Bob Murrell

born: 17 August 1889 Ocala, Florida, United States of America

died: 14 March 1966 Los Angeles County, California, United States of America (age 76)

Mustachioed American actor who also worked as a salesman. Interestingly, his 1920 passport application says he is going to Cuba for auto racing. Per said 1920 passport application and his World War II draft reg. card, he was missing part or all of his left thumb (1920 app. says "left thumb ½ off," WWII card just says "left thumb missing"). He was married three times: first to Florence Bell Janney (m. Murrell, Rees, and Cook, 1892-1943) in 1912 (div. 1921), then to Mazie Lee Keppler (m. Murrell and Off, 1902-1978) in 1923 (div. 1927), and finally to Charlotte Vera Campbell (1908-1948) from 1933 to her 1948 passing. He had two sons from his first marriage: Robert Blair Murrell, Jr. (1913-2010) and Douglas Amsley Murrell (1918-2008). Robert (Sr.) is interred at Pomona Valley Memorial Park in Pomona, California, where he and his family resided for many years after moving from Florida.

Real name: Robert Blair Murrell Height: 5'11½"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1924 Smithy Man in employment line Acknowledgements: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M36H-WVX (1900 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLCF-H4K (1912 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:418W-F22M (1912 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLW-NJ9H (son Robert Blair, Jr.'s birth, 1913) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29JM-M7Y (WWI draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5M2-5557 (WWI draft board reg.) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL7-1331 (son Douglas Amsley's birth, 1918) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH74-BK6 (1920 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKDN-SBSS (1920 passport app.) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZQF-4XB (1926 pass. list) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCD3-DHN (1930 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL4L-X3VW (1933 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL4L-4BLK (1933 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL4L-7Y73 (1933 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9WL-FRD (1940 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V48B-K35 (WWII draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPR-NC1K (wife Charlotte's death, 1948) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGD-6DD5 (1950 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPKP-Q2Z (CA Death Index) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V32F-7M8 (Social Security Death Index) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24825050 (Find a Grave) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?city=Pomona&county=Los+Angeles&keyword=%22robert+murrell%22&region=us-ca&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?city=Pomona&county=Los+Angeles&keyword=%22bob+murrell%22&region=us-ca&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/608163145/ (Los Angeles Evening Express, 27 Jan 1921) https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1921-07-16_33_29/page/21/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Billboard, 16 Jul 1921) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/997194517/ (Riverside Daily Press, 05 Jul 1923) https://archive.org/details/camera06unse/page/n377/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (Camera!, 28 Jul 1923) 1924 L.A. City Dir.: Murrell Robt B photoplayer h5104 Ferndale https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380446996/ (Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan 1927) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380564113/ (Los Angeles Times, 01 Mar 1927) [link missing due to recent Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collections redirect] (The Standard Casting Directory, Feb 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-feb-1927/page/n246/mode/1up (The Standard Casting Directory, Mar 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-feb-1927/page/n586/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, Apr 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-feb-1927/page/n894/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, May 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-feb-1927/page/n1210/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, Jun 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-feb-1927/page/118/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, Jul 1927) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-oct-1927/page/n50/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, Oct 1927-Jan 1928) https://archive.org/details/stand-cast-dir-dec-1928/page/108/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (The Standard Casting Directory, Dec 1928) https://archive.org/details/ScreenGuildsMagFeb1936/page/n12/mode/1up?q=%22robert+murrell%22 (Screen Guilds' Magazine, Feb 1936) Robert Demoss (cast ledgers for Smithy) Jesse Brisson (bio notes and research) This page was last updated on: 11 July 2026