrum died in Pasadena, California, in 1964.
