Ray Bolger began his career in Vaudeville. He was half of a team called, "Sanford and Bolger" and also did numerous Broadway shows on his own. He like Gene Kelly was a song and dance man as well as a comedian. He was signed to a contract with MGM in 1936 and his first role was as himself in, The Great Ziegfeld, (1936). This was soon followed by a role opposite Dancing Lady (1933), Eleanor Powell in Rosalie (1937). His first dancing and singing role was in, Sweethearts (1938), where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress,
… More Jeanette MacDonald. This dancing and singing number plus Jeanette MacDonald being at her greatest popularity made him be noticed by MGM producers and became a natural choice for his most famous role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, (1939). Surprisingly, after The Wizard of Oz, (1939), Bolger's contract with MGM ended. He went to RKO, to make Four Jack and a Jill (1942). In 1946 MGM reunited him with Judy Garland in, The Harvey Girls, (1946). After this, Bolger went to Broadway where he received his greatest satisfaction. In 1953, he turned to television and got his own sitcom series, Where's Raymond? (1953) later changed to The Ray Bolger Show. After his series ended, Bolger made frequent guest appearances on TV and had some small roles in movies. In 1985, he co- hosted That's Dancing (1985) with Liza Minnelli. Bolger died in 1987 at the age of 83.
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