About

Known credits:
70
Birthday:
1914-02-17
Place of birth:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Website:
N/A

Wayne Morris

Overview

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

Acting
1961 Buffalo Gun Actor Roche N/A
N/A
1957 Plunder Road Actor Commando Munson 59
Average
1957 Paths of Glory Actor Lt. Roget/Singing man 79
Good
1957 The Crooked Sky Actor Mike Conlin 59
Average
1956 The Gelignite Gang Actor Jimmy Baxter 59
Average
1955 Cross Channel Actor Tex Parker 58
Average
1955 The Master Plan Actor Major Thomas Brent 59
Average
1955 The Lonesome Trail Actor Dandy Dayton 58
Average
1955 Lord of the Jungle Actor Jeff Wood 59
Average
1954 Port of Hell Actor Stanley Povich N/A
N/A
1954 The Green Buddha Actor Gary Holden 59
Average
1954 Two Guns and a Badge Actor Deputy Jim Blake N/A
N/A
1954 The Desperado Actor Sam Garrett 59
Average
1954 Riding Shotgun Actor Deputy Sheriff Tub Murphy 59
Average
1953 Texas Bad Man Actor Walt N/A
N/A
1953 Fighting Lawman Actor Deputy Marshal Jim Burke 59
Average
1953 The Marksman Actor Deputy Marshal Mike Martin N/A
N/A
1953 Star of Texas Actor Texas Ranger Ed Ryan / Robert Larkin N/A
N/A
1952 Arctic Flight Actor Mike Wien 59
Average
1952 Desert Pursuit Actor Ford Smith 59
Average
1951 The Bushwhackers Actor Marshal John Harding 58
Average
1951 Yellow Fin Actor Mike Donovan 58
Average
1951 The Big Gusher Actor Kenny Blake 59
Average
1950 Sierra Passage Actor Johnny Yorke 59
Average
1950 Stage to Tucson Actor Barney Broderick 59
Average
1950 The Tougher They Come Actor Bill Shaw 58
Average
1950 Johnny One-Eye Actor Dane Cory 58
Average
1949 Breakdowns of 1949 Actor Self 59
Average
1949 The House Across the Street Actor Dave Joslin 59
Average
1949 Task Force Actor McKinney 59
Average
1949 The Younger Brothers Actor Cole Younger 59
Average
1949 A Kiss in the Dark Actor Bruce Arnold 58
Average
1949 John Loves Mary Actor Lt. Victor O'Leary 58
Average
1948 The Time of Your Life Actor Tom 59
Average
1948 The Big Punch Actor Chris Thorgenson 59
Average
1947 Blow-Ups of 1947 Actor Self 59
Average
1947 The Voice of the Turtle Actor Comm. Ned Burling 59
Average
1947 Deep Valley Actor Jeff Barker 59
Average
1947 So You Want to Be in Pictures Actor Himself (uncredited) 59
Average
1941 The Smiling Ghost Actor Alexander "Lucky" Downing 59
Average
1941 Three Sons o' Guns Actor Charley Patterson 59
Average
1941 Bad Men of Missouri Actor Bob Younger 59
Average
1941 I Wanted Wings Actor Tom Cassidy 58
Average
1940 The Quarterback Actor Jimmy Jones and Billy Jones N/A
N/A
1940 Ladies Must Live Actor Corey Lake 59
Average
1940 Gambling on the High Seas Actor Jim Carter 58
Average
1940 Flight Angels Actor Artie Dixon 58
Average
1940 An Angel from Texas Actor Mac McClure 58
Average
1940 Double Alibi Actor Stephen Wayne 59
Average
1940 Brother Rat and a Baby Actor Billy Randolph 58
Average
1939 The Return of Doctor X Actor Walter Wichita Garrett 59
Average
1939 The Kid from Kokomo Actor Homer Baston 59
Average
1938 Brother Rat Actor Billy Randolph 59
Average
1938 Valley of the Giants Actor Bill Cardigan 59
Average
1938 Men Are Such Fools Actor Jimmy Hall 58
Average
1938 Out Where the Stars Begin Actor Wayne Morris 59
Average
1938 Love, Honor and Behave Actor Ted Painter 58
Average
1938 The Kid Comes Back Actor Rush Conway 58
Average
1937 Submarine D-1 Actor "Sock" McGillis 58
Average
1937 Kid Galahad Actor Ward 'Kid Galahad' Guisenberry 59
Average
1937 Land Beyond the Law Actor Dave Seymour 59
Average
1937 Under Southern Stars Actor Dallas N/A
N/A
1937 Once a Doctor Actor Sailor on Nirvana 59
Average
1937 Smart Blonde Actor Railroad Information Clerk (uncredited) 59
Average
1936 King of Hockey Actor Bill "Jumbo" Mullins 58
Average
1936 Polo Joe Actor Spectator (uncredited) N/A
N/A
1936 Here Comes Carter Actor Bill 58
Average
1936 Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) Actor Self 59
Average
1936 China Clipper Actor Navigator on Clipper 58
Average

Production
1950 Sierra Passage Production Associate Producer 59
Average