Murray Alper

Murray Alper (January 11, 1904 – November 16, 1984)

Alper appeared in more than 200 films and TV series from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. Quite often his work was uncredited and he never received a top billing in one of his movies. His first known screen credit was in The Royal Family of Broadway (1930) a part he had already played on Broadway in 1927/28.

His signature character was a chatty taxi driver, which he played at least 20 times, most notably in The Maltese Falcon (1941) as a friendly cabbie who drives Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, during a mid-film wild goose chase, as well as in such other well-known films as The Big Broadcast of 1937, Lady in the Dark and Angel on My Shoulder. His biggest role should have been the part of Gus Smith in the Alfred Hitchcock film Lifeboat in 1943. Due to his becoming ill right before the start of shooting in August, he was replaced by actor William Bendix. However, he worked for Hitchcock on three other movies: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), again as a cabbie, Saboteur (1942), and Strangers on a Train (1951).

Frequently seen in comedies, Alper was featured in the Three Stooges films Tricky Dicks (1953) and The Outlaws Is Coming (1965). One of Alper's least characteristic roles was the judo instructor in Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor (1963).

Selected filmography

The Royal Family of Broadway (1930) - McDermott The Girl Habit (1931) - Hood Little Big Shot (1935) - Doré's Henchman #22 Navy Wife (1935) - Sam (uncredited) The Public Menace (1935) - Stiglitz Hands Across the Table (1935) - Cabbie (uncredited) Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935) - Max the Monk The Milky Way (1935) - Cabbie with Little Agnes (uncredited) Two in Revolt (1936) - Andy Panic on the Air (1936) - Martin Danker Murder on a Bridle Path (1936) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) High Tension (1936) - Chuck Lady Be Careful (1936) - Mattie The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) Winterset (1936) - Louie (uncredited) After the Thin Man (1936) - The Kid (uncredited) Sea Devils (1937) - Seaman Brown When's Your Birthday? (1937) - Dustin's Trainer (uncredited) 23 1/2 Hours Leave (1937) - Sergeant Schultz You Can't Buy Luck (1937) - Chauffeur Spike Connors Riding on Air (1937) - Gunner in Mob Plane (uncredited) The Singing Marine (1937) - Marine (uncredited) Escape by Night (1937) - Horace 'Red' Graham That's My Story (1937) - Blackie Big Town Girl (1937) - Marty Change of Heart (1938) - Plumber (uncredited) Island in the Sky (1938) - Blackie - Doyle's Henchman (uncredited) Cocoanut Grove (1938) - Concessionaire (uncredited) Gold Diggers in Paris (1938) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) Passport Husband (1938) - Baggage Man (uncredited) Keep Smiling (1938) - Projectionist 'Shorty' (uncredited) The Arkansas Traveler (1938) - Hobo, Frogeyes Young Dr. Kildare (1938) - Blue Swan Waiter (uncredited) Submarine Patrol (1938) - Orderly in Maitland's Office (uncredited) The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) - Cowboy at Ranch (uncredited) Next Time I Marry (1938) - Joe Road Demon (1938) - Hap Flynn King of the Underworld (1939) - Eddie The Great Man Votes (1939) - Tri-County Distribution Truck Driver (uncredited) Tail Spin (1939) - Albuquerque Mechanic (uncredited) Twelve Crowded Hours (1939) - Louie Allen Rose of Washington Square (1939) - Eddie, Candy Butcher (uncredited) It's a Wonderful World (1939) - Newspaper Man at Ferry Landing (uncredited) Bachelor Mother (1939) - Dance Floor Gatekeeper at 'The Pink Slipper' (uncredited) Stop, Look and Love (1939) - Pete (uncredited) The Roaring Twenties (1939) - Fletcher's Mechanic (uncredited) Another Thin Man (1939) - Larry, a Father (uncredited) The Night of Nights (1939) - Muggins The Big Guy (1939) - Williams The Lone Wolf Strikes (1940) - Pete (uncredited) Black Friday (1940) - Bellhop Double Alibi (1940) - Joe, Counterman (uncredited) I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby (1940) - Nails My Favorite Wife (1940) - Yosemite Bartender (uncredited) Turnabout (1940) - Masseur Gambling on the High Seas (1940) - Louie Sailor's Lady (1940) - Sailor (uncredited) Manhattan Heartbeat (1940) - Mechanic Blondie Has Servant Trouble (1940) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) Lucky Partners (1940) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) The Bride Wore Crutches (1940) - Izzy (uncredited) City for Conquest (1940) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) East of the River (1940) - Dink Rogers, Blackjack Player (uncredited) Street of Memories (1940) - Taxicab Driver (uncredited) Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) - Harold, Taxi Driver (uncredited) Affectionately Yours (1941) - Blair Out of the Fog (1941) - Drug Store Soda Jerk (uncredited) Caught in the Draft (1941) - Make-Up Man (uncredited) Sergeant York (1941) - But! Boy (uncredited) Bullets for O'Hara (1941) - Singing Messenger (uncredited) My Life with Caroline (1941) - Jenkins Manpower (1941) - Lineman (uncredited) Navy Blues (1941) - Sailor in Storeroom (uncredited) The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Frank Richman, taxi driver Down Mexico Way (1941) - Flood Married Bachelor (1941) - Sleeper Dangerously They Live (1941) - Miller, Psychopathic Ward Guard (uncredited) You're in the Army Now (1941) - Supply Man: Hats (uncredited) Call Out the Marines (1942) - Military Policeman (uncredited) Obliging Young Lady (1942) - Pickup Driver with Red (uncredited) The Lady Is Willing (1942) - Joe Quig Saboteur (1942) - Truck Driver My Favorite Spy (1942) - Kay's 1st Taxi Driver (uncredited) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) - Wise Guy (uncredited) Powder Town (1942) - Joe, Cab Driver (uncredited) The Big Shot (1942) - Quinto, a Convict Escape from Crime (1942) - Fingerprint Man's Assistant (uncredited) The Gay Sisters (1942) - Elevator Operator (uncredited) Mug Town (1942) - Shorty No Time for Love (1943) - Moran (uncredited) Lady Bodyguard (1943) - Attendant (uncredited) The Hard Way (1943) - Joe Duglatz (uncredited) Air Force (1943) - Butch, Demolition Squad Corporal (uncredited) Good Morning, Judge (1943) - Charlie Martin (uncredited) Bombardier (1943) - Little Boy, Spy (uncredited) Hers to Hold (1943) - Smiley, the Foreman This Is the Army (1943) - Soldier (uncredited) The Good Fellows (1943) - Cummings (uncredited) Larceny with Music (1943) - Cab Driver Corvette K-225 (1943) - Jones Swing Fever (1943) - Burly Attentant (uncredited) Lady in the Dark (1944) - Taxicab Driver (uncredited) Once Upon a Time (1944) - Soldier Leaving Theatre (uncredited) The Eve of St. Mark (1944) - Sergeant Kriven Roger Touhy, Gangster (1944) - Ralph Burke (uncredited) Wing and a Prayer (1944) - Benjamin K. 'Benny 'O'Neill Moonlight and Cactus (1944) - Slugger Something for the Boys (1944) - Army Desk Sergeant (uncredited) Army Wives (1944) - Mike God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) - Sergeant Altonen (uncredited) The Power of the Whistler (1945) - Joe Blainey, Elite Bakery Truck Driver (uncredited) The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) - Tony, the Hotel Bell Captain (uncredited) Honeymoon Ahead (1945) - Spike They Were Expendable (1945) - 'Slug' Mahan T.M. 1c Up Goes Maisie (1946) - Mitch O'Hara The Phantom Thief (1946) - Eddie Alexander, Chauffeur Angel on My Shoulder (1946) - Jim, Taxicab Driver (uncredited) Gallant Bess (1946) - Johnny The Long Night (1947) - Mac, Bartender (uncredited) The Gangster (1947) - Eddie (uncredited) Slippy McGee (1948) - Red Sleep, My Love (1948) - Drunk (uncredited) The Return of October (1948) - Little Max (uncredited) Let's Live a Little (1948) - 2nd Cabbie (uncredited) Blondie's Secret (1948) - Larry Force of Evil (1948) - Comptroller (uncredited) Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) - Zalinka (uncredited) Any Number Can Play (1949) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) - Joe, Reporter (uncredited) Free for All (1949) - McGuinness On the Town (1949) - Cab Company Owner (uncredited) Blonde Dynamite (1950) - John Zero 'Dynamite' Bacchuss Appointment with Danger (1950) - Goddard's Taxi Driver (uncredited) Kill the Umpire (1950) - Fireman (uncredited) The Gunfighter (1950) - Townsman at Funeral (uncredited) David Harding, Counterspy (1950) - Customer (uncredited) Gasoline Alley (1951) - Giffin, Salesman / Con Man (uncredited) Navy Bound (1951) - Seaman 'Warthog' Novak Lullaby of Broadway (1951) - Joe the Bartender (uncredited) Fighting Coast Guard (1951) - Medic / Interne (uncredited) Strangers on a Train (1951) - Boatman (uncredited) Let's Go Navy! (1951) - Sailor with Nuramo tattoo Lost Continent (1951) - Air Police Sergeant The Steel Fist (1952) - Nicholas Here Come the Marines (1952) - Corporal Stacy Because You're Mine (1952) - Supply Sergeant (uncredited) Army Bound (1952) - Military Police Sergeant No Holds Barred (1952) - Barney The Jazz Singer (1952) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) Jalopy (1953) - Red Baker Trouble Along the Way (1953) - Bus Driver (uncredited) Murder Without Tears (1953) - Jim, the Bartender Arena (1953) - Medic (uncredited) Vice Squad (1953) - Cop (uncredited) Devil's Canyon (1953) - Driver-Guard (uncredited) Three Sailors and a Girl (1953) - Marine (uncredited) Highway Dragnet (1954) - Ice Cream Truck Driver Tanganyika (1954) - Paul Duffy (uncredited) Security Risk (1954) - Mike Jungle Gents (1954) - Fats Lomax (uncredited) Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) (Season 1 Episode 7: "Breakdown") - Lloyd Women's Prison (1955) - Mae's Boyfriend (uncredited) The Big Tip Off (1955) - Dan Curry, Gambler Las Vegas Shakedown (1955) - House Manager Jail Busters (1955) - Gus The McConnell Story (1955) - Sergeant (uncredited) Slightly Scarlet (1956) - Hood (uncredited) Chain of Evidence (1957) - Charlie (uncredited) Hold That Hypnotist (1957) - Gale Calypso Joe (1957) - Transfer Man Baby Face Nelson (1957) - Alex, Bank Guard The Geisha Boy (1958) - GI in Korea (uncredited) The Young Philadelphians (1959) - Diner Counterman (uncredited) Say One for Me (1959) - Otto (uncredited) Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 5 Episode 19: "Not the Running Type") - Sergeant Ed Carmody The Leech Woman (1960) - Drunk (uncredited) Ocean's 11 (1960) - Deputy (uncredited) The Ladies Man (1961) - Butcher (scenes deleted) Walk on the Wild Side (1962) - Diner in Teresina's Cafe (uncredited) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) - Projectionist (uncredited) It's Only Money (1962) - 2nd Cop on Pier (uncredited) Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) - Gambler (uncredited) The Nutty Professor (1963) - Gym Attendant (uncredited) The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963) - Gus The Patsy (1964) - Bowler (uncredited) The Disorderly Orderly (1964) - Patient (uncredited) The Munsters (1964) - "Tin-Can man" The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965) (Season 3 Episode 18: "The Trap") - Cabbie The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) - Chief Crazy Horse The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967) - Police Officer (uncredited) The Big Mouth (1967) - Ed, Motorcycle Officer (uncredited) Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) - Passenger (uncredited) Hook, Line & Sinker (1969) - Member, Board of Inquiry (uncredited) (final film role)