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 from 1944 to 1946, and was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 1951. Murphy served from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to make the successful transition to elected official in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
| Net Worth | $12 Million |
| Date Of Birth | July 4, 1902 |
| Died | 1992-05-03 |
| Place Of Birth | New Haven, Connecticut, USA |
| Height | 5' 11" (1.8 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Assistant Director, Soundtrack |
| Work Position | Republican Party nominee for United States Senator from California |
| Education | Yale University |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Juliette Henkel-Johnson Murphy Betty Duhon Blandi |
| Children | Melissa Elaine Murphy, Dennis Michael Murphy |
| Nicknames | George Lloyd Murphy, Murphy, George Lloyd |
| Star Sign | Cancer |
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Ran for re-election in 1970, but was defeated by another "celebrity" candidate, Congressman John V. Tunney, son of former heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. Tunney was also defeated for re-election, after serving only one term, by former San Francisco State University President S.I. Hayakawa. |
| 2 | During the Broadway run of their hit show "Roberta", Murphy advised his co-star Bob Hope to check out a pretty singer at the Vogue Club, "Dolores Reade". Hope was immediately smitten and married her after a brief courtship. The marriage lasted until Hope's death at age 100 in 2003. |
| 3 | Served as director of entertainment for U.S. presidential inaugurations in 1952, 1956, and 1960. |
| 4 | 2 children, Dennis and Melissa |
| 5 | Graduated from the Peddie School prior to going on to Yale. |
| 6 | Was married twice. His first wife, Julie Henkel (known on stage as dancer Julie Johnson) teamed with him in Broadway musicals before she retired to raise a family. George was survived by his second wife. |
| 7 | Upon his election to the Senate, singer/satirist Tom Lehrer good-naturedly saluted him in the song "George Murphy" as "at last we've got a senator who can really sing and dance." Lehrer went on to say that "we can't expect America to win against its foes without someone in the Senate who can really tap his toes." If Murphy had any thoughts on this joking tribute, they weren't recorded for posterity. |
| 8 | (1944-1946) President of Screen Actors Guild (SAG). |
| 9 | He was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election held following the death of Senator Clair Engle (Democrat of California) from a malignant brain tumor in 1964. Murphy's opponent in this election was former JFK press secretary Pierre Salinger, who was trounced by a huge margin. During Murphy's term (1965-1971) he contracted throat cancer. He battled this successfully, but, sadly, because of the cancer it was necessary to remove his larynx, causing him to be unable to speak above a whisper for the remainder of his life. |
| 10 | Awarded a special Oscar in 1950. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| That's Entertainment! III | 1994 | Documentary performer: "Follow in My Footsteps" 1937 - uncredited | |
| MGM Parade | 1955 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
| If You Knew Susie | 1948 | performer: "Sextette" 1835 - uncredited | |
| Step Lively | 1944 | performer: "WHERE DOES LOVE BEGIN?", "ASK THE MADAME" | |
| Show Business | 1944 | performer: "They're Wearing 'em Higher in Hawaii" 1916, "It Had to Be You" 1924, "I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad" 1911, "Sextette" 1935, "Alabamy Bound" 1924, "Dinah" 1925, "I Don't Want to Get Well" 1917 - uncredited | |
| Broadway Rhythm | 1944 | performer: "Who's Who?", "In Other Words, Seventeen", "That Lucky Fellow", "My Love Affair" | |
| This Is the Army | 1943 | performer: "My Sweetie", "We're on Our Way to France", "Mandy", "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning", "Alexander's Ragtime Band" | |
| For Me and My Gal | 1942 | "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" 1911, uncredited / performer: "The Doll Shop" 1942, "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" 1911, "By the Beautiful Sea" 1914 - uncredited | |
| The Mayor of 44th Street | 1942 | performer: "A Million Miles From Manhattan" | |
| Tom, Dick and Harry | 1941 | performer: "Down by the Old Mill Stream" 1910 - uncredited | |
| Little Nellie Kelly | 1940 | "Nellie Kelly I Love You" 1922 | |
| Two Girls on Broadway | 1940 | "My Wonderful One Let's Dance" 1940 / performer: "My Wonderful One Let's Dance" 1940, "Broadway's Still Broadway' 1940 | |
| Broadway Melody of 1940 | 1940 | performer: "Please Don't Monkey with Broadway" 1939, "Between You and Me" 1939, "I've Got My Eye on You" 1939 - uncredited | |
| Hold That Co-ed | 1938 | performer: "Limpy Dimp" 1938, "Here I Am Doing It" 1938 - uncredited | |
| Little Miss Broadway | 1938 | performer: "Little Miss Broadway" 1938 - uncredited | |
| You're a Sweetheart | 1937 | performer: "You're a Sweetheart" | |
| Broadway Melody of 1938 | 1937 | performer: "Yours and Mine" 1937, "Follow in My Footsteps" 1937, "I'm Feelin' Like a Million" 1937, "Your Broadway and My Broadway" 1937 - uncredited | |
| London by Night | 1937 | "Comin' Thro' the Rye", uncredited | |
| Violets in Spring | 1936 | Short performer: "Let's Keep On Dancing", "Violets in Spring" | |
| After the Dance | 1935 | performer: "Tomorrow Night", "Without You I'm Just Drifting" - uncredited | |
| Kid Millions | 1934 | performer: "Your Head on My Shoulder" 1934 uncredited, "Mandy" 1918, "Let My People Go" uncredited | |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| MGM: When the Lion Roars | 1992 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| 7th Annual American Cinema Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself |
| All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan | 1985 | TV Special | Himself |
| This Is Your Life | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
| The David Frost Show | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1969 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Joey Bishop Show | 1967 | TV Series | Himself |
| Issues and Answers | 1965 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| That Regis Philbin Show | 1964 | TV Series | Himself |
| Here's Hollywood | 1960 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Jack Paar Tonight Show | 1960 | TV Series | Himself |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | 1959 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest Host |
| The Thin Man | 1958 | TV Series | Himself |
| MGM Parade | 1955-1956 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration | 1955 | Short documentary | Himself - Host |
| The 25th Annual Academy Awards | 1953 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Hoaxters | 1952 | Short documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| The Actor's Society Benefit Gala | 1949 | TV Movie | Himself - Performer |
| Show-Business at War | 1943 | Documentary short | Himself (uncredited) |
| Meet the Stars #5: Hollywood Meets the Navy | 1941 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga | 1939 | Short | Himself (uncredited) |
| Hollywood Hobbies | 1939 | Short | Himself (uncredited) |
| Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 5 | 1938 | Documentary short | Himself |
Ella Bryant 
