James Murdock (actor)
David Lee Baker (June 22, 1931 – December 24, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing the role of "Mushy" in the American western television series Rawhide.[1]
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(s) | Julie Harris[1] |
| Children | 2[1] |
Life and career
Murdock was born in Normal, Illinois, the son of Faye Baker.[1] He 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.[2] 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 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 in December 1981 of pneumonia in Calabasas, California, at the age of 50.[1][3] He was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.[1]
References
- Aaker, Everett (May 16, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 311. ISBN 9781476628561 – 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.
- 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.