1922 - 1979 (57 years) Submit Photo / Document
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Name |
Kenneth Gordon Murray |
Nickname |
Kagey |
Born |
8 Jan 1922 |
Bloomington, McLean, Illinois |
Gender |
Male |
Occupation |
Kenneth was a movie producer. In all, Murray would release over 60 movies in only 15 years. Also known as K. Gordon Murray, most notable for his redubbing and re-releasing of foreign fairy tale films for U.S. audiences. He is often cited as the "King of the Kiddie Matinee". Murray also marketed many of the Mexploitation luchador films such as Santo films popular in Mexico, changing Santo's name to Samson and dubbing them in English.
Among his more famous contributions are Little Red Riding Hood (1960), Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters (1962), Rumpelstiltskin (1955), The Golden Goose (1964) and Santa Claus (1959), which he also narrated under the pseudonym "Ken Smith".
Towards the end of his life, Murray ran afoul of the Internal Revenue Service, which seized his films and took them out of circulation. But on December 30, 1979, before he could take the IRS to court to reclaim his movies, K. Gordon Murray suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 57, he was not watching one of his cinematic works, but rather a Pittsburgh Steelers football game.
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No Stinker Is This 'Stinky The Skunk' No Stinker Is This 'Stinky The Skunk', The Pantagraph, Sunday, December 20,1964 |
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Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Rumpelstiltskin Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Rumpelstiltskin, Arlington Heights Herald, Thursday, December 9,1965 |
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Advertisement For Puss N Boots Advertisement For Puss N Boots, Dixon Evening Telegraph, Saturday, December 26, 1964 |
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Wasted Lives, K Gordon Murray Movie Wasted Lives, K Gordon Murray Movie, The Pantagraph, Sunday, September 28, 1958 |
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K Gordon Murray Makes 53rd Movie K Gordon Murray Makes 53rd Movie, The Pantagraph, Sunday, March 26, 1972 |
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Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Little Red Riding Hood Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Little Red Riding Hood, Dixon Evening Telegraph, Friday, May 26, 1967 |
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K Gordon Murray Santa Claus K Gordon Murray Santa Claus, The Pantagraph, Sunday, December 1, 1968 |
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K Gordon Murray Santa Claus Movie K Gordon Murray Santa Claus Movie, Arlington Heights Herald, December 5, 1963 |
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Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Santa Claus Advertisement For K Gordon Murray's Santa Claus, Arlington Heights Herald, December 5, 1963 |
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Childhood Magic, Puss N Boots, K Gordon Murray Childhood Magic, Puss N Boots, K Gordon Murray, The Jacksonville Daily Journal, Sunday, January 26, 1964 |
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King Size Kitty Visits City, K Gordon Murray Puss N Boots King Size Kitty Visits City, K Gordon Murray Puss N Boots, The Pantagraph, Friday, January 31, 1964 |
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Advertisement For Shanty Tramp, K Gordon Murray Produced Movie Advertisement For Shanty Tramp, K Gordon Murray Produced Movie, Alton Evening Telegraph, Friday, November 17, 1967 |
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Rockne Film For Weekend Greets Santa, K Gordon Murray Movie Rockne Film For Weekend Greets Santa, K Gordon Murray Movie, The News, Wednesday, December 4, 1963 |
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Ballyhoo K Gordon Murray Santa Claus 50th Anniversary Banner Ballyhoo K Gordon Murray Santa Claus 50th Anniversary Banner |
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 Poster For K Gordon Murray's Santa Claus Movie Mystery Science Theater 3000 Poster For K Gordon Murray's Santa Claus Movie |
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Film Biography Nears Release - K. Gordon Murray The Times, Streator, Illinois, 19 Feb 2009, Thursday, Page 14 |
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K Gordon Murray Talks About Santa Claus The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), 16 Nov 1973, Friday, Page 25 |
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Movie Maker Mad About (Kenneth Gordon) Murray And Monsters The Times (Streator, Illinois), 02 Oct 2006, Monday, Page 3 |
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Memories Of Santa Claus The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), 17 Dec 1993, Friday, Page 14 |
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Santa's Village of Madness A series of K Gordon Murray short films based on the amusement park: "Santa's Village" were assembled by Michael J. Nelson and other stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 into the Rifftrax DVD: "Santa's Village of Madness". |
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K Gordon Murray Santa Claus Movie Poster K Gordon Murray Santa Claus Movie Poster |
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Kenneth Gordon Murray. Kenneth Gordon Murray. 3 minutes 27 seconds. |
Died |
30 Dec 1979 |
Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade, Florida |
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Kenneth Gordon Murray Obituary The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) 01 Jan 1980, Tuesday, Page 11 |
Buried |
2 Jan 1980 |
Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois, United States |
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Kenneth and Irene Murray Kenneth and Irene Murray |
Siblings |
2 siblings |
1. Geneve June Murray, b. 26 Jul 1926, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois , d. 18 Jul 1927, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois | |
2. Joann Marie Murray, b. 6 Jan 1934, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois , d. 23 May 1993, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois | |
Person ID |
I6201 |
Nagel |
Last Modified |
27 Nov 2014 |
Father |
Frederick Edmund Murray, b. 13 May 1893, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois , d. 18 Jan 1953, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois (Age 59 years) |
Relationship |
Birth |
Mother |
Marie Leota Butler, b. 4 Nov 1895, Illinois , d. 22 Jun 1982, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois (Age 86 years) |
Relationship |
Birth |
Family ID |
F3061 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family |
Irene Mildred Van De Warker, b. 1 Jan 1921, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois , d. 12 Nov 2003, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach, Florida (Age 82 years) |
Married |
7 Jun 1941 |
Jefferson City, Cole, Missouri |
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Couple Wed In Missouri, Irene Van De Warker and Kenneth Murray The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), 25 Jun 1941, Wed, Page 8 |
Last Modified |
9 Oct 2017 |
Family ID |
F2075 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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Event Map |
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| Born - 8 Jan 1922 - Bloomington, McLean, Illinois |
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| Married - 7 Jun 1941 - Jefferson City, Cole, Missouri |
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| Died - 30 Dec 1979 - Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade, Florida |
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| Buried - 2 Jan 1980 - Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois, United States |
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Pin Legend |
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set |
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Documents
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| Notice Of Filing Notice Of Filing, The Pantagraph, Thursday, March 31, 1966 |
| Murray Film To Light Castle Screen Murray Film To Light Castle Screen, The Pantagraph, Sunday, January 26, 1964 |
| Withdraws Bid For TV In City, K Gordon Murray Withdraws Bid For TV In City, K Gordon Murray, The Pantagraph, Sunday, July 20, 1969 |
| Kenneth Gordon Murray WW II Draft Card Kenneth Gordon Murray WW II Draft Card |
1940 Census |
| 1940 Murray 1940 US census, Bloomington, Illinois, enumeration district 57-19, family 25, Murray. |
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