Robert H. Harris (born Robert H. Hurwitz; July 15, 1911 – November 30, 1981) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

Stage

A veteran of the

Yiddish Art Theater The Yiddish Art Theatre was a New York Yiddish theatre company of the 20th century. History The organization was founded in 1918 by actor and impresario Maurice Schwartz, to present serious Yiddish drama and works from world literature in Yiddis ...

from his teens, Harris made his first

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

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). In 1952, Harris was the managing director of the Woodstock Playhouse in

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 20 ...

. Prior to that, he had directed

repertory theater A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

in Boston and Hollywood.

Television

From 1950 on, he appeared extensively on

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, specializing in playing shady, if not outright evil characters, roles for which he excelled. 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.) In 1957, Harris played the lead role in ''

The Court of Last Resort ''The Court of Last Resort '' is an American television dramatized court show which aired October 4, 1957 – April 11, 1958, on NBC. It was co-produced by Erle Stanley Gardner's Paisano Productions, which also brought forth the long-running hit ...

''. He also made many guest appearances in many other TV series. These include eight appearances in ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' between 1956 and 1961 and seven appearances in ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' 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 ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'', ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and L ...

'', 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 ''America America'' (British title ''The Anatolian Smile''—a reference to an ongoing acknowledgment of the character Stavros' captivating smile) is a 1963 American drama film directed, produced and written by Elia Kazan, adapted from his own b ...

'', and

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s noir films and received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for '' Crossfire'' (1947). In 1947, he was named as one of the Hollywoo ...

's 1965 film ''

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

'', as the obsessive-compulsive consulting psychiatrist. His other film credits included roles in ''

Bundle of Joy ''Bundle of Joy'' is a 1956 Technicolor musical remake of the comedy film ''Bachelor Mother'' (1939), which starred Ginger Rogers and David Niven. It stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (who were married in real-life at the time), and Adolphe ...

'' (1956), ''

The Invisible Boy ''The Invisible Boy'' (aka ''S.O.S Spaceship'') is a 1957 black and white American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, directed by Herman Hoffman, and starring Richard Eyer and Philip Abbott. It is the s ...

'' (1957), '' Peyton Place'' (1957), ''

The George Raft Story ''The George Raft Story'' is a 1961 American biographical film of Hollywood film star George Raft. Ray Danton portrays Raft and the film was directed by Joseph M. Newman. The picture was retitled ''Spin of a Coin'' for release in the United Kin ...

'' (1961), ''

Apache Uprising ''Apache Uprising'' is a 1965 American Technicolor Western Techniscope film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Max Lamb and Harry Sanford. The film stars Rory Calhoun, Corinne Calvet, John Russell, Lon Chaney Jr., Gene Evans, Richard ...

'' (1965), '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1967), ''

How Awful About Allan ''How Awful About Allan'' is a 1970 American made-for-television horror psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington, the first of two collaborations with writer Henry Farrell (the other was ''What's the Matter with Helen?''), and ...

'' (1970), ''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The ...

'' (1972) and ''

The Man in the Glass Booth ''The Man in the Glass Booth'' is a 1975 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription cinema series. The screenplay was a ...

'' (1975).

Personal life and death

Harris and his wife, actress

Viola Harris Viola Harris (July 5, 1920 – August 23, 2017) was an American actress known for roles in television, theater and film from the 1950s to the 2010s. Career Harris appeared in a number of films including Woody Allen's ''Deconstructing Harry'' i ...

, had a son, Steven Lee. Harris died November 30, 1981.

Filmography

Series in detail

;Appearances in ''

'' * "Mr. Fox" in episode: '' Shopping for Death'', first broadcast on January 29, 1956 (episode # 1.18). * "Laurence Appleby" in episode: '' The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby'', first broadcast on April 15, 1956 (episode # 1.29). * "John Hurley" in episode: '' The Hidden Thing'', 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: '' The Dangerous People'', first broadcast on June 23, 1957 (episode # 2.39). * "George Piper" in episode: '' The Safe Place'', first broadcast on June 8, 1958 (episode # 3.36). * "Ben Prowdy" in episode: '' Graduating Class'', first broadcast on December 27, 1959 (episode # 5.14). * "Morty Lenton" in episode: '' The Greatest Monster of Them All'', first broadcast on February 14, 1961 (episode # 6.18). ;Appearances in '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' * "Dr. Perrigan" in episode: ''

Consider Her Ways "Consider Her Ways" is a 1956 science fiction novella by English writer John Wyndham. It was republished as part of a 1961 collection entitled ''Consider Her Ways and Others'', where it forms over a third of the book. It initially appeared as o ...

'', first broadcast on December 28, 1964 (episode # 3.11). ;Appearance in ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'' * "Dr. Eric Carlton" in episode "The Sky Is Falling (1966)" ;Appearances in ''

'' * "Edmund Lacey" in episode: '' The Case of the Lonely Heiress'', first broadcast on February 1, 1958 (episode # 1.20). * "Aaron Hubble" in episode: '' The Case of "The Purple Woman"'', first broadcast on December 6, 1958 (episode # 2.9). * "Gordon Russell" in episode: '' The Case of the Slandered Submarine'', first broadcast on May 14, 1960 (episode # 3.23). * "Claude Demay" in episode: '' The Case of the Torrid Tapestry'' first broadcast on April 22, 1961 (episode # 4.23). * "Jerry Janda" in episode: '' The Case of the Dodging Domino'' first broadcast on November 1, 1962 (episode # 5.8). * "Harry Bronson" in episode: '' The Case of the Frustrated Folksinger'', first broadcast on January 7, 1965 (episode # 8.15). * "Marty Webb" in episode: '' The Case of the Runaway Racer'', first broadcast on November 14, 1965 (episode # 9.10). ;Appearances in ''

'' * "Ben Pitcher" in episode: '' Cow Doctor'', first broadcast on September 8, 1956 (episode # 2.1). * "Fred Myers" in episode: ''

Kick Me A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...

'', first broadcast on January 26, 1957 (episode # 2.18). ;Appearances in ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'' * "Dr. Janos Hrandy" in episode: ''The Love Affair'', first broadcast on March 29, 1965 (episode # 1.26). * "Mark Ole" in episode: '' The Pop Art Affair'', first broadcast on October 7, 1966 (episode # 3.6). ;Appearances in ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' * "Phil Corbin" in episode: '' Kiss of Death Girl'', first broadcast on December 8, 1960 (episode # 3.6). ;Appearances in ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

'' * episode: '' Escape This Night'', first broadcast on February 7, 1950 (episode # 2.23). * episode: ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...

'', first broadcast on September 19, 1950 (episode # 3.4). * episode: ''Night Drive'', first broadcast on February 26, 1952 (episode # 4.24). ;Appearances in ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progra ...

'' * episode: '' Flight 951'', first broadcast on April 21, 1955 (episode # 1.22). * appearing as Robert Harris playing "Porfear" in episode: '' No Right to Kill'', first broadcast on August 9, 1956 (episode # 2.42). * episode: '' The Secret of the Red Room'' first broadcast on September 12, 1957 (episode # 3.44). ;Appearances in ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' * Jacob J. Dormann in episode: "The Legacy", first broadcast on December 15, 1963 (episode # 5.11).

References

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

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Robert H. 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 20th-century American Jews