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Wayne Morris

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

Personal information

Birthday

1914-02-17

Birth Place

Los Angeles, California, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A Kiss in the Dark

A Kiss in the Dark

1949

4.7

Movie
poster

Adventures in Paradise

1959

5.7

TV
poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955

7.7

TV
An Angel from Texas

An Angel from Texas

1940

4.8

Movie
Arctic Flight

Arctic Flight

1952

6.8

Movie
Bad Men of Missouri

Bad Men of Missouri

1941

5.6

Movie
poster

Bat Masterson

1958

6.3

TV
Blow-Ups of 1947

Blow-Ups of 1947

1947

6.3

Movie
poster

Bourbon Street Beat

1959

5.0

TV
Breakdowns of 1949

Breakdowns of 1949

1949

6.0

Movie
poster

Bronco

1958

4.8

TV
Brother Rat

Brother Rat

1938

5.0

Movie
Brother Rat and a Baby

Brother Rat and a Baby

1940

5.2

Movie
Buffalo Gun

Buffalo Gun

1961

0.0

Movie
China Clipper

China Clipper

1936

5.6

Movie
Cross Channel

Cross Channel

1955

5.0

Movie
Deep Valley

Deep Valley

1947

5.8

Movie
Desert Pursuit

Desert Pursuit

1952

5.7

Movie
Double Alibi

Double Alibi

1940

4.5

Movie
Fighting Lawman

Fighting Lawman

1953

6.0

Movie
Flight Angels

Flight Angels

1940

4.3

Movie
Gambling on the High Seas

Gambling on the High Seas

1940

4.7

Movie
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
Here Comes Carter

Here Comes Carter

1936

5.0

Movie
I Wanted Wings

I Wanted Wings

1941

5.1

Movie
John Loves Mary

John Loves Mary

1949

4.8

Movie
Johnny One-Eye

Johnny One-Eye

1950

4.9

Movie
Kid Galahad

Kid Galahad

1937

6.9

Movie
King of Hockey

King of Hockey

1936

5.0

Movie
Ladies Must Live

Ladies Must Live

1940

6.0

Movie
Land Beyond the Law

Land Beyond the Law

1937

7.0

Movie
Lord of the Jungle

Lord of the Jungle

1955

6.4

Movie
Love, Honor and Behave

Love, Honor and Behave

1938

3.5

Movie
poster

Maverick

1957

6.8

TV
Men Are Such Fools

Men Are Such Fools

1938

5.6

Movie
poster

Official Detective

1957

0.0

TV
Once a Doctor

Once a Doctor

1937

6.3

Movie
Out Where the Stars Begin

Out Where the Stars Begin

1938

6.5

Movie
Paths of Glory

Paths of Glory

1957

8.3

Movie
Plunder Road

Plunder Road

1957

6.9

Movie
Polo Joe

Polo Joe

1936

0.0

Movie
Port of Hell

Port of Hell

1954

0.0

Movie
Riding Shotgun

Riding Shotgun

1954

5.8

Movie
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

1936

6.0

Movie
Sierra Passage

Sierra Passage

1950

6.0

Movie
Smart Blonde

Smart Blonde

1937

6.2

Movie
So You Want to Be in Pictures

So You Want to Be in Pictures

1947

5.8

Movie
Stage to Tucson

Stage to Tucson

1950

5.7

Movie
Star of Texas

Star of Texas

1953

0.0

Movie
Submarine D-1

Submarine D-1

1937

4.7

Movie
Task Force

Task Force

1949

7.0

Movie
Texas Bad Man

Texas Bad Man

1953

0.0

Movie
The Big Gusher

The Big Gusher

1951

5.0

Movie
The Big Punch

The Big Punch

1948

5.3

Movie
The Bushwhackers

The Bushwhackers

1951

5.1

Movie
The Crooked Sky

The Crooked Sky

1957

5.7

Movie
The Desperado

The Desperado

1954

6.6

Movie
poster

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

6.6

TV
The Gelignite Gang

The Gelignite Gang

1956

6.4

Movie
The Green Buddha

The Green Buddha

1954

5.4

Movie
The House Across the Street

The House Across the Street

1949

4.5

Movie
The Kid Comes Back

The Kid Comes Back

1938

5.3

Movie
The Kid from Kokomo

The Kid from Kokomo

1939

6.0

Movie
The Lonesome Trail

The Lonesome Trail

1955

7.5

Movie
The Marksman

The Marksman

1953

0.0

Movie
The Master Plan

The Master Plan

1955

6.0

Movie
The Quarterback

The Quarterback

1940

0.0

Movie
The Return of Doctor X

The Return of Doctor X

1939

6.0

Movie
The Smiling Ghost

The Smiling Ghost

1941

6.5

Movie
The Time of Your Life

The Time of Your Life

1948

5.8

Movie
The Tougher They Come

The Tougher They Come

1950

3.0

Movie
The Voice of the Turtle

The Voice of the Turtle

1947

6.6

Movie
The Younger Brothers

The Younger Brothers

1949

5.0

Movie
Three Sons o' Guns

Three Sons o' Guns

1941

5.0

Movie
Two Guns and a Badge

Two Guns and a Badge

1954

0.0

Movie
Under Southern Stars

Under Southern Stars

1937

0.0

Movie
Valley of the Giants

Valley of the Giants

1938

6.0

Movie
poster

Wanted: Dead or Alive

1958

6.9

TV
Yellow Fin

Yellow Fin

1951

4.5

Movie