 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Phil Harris" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Phil Harris | |
|---|---|
 Harris in 1956 | |
| Born | Wonga Philip Harris (1904-06-24)June 24, 1904 Linton, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 11, 1995(1995-08-11) (aged 91) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Cemetery,Cathedral City, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names |
|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1933–1991 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Wonga Philip Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American actor, bandleader, entertainer and singer. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first withThe Jack Benny Program, then inThe Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show in which he co-starred with his wife, singer-actressAlice Faye, for eight years. Harris is also noted for his voice acting in animated films. As a voice actor, he voicedBaloo inThe Jungle Book (1967), Thomas O'Malley inThe Aristocats (1970),Little John inRobin Hood (1973), and Patou inRock-a-Doodle (1991). As a singer, he recorded a number one novelty hit record, "The Thing" (1950).
Harris was born inLinton, Indiana, on June 24, 1904,[1] but grew up inNashville, Tennessee,[2] and identified himself as a Southerner. His hallmark song was "That's What I Like About the South". He had a trace of a Southern accent and in later years made self-deprecating jokes over the air about his heritage. His parents were circus performers. His father, a tent bandleader, gave him his first job as a drummer with the circus band.[3]
His unusual first name "Wonga", is said to derive from aCherokee word meaning "messenger of fleet" or, perhaps more accurately translated, "fast messenger".[4]
Harris began his music career as a drummer in San Francisco, in the mid-1920s playing drums in theHenry Halstead Big Band Orchestra. He formed an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the latter 1920s and started a long engagement at theSt. Francis Hotel.[a] In the 1930s, Lofner and Harris recorded swing music forVictor,Columbia,Decca, andVocalion. The partnership ended by 1932, and Harris led a band in Los Angeles for which he was the singer and bandleader.
In 1933, he made a short film for RKO calledSo This Is Harris!, which won anAcademy Award for best live action short subject. He followed with a feature-length film,Melody Cruise. Both films were created by the same team that producedFlying Down to Rio, which started the careers ofFred Astaire andGinger Rogers. He also starred inI Love a Bandleader (1945) withLeslie Brooks. Here he played a house painter who gets amnesia, then starts to lead a band. He recordedWoodman, Spare That Tree (byGeorge Pope Morris andHenry Russell) in 1947. His nickname was "Old Curly". In 1950, Harris recorded a hit novelty song, the million-seller, "The Thing", which hit number one on the U.S. chart.[7] Additionally, he appeared inThe Wild Blue Yonder (1951), alongsideForrest Tucker andWalter Brennan. He made a cameo appearance in the Warner Bros. musical,Starlift, withJanice Rule andDick Wesson, and was featured inThe High and the Mighty withJohn Wayne in 1954.[3]
Harris made two feature films withJack Benny forParamount Pictures,Man About Town (1939) andBuck Benny Rides Again (1940). Both films also featuredEddie "Rochester" Anderson.
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 Best of Jack Benny Spotlight Podcast! October 4, 1936 – Phil Harris's First Show | |
| The Fitch Bandwagon/The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, 102 episodes |
In 1936, Harris became musical director ofThe Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny singing and leading his band, with Mahlon Merrick writing much of the show's music. When Harris exhibited a knack for snappy one-liners, he joined the cast, portraying himself as a hip, hard-drinking Southerner whose good nature superseded his ego. He gave the others nicknames, such as "Jackson" for Jack Benny.[4] Addressing a man as "Jackson" or sometimes "Mr. Jackson" became popular slang in the early 1940s.[8] His signature song was "That's What I Like About the South". Many of his vocal recordings were comic novelty "talking blues", similar to the songs ofBert Williams, which are sometimes considered a precursor to rap.[citation needed]
In 1942, Harris and his band joined theU.S. Merchant Marine and served for 16 weeks.
In 1946, Harris and wife Alice Faye began co-hostingThe Fitch Bandwagon, a comedy-variety program that followed the Jack Benny show on Sunday nights. OnThe Fitch Bandwagon and its later incarnation asThe Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, Harris played a vain, stumbling husband, while Faye played his sarcastic but loving wife.Gerald Nachman has written that Harris was a soft-spoken, modest man off the air. InOn the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time RadioJohn Dunning wrote that Harris's character made the show popular.[9]The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show appeared until 1954. Harris continued to appear on Jack Benny's show from 1948 to 1952.
Harris was recording songs as early as 1931.[10] He sang with a deep baritone voice. Songs by Harris include the early 1950snovelty song, "The Thing".[7] The song describes the hapless finder of a box with a mysterious secret and his efforts to rid himself of it.
In 1956, Harris appeared in the filmGood-bye, My Lady. He made numerous guest appearances on 1960s and 1970s television series, includingThe Steve Allen Show, theKraft Music Hall,Burke's Law,F Troop,The Dean Martin Show,The Hollywood Palace, and other musical variety programs. He appeared onThe American Sportsman which took celebrities on hunting and fishing trips around the world.
Harris worked as a voice actor for a number ofDisney animated films, providing the voice of Baloo the bear inThe Jungle Book (1967),Thomas O'Malley inThe Aristocats (1970), andLittle John inRobin Hood (1973).[11] In 1989, Harris was considered to reprise his role as Baloo in the animated seriesTaleSpin, but he was ultimately replaced withEd Gilbert.[12] Harris's final film role was inRock-a-Doodle (1991), where he voiced Patou, theBasset Hound.[13]
Harris spent time in the 1970s and early 1980s leading a band that appeared often in Las Vegas, often on the same bill with bandleaderHarry James.[14]
On September 2, 1927,[15] Harris married actressMarcia Ralston (then known as Mascotte Ralston) inMelbourne, Australia, where his band had a long engagement. The couple adopted a son, Phil Harris Jr. (1935–2001). Harris and Ralston divorced in September 1940.[16]
Harris andAlice Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both (Faye had been married briefly to singer-actorTony Martin) and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death.
As aDemocrat, Harris supported the campaign ofAdlai Stevenson during the1952 presidential election.[17]
Harris was a lifelong friend of singer and actorBing Crosby. He appeared on telecasts of Bing's Pro-Am Golf Tournament fromPebble Beach, California,[citation needed] and appeared in an episode of ABC's short-lived sitcomThe Bing Crosby Show. After Crosby died in 1977, Harris replaced him as commentator for the annualBing Crosby Pro-Am Golf Tournament.
Harris was a resident and benefactor ofPalm Springs, California, and was active in many local civic organizations.[18]
Harris died of aheart attack at age 91 in hisRancho Mirage home on the night of August 11, 1995.[4] He is interred atForest Lawn Cemetery,Cathedral City, California.[19]
Harris was a benefactor of his birthplace ofLinton, Indiana, establishing scholarships in his honor for promising high school students, performing at the high school, and hosting a celebrity golf tournament in his honor every year. Harris and Faye donated most of their show business memorabilia and papers to Linton's public library. Harris was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
In 1994, a Golden Palm Star on thePalm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[20]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Why Be Good | Drummer in band at The Boiler | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Melody Cruise | Alan Chandler | |
| 1933 | So This Is Harris! | Himself | Short |
| 1936 | Double or Nothing | Himself | Short |
| 1937 | Turn Off the Moon | Himself | |
| 1937 | Harris in the Spring | Himself | |
| 1939 | Man About Town | Ted Nash | |
| 1940 | Buck Benny Rides Again | Himself | |
| 1940 | Dreaming Out Loud | Peter Atkinson | |
| 1945 | I Love a Bandleader | Phil Burton | |
| 1950 | Wabash Avenue | Mike Stanley | |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom | Himself | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Wild Blue Yonder | Sgt. Hank Stack | |
| 1951 | Starlift | Himself | |
| 1954 | The High and the Mighty | Ed Joseph | |
| 1956 | Anything Goes | Steve Blair | |
| 1956 | Good-bye, My Lady | A.H. "Cash" Evans | |
| 1956 | Saturday Spectacular: Manhattan Tower | Billy | Television film |
| 1960 | The Big Sell | Salesman | |
| 1963 | The Wheeler Dealers | Ray Jay Fox | |
| 1964 | The Patsy | Chic Wymore | |
| 1967 | The Cool Ones | MacElwaine | |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | Baloo (voice) | [21] |
| 1970 | The Aristocats | Thomas O'Malley (voice) | [21] |
| 1971 | Tom Jones: Movin' Up the River | Himself | |
| 1971 | The Gatling Gun | Luke Boland | |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | Little John (voice) | Voice[21] |
| 1991 | Rock-a-Doodle | Patou (voice) | Final film role[21] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | This Is Your Life | Himself | |
| 1964 | Ben Casey | Clarence Simmons | Episode: "The Only Place Where They Know My Name" |
| 1966 | The Milton Berle Show | Himself | Episode #1.7 |
| 1966-1970 | The Dean Martin Show | Himself | 8 episodes |
| 1967 | F Troop | Flaming Arrow | Episode: "What are you doing after the massacre" |
| 1968 | The Lucy Show | Phil Stanley | Episode: "Lucy and Phil Harris" |
| 1969 | The Johnny Cash Show | Himself | Episode #1.15 |
| 1970 | This Is Tom Jones | Himself | Episode #2.19 |
| 1975 | Dinah! | Himself | Episode #2.43 |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Will Fields | Episode: "Carnival/The Vaudevillians" |
| 1978 | NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney | Himself | Documentary |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Harvey Cronkle | Episode: "Y' Gotta Have Heart" |
| 1984 | This Is Your Life | Himself | |
| 1985 | The Disney Family Album | Himself | Episode: "Voice Actors" |
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Suspense | Death on My Hands[22] |
Phil Harris, the bandleader who became famous by portraying himself as a flashy, hard-drinking musician on the old Jack Benny radio show, died. … He was 89.
