Robert H. Harris
Robert H. Harris | |
---|---|
As Jake Goldberg, 1954. | |
Born | Robert H. Hurwitz July 15, 1911 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
Died | November 30, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 70)
Other names | Robert Harris |
Years active | 1950–1977 |
Spouse(s) | Louise Lewis Viola Harris (?–1981) |
Robert H. Harris (born Robert H. Hurwitz; July 15, 1911 – November 30, 1981) was an American character actor.
Stage[]
A veteran of the Yiddish Art Theater from his teens,[1] Harris made his first Broadway appearance in 1937 in Schoolhouse on the Lot. His other Broadway credits include Xmas in Las Vegas (1965), Minor Miracle (1965), Foxy (1963), Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'! (1947) and Brooklyn, U.S.A. (1941).[2]
In 1952, Harris was the managing director of the Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, New York. Prior to that, he had directed repertory theater in Boston and Hollywood.[3]
Television[]
From 1950 on, he appeared extensively on television series, specializing in playing shady, if not outright evil, characters. From 1953–1956 he played Jake Goldberg in The Goldbergs, one of his few sympathetic roles. (His obituary distributed via United Press International says that he played the role of Jake Goldberg in 1953-1954.)[1] In 1957, Harris played the lead role in The Court of Last Resort.
He also made many guest appearances in many other TV series. These include eight appearances in Alfred Hitchcock Presents between 1956 and 1961 and seven appearances in Perry Mason between 1958 and 1965 including in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Dodging Domino". Among his seven appearances, he played the murderer three times, the murder victim once, and the defendant once. He also appeared in other television series such as Peter Gunn, 77 Sunset Strip, Ben Casey, The Asphalt Jungle, and Rawhide. Robert H. Harris also appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones; episode titled, "Twenty Million Alibis"(May 6, 1973).
Film[]
He starred in the 1958 B-movie horror film How to Make a Monster and had notable appearances as a rich cuckold in Elia Kazan's 1963 film America America, and Edward Dmytryk's 1965 film Mirage, as the obsessive-compulsive consulting psychiatrist. His other film credits included roles in Bundle of Joy (1956), The Invisible Boy (1957), Peyton Place (1957), The George Raft Story (1961), Apache Uprising (1965), Valley of the Dolls (1967), How Awful About Allan (1970), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972) and The Man in the Glass Booth (1975).
Personal life[]
Harris and his wife, actress Viola Harris, had a son, Steven Lee.[3]
Death[]
Harris died November 30, 1981, and was buried December 3, 1981. He was survived by his wife, Viola Harris, a son, a daughter, a brother and two sisters.[1]
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1948 | The Naked City | Druggist | Uncredited |
1956 | Bundle of Joy | Mr. Hargraves | |
1957 | The Big Caper | Zimmer | |
1957 | The Invisible Boy | Prof. Frank Allerton | |
1957 | No Down Payment | Markham | |
1957 | Peyton Place | Seth Bushwell | |
1958 | How to Make a Monster | Pete Dumond | |
1961 | Operation Eichmann | Minor Role | Uncredited |
1961 | Twenty Plus Two | Stanley | Uncredited |
1961 | The George Raft Story | Harvey | |
1961 | The Lawbreakers | Joe Selkin | |
1962 | Convicts 4 | Commissioner | |
1963 | America America | Aratoon Kebabian | |
1964 | Nightmare in Chicago | Officer Newman | |
1965 | Mirage | Dr. Augustus J. Broden | |
1965 | Apache Uprising | Hoyt Taylor | |
1967 | Valley of the Dolls | Henry Bellamy | |
1970 | How Awful About Allan | Dr. Ellins | TV movie |
1972 | The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid | Wilcox | |
1975 | The Man in the Glass Booth | Dr. Weisburger |
Series in detail[]
- Appearances in Alfred Hitchcock Presents
- "Mr. Fox" in episode: , first broadcast on January 29, 1956 (episode # 1.18).
- "Laurence Appleby" in episode: , first broadcast on April 15, 1956 (episode # 1.29).
- "John Hurley" in episode: , first broadcast on May 20, 1956 (episode # 1.34).
- "Albert Birch" in episode: Toby, first broadcast on November 4, 1956 (episode # 2.6).
- "LaFontaine" in episode: , first broadcast on June 23, 1957 (episode # 2.39).
- "George Piper" in episode: , first broadcast on June 8, 1958 (episode # 3.36).
- "Ben Prowdy" in episode: , first broadcast on December 27, 1959 (episode # 5.14).
- "Morty Lenton" in episode: , first broadcast on February 14, 1961 (episode # 6.18).
- Appearances in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
- "Dr. Perrigan" in episode: Consider Her Ways, first broadcast on December 28, 1964 (episode # 3.11).
- Appearance in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
- "Dr. Eric Carlton" in episode "The Sky Is Falling (1966)"
- Appearances in Perry Mason
- "Edmund Lacey" in episode: , first broadcast on February 1, 1958 (episode # 1.20).
- "Aaron Hubble" in episode: , first broadcast on December 6, 1958 (episode # 2.9).
- "Gordon Russell" in episode: , first broadcast on May 14, 1960 (episode # 3.23).
- "Claude Demay" in episode: first broadcast on April 22, 1961 (episode # 4.23).
- "Jerry Janda" in episode: first broadcast on November 1, 1962 (episode # 5.8).
- "Harry Bronson" in episode: , first broadcast on January 7, 1965 (episode # 8.15).
- "Marty Webb" in episode: , first broadcast on November 14, 1965 (episode # 9.10).
- Appearances in Gunsmoke
- "Ben Pitcher" in episode: , first broadcast on September 8, 1956 (episode # 2.1).
- "Fred Myers" in episode: , first broadcast on January 26, 1957 (episode # 2.18).
- Appearances in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
- "Dr. Janos Hrandy" in episode: The Love Affair, first broadcast on March 29, 1965 (episode # 1.26).
- "Mark Ole" in episode: , first broadcast on October 7, 1966 (episode # 3.6).
- Appearances in The Untouchables
- "Phil Corbin" in episode: , first broadcast on December 8, 1960 (episode # 3.6).
- Appearances in Suspense
- episode: , first broadcast on February 7, 1950 (episode # 2.23).
- episode: , first broadcast on September 19, 1950 (episode # 3.4).
- episode: Night Drive, first broadcast on February 26, 1952 (episode # 4.24).
- Appearances in Climax!
- episode: , first broadcast on April 21, 1955 (episode # 1.22).
- appearing as Robert Harris playing "Porfear" in episode: , first broadcast on August 9, 1956 (episode # 2.42).
- episode: first broadcast on September 12, 1957 (episode # 3.44).
- Appearances in Bonanza
- Jacob J. Dormann in episode: "The Legacy", first broadcast on December 15, 1963 (episode # 5.11).
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Actor Robert Harris dead at 70". The Galveston Daily News. Texas, Galveston. United Press International. December 4, 1981. p. 14. Retrieved November 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "("Robert H. Harris" search results)". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "TV Actor Is New Playhouse Head". The Kingston Daily Freeman. New York, Kingston. April 28, 1952. p. 11. Retrieved November 9, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Demetria Fulton previewed Robert H. Harris' appearance in the first season of Barnaby Jones; episode titled, "Twenty Million Alibis"(May 6, 1973).
External links[]
- 1911 births
- 1981 deaths
- Male actors from New York City
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- Jewish American male actors