James Murdock (actor)
David Lee Baker (June 22, 1931 – December 24, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing the role of "Mushy" in the American western television series "Rawhide". Life and career. Murdock was born in Normal, Illinois, the son of Faye Baker. He used the surname "Murdock", since he had thought there was a tough guy sound, in which Murdock would land in playing heavy roles in his acting career. He began his career in 1958, appearing in the western television series "Have Gun, Will Travel", where Murdock played the role of a  young outlaw. In 1959, he joined the cast of the new CBS western television series "Rawhide", in which he played the role of Wishbone's assistant cook "Mushy". Murdock had a role in the 1966 episode "The Newcomers" (S12E10) in the western television series "Gunsmoke", where he played the role of "Pony". Murdock appeared on the film "Airport 1975", in which his last credit was from Francis Ford Coppola's film "The Godfather II", in 1974. Death. Murdock died in December 1981 of pneumonia in Calabasas, California, at the age of 50. He was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park