Phil Harris Biography (1905-1995)

Real name, Wanga Phil Harris; born June 24, 1905, in Linton, IN; died of heart failure, August 11, 1995, in Rancho Mirage, CA; raised in Nashville, TN; married Alice Faye (an actress), 1941. Career: Actor, drummer, and bandleader. Played in local bands as a drummer in Nashville, TN; appeared with theHenry Halstead orchestra, 1924-27; with Carol Lofner, lead his own band, 1928-30; led own band in St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, CA, 1931-32, then theCoconut Grove, Los Angeles, CA; began a film career, 1933.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, drummer, bandleader
Birth Details
June 24, 1905
Linton, Indiana, United States
Death Details
August 11, 1995
Rancho Mirage, California, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • So This Is Harris, 1933
  • Alan Chandler, Melody Cruise, RKO Radio Pictures, 1933
  • Turn Off the Moon, Paramount, 1937
  • Ted Nash, Man About Town, Paramount, 1939
  • Himself, Buck Benny Rides Again, Paramount, 1940
  • Peter Atkinson, Dreaming Out Loud (also known as Money Isn't Everything), RKO Radio Pictures, 1940
  • Phil Burton, I Love a Bandleader, Columbia, 1945
  • Uncle Mike Stanley, Wabash Avenue, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1950
  • Sergeant Hank Stack, The Wild Blue Yonder (also known as Thunder Across the Pacific), Republic, 1951
  • Guest star, Starlift, Warner Bros., 1951
  • (Uncredited) Himself, Here Comes the Groom, Paramount, 1951
  • Ed Joseph, The High and the Mighty, Warner Bros., 1954
  • Mr. Cash, Goodbye, My Lady, Warner Bros., 1956
  • Steve Blair, Anything Goes, Paramount, 1956
  • Ray Jay, The Wheeler Dealers (also known as Separate Beds),Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, 1963
  • Chic Wymore, The Patsy, Paramount, 1964
  • MacElwaine, The Cool Ones (also known as Cool Baby, Cool!),Warner Bros., 1967
  • Voice of Baloo the Bear, The Jungle Book (animated), Buena Vista,1967
  • Voice of Thomas O'Malley, The Aristocats (animated), Buena Vista,1970
  • Boland, The Gatling Gun (also known as King Gun), Ellman, 1973
  • Voice of Little John, Robin Hood (animated), Buena Vista, 1973
  • Voice of Patou, Rock-A-Doodle (animated), Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
  • Policeman on bullhorn, Clearcut, Northern Arts Entertainment, 1991
  • Television Appearances
  • Episodic
  • Himself, The Colgate Comedy Hour, NBC, 1952
  • The Andy Williams Show, NBC, 1963
  • Clarence Simmons, "One Nation Indivisible," Ben Casey, ABC, 1964
  • The Andy Williams Show, NBC, 1966
  • "Where Were You at the Last Massacre," F Troop, ABC, 1967
  • Himself, "Lucy and Phil Harris Strike Up the Band," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1974
  • Also appeared in "Flaming Arrow," F Troop, ABC.
  • Specials
  • "Manhattan Tower," Sunday Spectacular, NBC, 1956
  • Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny but Were Afraidto Ask, NBC, 1971
  • The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1973
  • Alan King in Las Vegas, Part II, ABC, 1973
  • Remembering Bing, PBS, 1987
  • Radio Appearances
  • Let's Listen to Harris (series), 1934
  • Jack Benny (series), NBC Radio, 1936-46
  • Also appeared in Fibber McGee and Molly 15th Anniversary Special,NBC Radio; also appeared in a radio show with spouse, Alice Faye, 1947-54.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • The Uncollected Phil Harris & amp; His Orchestra, Hindsight, 1933
  • The Thing About Phil Harris, ASV/Living Era, 1996
  • Echoes from the Coconut Grove, Take Two, 1996
  • My Kind of Country, Pearl, 1999
  • Songs
  • Recorded "Rose Room," "Woodman, Spare That Tree," "That's What I Like About the South," "The Preacher and the Bear," "The Darktown Poker Club," and "The Thing."

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Periodicals:
    • Time, August 21, 1995, p. 21.*