Ray Bolger was an American actor and dancer.
Biography[]
Born Raymond Bulcao in Dorchester, Massachusetts, he began as a dancer and vaudeville performer before eventually moving into film, appearing in such pioneering colour films as Sweethearts and (most famously) The Wizard of Oz, in which he played The Scarecrow.
As a variety performer, Bolger would often sing and dance on television and film, often as himself, though he also appeared in a number of shows such as the eponymous Where's Raymond?
Bolger passed away in 1987.
Singing[]
Bolger performed in a large number of stage and film musicals, beginning with such revues as A Night in Paris and the film variety show The Great Ziegfeld. In his famous role as The Scarecrow, he sang a number of songs, including "If I Only Had a Brain."
Bolger also appeared in a number of stage musicals, including the original casts of By Jupiter and Where's Charley?, as well in films such as Babes in Toyland.
Film[]
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)[]
- She's a Follies Girl (solo)
Rosalie (1937)[]
- Oh Brave Old Army Team
- Anchors Aweigh!
- To Love or Not to Love
Sweethearts (1938)[]
- Wooden Shoes (contains solo lines)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)[]
- If I Only Had a Brain (duet)
- We're Off to See the Wizard (duet)
- We're Off to See the Wizard (reprise)
- If I Only Had the Nerve/We're Off to See the Wizard (second reprise)(contains solo lines)
- The Merry Old Land of Oz
Sunny (1941)[]
- Jack Tar and Sam Gob (duet)
- Who? (solo)
Four Jacks and a Jill (1942)[]
- I'm in Good Shape (solo)
- Boogie Woogie Conga
Stage Door Canteen (1943)[]
- The Girl I Love to Leave Behind (solo)
The Harvey Girls (1946)[]
- On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Look for the Silver Lining (1949)[]
- Can't Yo' Heah Me Callin' Caroline (solo)
- Carolina in the Morning (solo)
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Jingle Bells
Where's Charley? (1952)[]
- Make a Miracle (duet)
- My Darling, My Darling (duet)
- Once in Love With Amy (solo)
- Better Get Out of Here (contains solo lines)
Babes in Toyland (1961)[]
- We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It (contains solo lines)
- Castle in Spain (solo)
The Daydreamer (1966)[]
- Who Can Tell (solo)
Television[]
Where's Raymond? (1953)[]
- I Hope You Have a Merry Christmas
- Louise (solo)
- Tiptoe Through the Tulips (duet)
Sunday Showcase (1959)[]
- That's Entertainment
- Together, Wherever We Go (contains solo lines)
- Everybody Likes My Girl (duet)
- Harrigan (contains solo lines)
- Give Me Regards to Broadway
- That's Entertainment (reprise)
The Bell Telephone Hour (1961)[]
- The Three B's (solo)
Stage[]
The Merry World (1926)[]
A Night in Paris (1926)[]
George White's Scandals (1931)[]
Life Begins at 8:40 (1934)[]
- You're a Builder-Upper (duet)
- The Elks and the Masons (duet)
- I'm Not Myself (duet)
On Your Toes (1936)(originated the role)[]
Phil Doolan III[]
- Two-a-Day for Keith (contains solo lines)
- Finale
Keep Off the Grass (1940)[]
- Crazy As a Loon (duet)
- A Latin Tune, A Manhattan Moon and You (contains solo lines)
- Old Jitterbug (duet)
- Raffles (contains solo lines)
- This is Winter (contains solo lines)
By Jupiter (1942)(originated the role)[]
- Life With Father (solo)
- Life With Father (Reprise)(duet)
- No, Mother, No (contains solo lines)
- Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me (Reprise)(solo)
- Ev'rything I've Got (duet)
- Now That I've Got My Strength (contains solo lines)
Three to Make Ready (1946)[]
- The Old Soft Shoe (solo)
Where's Charley? (1948)(originated the role)[]
- Better Get Out Of Here (contains solo lines)
- Make A Miracle (duet)
- Once In Love With Amy (solo)
- Finale
All American (1962)(originated the role)[]
- Melt Us (contains solo lines)
- What a Country! (contains solo lines)
- Our Children (duet)
- Our Children (Reprise)(duet)
- We Speak the Same Language (duet)
- I Can Teach Them (contains solo lines)
- It's Fun to Think (contains solo lines)
- Once Upon a Time (duet)
- The Fight Song (contains solo lines)
- What a Country (Reprise)(contains solo lines)
- If I Were You (duet)
- Have a Dream (contains solo lines)
- I'm Fascinating (solo)
- Which Way? (solo)
- It's Up to Me (solo)
- The Fight Song (Reprise)(contains solo lines)
- It's Fun to Think (Reprise)
Come Summer (1969)(originated the role)[]
- Good Time Charlie (contains solo lines)
- Think Spring (contains solo lines)
- Goodbye, My Bachelor (solo)
- Come Summer (contains solo lines)
- Feather in My Shoe (solo)
- The Logger's Song (contains solo lines)
- Faucett Falls Fancy (contains solo lines)
- Skin and Bones (solo)
- Moonglade (contains solo lines)
- No (contains solo lines)
- So Much World (solo)
Gallery[]
Phil Doolan III in On Your Toes.
Bill Delroy in Rosalie.
Hans in Sweethearts.
The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
Keep Off the Grass.
Bunny Billings as Sunny.
Nifty Sullivan as Four Jacks and a Jill.
Sapiens in By Jupiter.
Stage Door Canteen.
Chris Haule and Susan Bradley in The Harvey Girls.
Three to Make Ready.
Charley Wykeham in Where's Charley?
Jack Donaghue and Marilyn Miller in Look for the Silver Lining.
Ray Wallace in Where's Raymond?
Sunday Showcase.
Barnaby in Babes in Toyland.
Elizabeth Hawkes-Bullock and Professor Fodorski in All American.
Phineas Sharp and Dorinda Pratt in Come Summer.
Grandpa Fred Renfrew in The Partridge Family.