2007.1.402

• photography

Black and white photograph of actor/politician George Murphy. Murphy is sitting at a table in a wooden arm chair opening telegrams. He is wearing a dark suit and tie with a white collared shirt and has a telegram and letter opener(?) in his hands. On the table before him are numerous telegrams. There is wall paper and a landscape picture with text on the wall behind him. Text on front to left of image reads: "(LA3)BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.,Nov.4--CALIFORNIA'S NEW REPUBLICAN SENATOR--Republican George Murphy, former dancing star of Hollywood movies, looks over congratulatory telegrams at his Beverly Hills home today after defeating Sen. Pierre Salinger in their contest for a California U.S. Senate seat. It was Murphy's first try for public office, but he has been active in Republican party politics for years. (AP Wirphoto) (See AP story) (ifa41110stf-erb) 1964." Surface of photo has white cropping registration marks for reproduction purposes. Caption affixed to back reads, "Sen. George Murphy opens telegrams.--(AP)."

George MurphyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Murphy (9/20/2007)George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902_May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician.He was born in New Haven, Connecticut of Irish Catholic extraction, and attended Yale University. He worked as a tool maker for the Ford Motor Company, as a miner, a real estate agent, and a night club dancer. In 1927 he appeared on Broadway, partnering with his wife Julie Johnson as a dance act. When Johnson decided to retire from show business in 1935, Murphy moved the family to Hollywood, appearing in several musicals and comedies until 1952. During World War II he appeared in several patriotic films designed to increase morale in the U.S., including the 1943 movie This Is the Army in which he plays a thinly fictionalized version of Irving Berlin.In the 1950s, Murphy entered politics as chairman of the California Republican State Central Committee. In 1964 he was elected to the United States Senate; he defeated Pierre Salinger, who had been appointed several months earlier to serve the remainder of the late Clair Engle's unexpired term. Murphy served from January 1, 1965 to January 3, 1971. In 1968, he served as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Murphy assumed his seat two days early, when Salinger resigned from the seat in order to allow Murphy to gain an edge in seniority. Murphy was then appointed by Gov. Pat Brown to serve the remaining two days of Salinger's term. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1970, and subsequently moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where he died at the age of 89 from leukemia.

Used: Oakland Tribune