Fred MacMurray
MacMurray began his career as a musician and singer. He performed with a few bands, made a few records, and even went on to do a stint on Broadway starring in Jerome Kern's classic musical Roberta (1933-34) before being signed to Paramount. At Paramount, he starred in similar musicals and comedies, such as The Gilded Lily (1935) alongside his frequent co-star Claudette Colbert. In these films, he portrayed lovable and often practical characters whose natural grin was put to good use charming audiences. He rapidly made the transition, however, into more dramatic roles, solidifying himself as a well-rounded leading man. His smirk became a facade for cynical behavior epitomized in some of his grittiest roles in films like 1944’s Double Indemnity (David Thomson, The New Biographical Dictionary of Film). In the late '40s when public opinion and film tastes were changing, Hollywood found it difficult to find a new niche for MacMurray. MacMurray's career, however, was far from over. In the late '50s, MacMurray made an even bigger name for himself once again as a film actor but also as a household name on television starring as the straight-laced father in the hugely successful show My Three Sons (1960-1972). In films, he became the quintessential father figure. He made The Shaggy Dog (1959) and The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) among others. When fellow actors struggled to remain relevant in just one medium, MacMurray continued to find great success in both film and television simultaneously. His ability and "durability" continues to be unprecedented (Charles Tranberg, 2007).
Core Films
*= my personal favorites
Alice Adams (1935)
Hands Across the Table (1935)
Remember the Night (1940)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Egg and I (1947)
The Apartment (1960)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Pushover (1954)
My Three Sons (1960-1972)
The Shaggy Dog (1959)
The Absent Minded Professor (1963)
For More
Books
Biography; Fred MacMurray: A Biography by Charles Tranberg: https://www.amazon.com/Fred-MacMurray-Charles-Tranberg/dp/1593930992/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGX6SMJX8U66&keywords=fred+macmurray&qid=1563557467&s=books&sprefix=fred+mac%2Caps%2C127&sr=1-1&pldnSite=1
