James Murdock (actor)
James Murdock | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Lee Baker[1] June 22, 1931 Normal, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 1981 (aged 50) Calabasas, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1958–1974 |
| Spouse | Julie Harris[1] |
| Children | 2[1] |
David Lee Baker (June 22, 1931[2] – December 24, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Mushy in the American western television series Rawhide.[1]
Life and career
Murdock was born in Normal, Illinois, the son of Faye Baker.[1] He reportedly used the surname "Murdock", since he had thought there was a tough guy sound, in which Murdock would land in playing heavy roles in his acting career.[1] He began his career in 1958, appearing in the western television series Have Gun, Will Travel, where Murdock played the role of a young outlaw.[3] In 1959, he joined the cast of the new CBS western television series Rawhide, in which he played the role of Wishbone's assistant cook Mushy.[1] Murdock had a role in the 1966 episode "The Newcomers" (S12E10) in the western television series Gunsmoke, where he played the role of "Pony".
Murdock appeared on the film Airport 1975, in which his last credit was from Francis Ford Coppola's film The Godfather II in 1974.[1]
Death
Murdock died on December 24, 1981, of pneumonia in Calabasas, California, at the age of 50.[1][2] He was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Aaker, Everett (May 16, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 311. ISBN 9781476628561 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Aaker, Everett (1997). Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959. McFarland. p. 395. ISBN 9780786402847 – via Google Books.
- ^ Brode, Douglas (October 15, 2009). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present. University of Texas Press. p. 234. ISBN 9780292718494 – via Google Books.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Articles without Wikidata item
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- 1931 births
- 1981 deaths
- Deaths from pneumonia in California
- People from Normal, Illinois
- Male actors from Illinois
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- Western (genre) television actors
- Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park