James Murdock Fansite

He was given the name ‘David Lee Baker’ when he was born in Normal, Illinois on June 22 1931. His mother was named Faye D. Baker, and he had two brothers named Robert and William. He attended Bent grade school and Bloomington High. In his high school years he was recorded as Jim Baker in yearbooks, with being part of the track team in his junior year. It is reported that he played numerous roles in small theatre productions in and around Chicago at this time.

In February 1949, he went overseas with the army to Europe after training for 5-months at Camp Fort Knox, Kentucky. After finishing his 5 years of work with the army, he headed to Hollywood for 3 years to begin his acting career. In these 3 years, he studied at Players Ring Workshop, featuring in “Johnny Appleseed” and “Ponderheart”. He also worked with the Rotsen group, resulting in a featured role in “LaRonde”. After these three years, he had the starring role in “Ten Nights In A Bar-Room” in Chicago, which he later claims started his acting career.

In 1958 he played: a truck driver in “Traffic Court”, a crew member in “Run Silent, Run Deep”, a henchman in “Have Gun-Will Travel”. In 1959, he featured in the stage production “January Thaw”, and he also played a deputy on the TV series “Trackdown”.

After answering an advertisement in trade publication “Show Biz” and completing an audition, James Murdock was given his first major TV role playing ‘Mushy’. He appeared on Rawhide for the large majority of episodes, although not appearing in season 8 due to CBS letting a few actors go due to budget cuts.

As Mushy (Full name ‘Harkness Milligan Mushgrove III’), he played an extremely convincing role as the ‘simple-minded’ cook’s louse, leading some to believe he was truly like that in his everyday life. This view was shared by Gregory Walcott, as when he was asked in an interview he stated that “He did seem very simple, but he seemed nice. He didn’t seem dumb.” In David R Greenland’s book ‘Rawhide – A History of Television’s Longest Cattle Drive’. Another to share Walcott’s view was Paul Brinegar, with reportedly suggesting his character was not much different to his real personality.

Another report of how Jim was in his everyday life was when Jack Lilley was interviewed and recalled that Jim was “always on dope” on the set of Rawhide. As well as this, it is stated that “Murdock stood out for taking harder drugs than the others.” in Suzanne Gould’s book ‘An American Cowboy: The Biography of Sheb Wooley’.

For more information about Jim outside of acting click here

In 1960, he appeared with other Rawhide actors at the ‘Camp Pendleton Rodeo’. Newspapers began reporting on him more frequently, due to his role in Rawhide. One of these reports, from 22 March 1961, states his birth year as 1935 and being born in Chicago (which both statements are false and could not be true due to various reports in newspapers, as well as his yearbook photos). In 1962, he was part of a stage production named “Everybody Loves Opal”.

Jim was married to Betty and had two children, but it is unknown exactly when the marriage and divorce happened, but it can be assumed that they were married at most till 1967 (due to Jim and Julie Harris becoming partners around this point.)

After his contract with Rawhide ended, he featured in Bob Hope’s Chrysler Theatre as Cpl. Milton in the episode ‘March from Camp Tyler’ (S3E3). After this, he went to Michigan to star in the stage production ‘A Thousand Clowns’. In 1966, he was in “The Newcomers”, an episode of Gunsmoke, as Pony. He also was in the first episode of “The Monroes”, as Ham.

In 1967, him and Julie Harris (Featured in ‘The Calf Women’ in season 7 of Rawhide) starred in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ together. In this, he plays Mitch, one of Blanche’s (played by Julie Harris) love interests. Newspapers began to refer to him as David Baker at this point.

In 1968, him and Julie Harris were beginning to make appearances in public together. In May of 1969, newspapers began to report that they were expected to wed before summer. After this date, there were no more reports of them two together, although there are some accounts online that state they were together for close to a decade. Support for this is that Julie Harris split up with her husband Manning Gurian in 1967, and married Walter Carroll in 1977, leaving a 10 year gap.

In 1971, he appeared in the movie “Some of My Best Friends Are…”, a movie about a gay bar on Christmas eve where he plays a bartender named Clint. I cant find anything on him in the years 1972-1973. In 1974, he appeared in “The Godfather Part II” as FBI Guy #2, and appeared in some background shots in “Airport 1975” uncredited. After 1974 he was not credited in any more films, series, or live productions. His last newspaper appearance was in October of 1974.

On December 24 1981, he unfortunately passed away from lung cancer at the Motion Picture And Television Medical Centre in Calabasas, California, at the age of 50. Following his death, a memorial service was held at Pierce Brothers Hollywood Chapel two days later on December 26, 1981.