Sam Henry Harris

Harris, Sam H[enry] (1872–1941), producer. Born on New York's Lower East Side, Harris had been a newsboy, cough drop salesman, and steam laundry operator before becoming manager of prizefighter Terry McGovern. Between bouts McGovern had been appearing in a touring burlesque show, The Gay Morning Glories. Harris purchased an interest in the affair, and found himself in show business. He next formed the company of Sullivan, Harris, and Woods, with P. H. “Paddy” Sullivan and A. H. Woods, sending popular melodramas such as The Bowery After Dark on tour. In 1904 he met George M. Cohan and the two became friends and organized a partnership. Among their many productions were Little Johnny Jones (1904), The Talk of New York (1907), The Fortune Hunter (1909), The Man Who Owns Broadway (1909), Get‐Rich‐Quick Wallingford (1910), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913), The House of Glass (1915), Hit‐the‐Trail Holliday (1915), The Great Lover (1915), A Tailor Made Man (1917), Going Up! (1917), Three Faces East (1918), and The Royal Vagabond (1919). When the partnership was dissolved in 1920, Harris embarked on a career as solo producer. His productions included the Music Box Revues, Six‐Cylinder Love (1921), Rain (1922), Icebound (1923), The Jazz Singer (1925), Cradle Snatchers (1925), The Cocoanuts (1925), Chicago (1926), Animal Crackers (1928), June Moon (1929), Once in a Lifetime (1930), Of Thee I Sing (1931), Dinner at Eight (1932), As Thousands Cheer (1933), Merrily We Roll Along (1934), Room Service (1935), Stage Door (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1936), Of Mice and Men (1937), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939), George Washington Slept Here (1940), and Lady in the Dark (1941). Besides the Music Box, he also managed the Harris Theatres in New York and Chicago. Obviously a shrewd judge of plays, Harris was equally admired for his integrity and courtesy.