Ken Murray, a talented entertainer, was born in 1903 in New York City. His father, a vaudeville comic, instilled in Ken a strong foundation for his future career. Ken was a self-taught performer who mastered various skills, including dance, singing, joke-telling, and rope tricks. He honed his craft by touring with his first wife in an act, eventually headlining at the prestigious Palace during the decline of vaudeville.
As his reputation grew, Ken found a new outlet for his creative expression in Hollywood. He purchased a 16mm home movie camera to capture family and home life, which soon evolved into a lucrative venture. The quality of his subjects improved dramatically, featuring famous movie stars who gladly posed for his camera. By the mid-1930s, his films were being used by Columbia in a short subject series called "Screen Snapshots," which remains popular today for documentaries and retrospectives.
In 1942, Ken took on a new challenge as the producer, star, and ringleader of the stage show "Ken Murray's Blackouts." This unique blend of risqué humor, beautiful young starlets, musical interludes, and novelty acts ran for an impressive seven years, setting a record for the longest-running show in Los Angeles history. During World War II, it became a must-see attraction.
Ken's innovative use of the medium earned him a special Academy Award in 1947. He went on to host his own television show, "The Ken Murray Show," from 1950 to 1953, and worked in Las Vegas showrooms throughout the 1950s. He also managed to squeeze in a few acting roles, including a notable appearance in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" in 1962.
The showman with a distinctive crew cut wrote his autobiography, "Life on a Pogo Stick," in 1960. In 1979, he edited his home movies into a film anthology called "Ken Murray's Shooting Stars." Ken was a devoted father to his four children, including his son Cort, a professional singer.
Ken Murray passed away at the age of 85 in Burbank, California, leaving behind a legacy as a true showman and entertainer.
