Robert H. Harris
Encyclopedia
Robert H. Harris was an American
character actor
born in New York City
, New York
.
, one of his few sympathetic roles. 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 1956–1961 and six appearances in Perry Mason
between 1958–1965. He has also appeared in other television series such as 77 Sunset Strip
, Ben Casey
and Rawhide
. He starred in the original version of the B-movie horror film How to Make a Monster
and had a notable appearance in Edward Dmytryk
's film Mirage, as the obsessive-compulsive consulting psychiatrist.
Appearances in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Appearances in Perry Mason
Appearances in Gunsmoke
Appearances in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Appearances in The Untouchables
Appearances in Suspense
Appearances in Climax!
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Career
From 1950 onwards, he appeared extensively on television series, specializing in playing shady, if not outright evil, characters. From 1953–1956 he played Jake Goldberg in The GoldbergsThe Goldbergs
The Goldbergs is a comedy-drama broadcast from 1929 to 1946 on American radio, and from 1949 to 1956 on American television. It was adapted into a 1948 play, Me and Molly, and a 1973 Broadway musical, Molly.-Radio:...
, one of his few sympathetic roles. In 1957, Harris played the lead role in The Court of Last Resort
The Court of Last Resort
The Court of Last Resort is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC from 1957 through 1958. It was co-produced by Erle Stanley Gardner's Paisano Productions, which also brought forth the long-running hit television program, Perry Mason on CBS.Its approach to dealing with...
. He also made many guest appearances in many other TV series. These include eight appearances in Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
between 1956–1961 and six appearances in Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
between 1958–1965. He has also appeared in other television series such as 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran 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 Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
and Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
. He starred in the original version of the B-movie horror film How to Make a Monster
How to Make a Monster (1958 film)
How to Make a Monster is a 1958 American horror film released by American International Pictures. The film is a follow-up to both I Was a Teenage Werewolf and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein. Like Teenage Frankenstein, a black & white film that switched to color for the final moments, How to Make a...
and had a notable appearance in Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
's film Mirage, as the obsessive-compulsive consulting psychiatrist.
Series in detail
Appearances in Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
- playing "Mr. Fox" in episode: Shopping for Death, first broadcast on January 29, 1956 (episode # 1.18).
- playing "Laurence Appleby" in episode: The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby, first broadcast on April 15, 1956 (episode # 1.29).
- playing "John Hurley" in episode: The Hidden Thing, first broadcast on May 20, 1956 (episode # 1.34).
- playing "Albert Birch" in episode: Toby, first broadcast on November 4, 1956 (episode # 2.6).
- playing "LaFontaine" in episode: The Dangerous People, first broadcast on June 23, 1957 (episode # 2.39).
- playing "George Piper" in episode: The Safe Place, first broadcast on June 8, 1958 (episode # 3.36).
- playing "Ben Prowdy" in episode: Graduating Class, first broadcast on December 27, 1959 (episode # 5.14).
- playing "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
- playing "Dr. Perrigan" in episode: Consider Her WaysConsider Her WaysConsider Her Ways is a 1956 science fiction novella by John Wyndham. It was published as part of a 1961 collection with some short stories called Consider Her Ways and Others .-Plot:...
, first broadcast on December 28, 1964 (episode # 3.11).
Appearances in Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
- playing "Edmund Lacey" in episode: The Case of the Lonely Heiress, first broadcast on February 1, 1958 (episode # 1.20).
- playing "Aaron Hubble" in episode: The Case of "The Purple Woman", first broadcast on December 6, 1958 (episode # 2.9).
- playing "Gordon Russell" in episode: The Case of the Slandered Submarine, first broadcast on May 14, 1960 (episode # 3.23).
- playing "Claude Demay" in episode: The Case of the Torrid Tapestry first broadcast on April 22, 1961 (episode # 4.23).
- playing "Harry Bronson" in episode: The Case of the Frustrated Folksinger, first broadcast on January 7, 1965 (episode # 8.15).
- playing "Marty Webb" in episode: The Case of the Runaway Racer, first broadcast on November 14, 1965 (episode # 9.10).
Appearances in Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
- playing "Ben Pitcher" in episode: Cow Doctor, first broadcast on September 8, 1956 (episode # 2.1).
- playing "Fred Myers" in episode: Kick Me, 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.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
- playing "Dr. Janos Hrandy" in episode: The Love Affair, first broadcast on March 29, 1965 (episode # 1.26).
- playing "Mark Ole" in episode: The Pop Art Affair, first broadcast on October 7, 1966 (episode # 3.6).
Appearances in The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
- playing "Phil Corbin" in episode: Kiss of Death Girl, first broadcast on December 8, 1960 (episode # 3.6).
Appearances in Suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
- in episode: Escape This Night, first broadcast on February 7, 1950 (episode # 2.23).
- in episode: Dark ShadowsDark ShadowsDark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
, first broadcast on September 19, 1950 (episode # 3.4). - in episode: Night Drive, first broadcast on February 26, 1952 (episode # 4.24).
Appearances in Climax!
- in 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).
- in episode: The Secret of the Red Room first broadcast on September 12, 1957 (episode # 3.44).