Most middle aged Americans remember Fred MacMurray as Steve Douglas, the ever patient, wise father of "My Three Sons." The long running television comedy, along with a string of light-hearted Disney films, breathed new life into MacMurray's sagging movie career. But Americans of a certain advanced age, along with those of us of all ages who enjoy classic movies, remember Fred MacMurray as the handsome, affable star of films (mostly at Paramount) during the 1930's and 1940's.
Usually playing the slightly bumbling comic foil of Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard or Paulette Goddard, he made a 180 degree turn in 1944 to play adulterous murderer Walter Neff in the classic noir film Double Indemnity with Barbara Stanwyck. But it wasn't long until he was back at good-guy leads in Murder, He Says (1945) and The Egg and I (1948) again with Colbert.
In 1954 he married lovely blonde actress June Haver (his second marriage) who remained his wife until his death in 1991.
I always loved this fella! You have a nice blog here. :)
ReplyDeleteLeslie
Billy Wilder must have seen something in him because he cast him as Walter Nef and also the horrible boss in the Appartment.
ReplyDeleteAm I making this up or was he a saxaphone player before he acted?
No, you're not. He even called himself that.
ReplyDelete