Theresa Harris
Encyclopedia
Theresa Harris was an American television and film actress.
, 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas
to Isaiah (1879–1956) and Mable (1883–1964) Harris, both of whom were former sharecroppers from Louisiana.
In 1929, she came out to Hollywood and lent her singing voice to the talkie Thunderbolt
. This role was uncredited. As she entered the 1930s she found herself playing maids to fictitious Southern belles, socialites and female molls played by such actresses as Ginger Rogers
, Bette Davis
, Sylvia Sidney
, Frances Dee
, Myrna Loy
, Jean Harlow
, Esther Williams
, Kay Francis
, and Barbara Stanwyck
. These parts, however, were sometimes uncredited. She also floated around studios doing bit-parts; preferably Warner Bros.
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
; aside from maids, she also specialized in playing blues
singers, waitresses, tribal women, prostitutes, and hat check girls.
Harris had a featured role as a friend of Jean Harlow
in MGM's Hold Your Man
(1932), also starring Clark Gable
. In 1933, she starred as Chico in the Warner Bros. Pre-code production of Baby Face
, which starred Barbara Stanwyck
. Between the early 1930s and into the 1950s, Harris found herself playing many uncredited parts in such big name films as Cat People
, Miracle on 34th Street
, Out of the Past
, The Big Clock
, Gold Diggers of 1933
, Mary Stevens, M.D. and Morning Glory. She also played Bette Davis
's maid Zette in the film Jezebel (1938).
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, and Letter to Loretta. She made her last film appearance in an uncredited role in The Gift of Love
in 1958.
On October 8, 1985, Harris died of natural causes at her home in Inglewood, California. She was buried in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Early life and career
Harris was born on New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to Isaiah (1879–1956) and Mable (1883–1964) Harris, both of whom were former sharecroppers from Louisiana.
In 1929, she came out to Hollywood and lent her singing voice to the talkie Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (1929 film)
Thunderbolt is a 1929 proto-noir which tells the story of a criminal, facing execution, who wants to kill the man in the next cell for being in love with his girlfriend. It stars George Bancroft, Fay Wray, Richard Arlen, Tully Marshall and Eugenie Besserer....
. This role was uncredited. As she entered the 1930s she found herself playing maids to fictitious Southern belles, socialites and female molls played by such actresses as Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s appearing in numerous crime dramas.-Early life:...
, Frances Dee
Frances Dee
Frances Marion Dee was an American actress. She starred opposite Maurice Chevalier in the early talkie musical, The Playboy of Paris...
, Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
, Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
, Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
, Kay Francis
Kay Francis
Kay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio, and the highest paid American film actress...
, and Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
. These parts, however, were sometimes uncredited. She also floated around studios doing bit-parts; preferably Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
; aside from maids, she also specialized in playing blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singers, waitresses, tribal women, prostitutes, and hat check girls.
Harris had a featured role as a friend of Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
in MGM's Hold Your Man
Hold Your Man
Hold Your Man is a 1933 American romantic drama film directed by an uncredited Sam Wood and starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable, the third of their six films together...
(1932), also starring Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
. In 1933, she starred as Chico in the Warner Bros. Pre-code production of Baby Face
Baby Face (film)
Baby Face is a 1933 American dramatic film directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. Based on a story by Darryl F. Zanuck , this sexually-charged, Pre-Code Hollywood film is about an attractive young woman who uses sex to advance her social and financial status...
, which starred Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
. Between the early 1930s and into the 1950s, Harris found herself playing many uncredited parts in such big name films as Cat People
Cat People
Cat People is a 1942 horror film produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur. DeWitt Bodeen wrote the original screenplay which was based on Val Lewton's short story The Bagheeta published in 1930. The film stars Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph and Tom Conway.Cat People was...
, Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...
, Out of the Past
Out of the Past
Out of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring , with uncredited revisions by Frank Fenton and James M...
, The Big Clock
The Big Clock
The Big Clock is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was his fourth novel, following three for Random House and five collections of his poetry...
, Gold Diggers of 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933 is a pre-code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin , staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley...
, Mary Stevens, M.D. and Morning Glory. She also played Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
's maid Zette in the film Jezebel (1938).
Later life and death
During the 1950s, Harris appeared several times on television on such shows as Lux Video TheatreLux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre, is a weekly television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays....
, 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...
, and Letter to Loretta. She made her last film appearance in an uncredited role in The Gift of Love
The Gift of Love
The Gift of Love is a 1958 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack.-Cast:*Lauren Bacall as Julie Beck*Robert Stack as William Bill Beck*Evelyn Rudie as Hitty*Lorne Greene as Grant Allan*Anne Seymour as Miss McMasters...
in 1958.
On October 8, 1985, Harris died of natural causes at her home in Inglewood, California. She was buried in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Selected filmography
- ThunderboltThunderbolt (1929 film)Thunderbolt is a 1929 proto-noir which tells the story of a criminal, facing execution, who wants to kill the man in the next cell for being in love with his girlfriend. It stars George Bancroft, Fay Wray, Richard Arlen, Tully Marshall and Eugenie Besserer....
(1929) - MoroccoMorocco (1930 film)Morocco is a 1930 film in which a Foreign Legionnaire meets and falls in love with a singer. It was directed by Josef von Sternberg and stars Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich and Adolphe Menjou. The story was adapted by Jules Furthman from the novel Amy Jolly by Benno Vigny...
(1930) - The Road to RenoThe Road to RenoThe Road to Reno is a drama film, directed by Richard Wallace.-Plot:Twice divorced Jackie Millet tries one more time with number three...
(1931) - ArrowsmithArrowsmith (film)Arrowsmith is a 1931 film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was written by Sidney Howard from the Sinclair Lewis novel Arrowsmith, and directed by John Ford.-Plot:...
(1931) - Merrily We Go to HellMerrily We Go to HellMerrily We Go to Hell is a 1932 Pre-Code film starring Academy Award winning actor Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney. The film was directed by Dorothy Arzner. The film's title is an example of the sensationalistic titles that were common in the Pre-Code era. Many newspapers refused to publicize the...
(1932) - Week Ends OnlyWeek Ends OnlyWeek Ends Only is a 1932 film made by Fox Film Corporation, directed by Alan Crosland , and starring by Joan Bennett, Ben Lyon and John Halliday. The screenplay was written by William M...
(1932) - Horse FeathersHorse FeathersHorse Feathers is a Marx Brothers film comedy. It stars the four Marx Brothers and Thelma Todd. It was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S. J. Perelman, and Will B. Johnstone. Kalmar and Ruby also wrote some of the original music for the film...
(1932) - Night After Night (1932)
- The Half-Naked TruthThe Half-Naked TruthThe Half-Naked Truth is a pre-Hayes Code comedy directed by Gregory LaCava and featuring Lee Tracy as a carnival pitchman who finagles his girlfriend, a fiery hoochie dancer played by Lupe Vélez, into a major Broadway revue under the auspices of an impresario portrayed by Frank...
(1932) - Free WheelingFree WheelingFree Wheeling is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 117th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - Grand Slam (1933)
- Gold Diggers of 1933Gold Diggers of 1933Gold Diggers of 1933 is a pre-code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin , staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley...
(1933) - Professional Sweetheart (1933)
- Private Detective 62 (1933)
- Hold Your ManHold Your ManHold Your Man is a 1933 American romantic drama film directed by an uncredited Sam Wood and starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable, the third of their six films together...
(1933) - Baby FaceBaby Face (film)Baby Face is a 1933 American dramatic film directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. Based on a story by Darryl F. Zanuck , this sexually-charged, Pre-Code Hollywood film is about an attractive young woman who uses sex to advance her social and financial status...
(1933) - Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)
- Morning Glory (1933)
- PenthousePenthouse (film)Penthouse is a 1933 black-and-white crime film starring Warner Baxter as a lawyer whose clients are less than upright and Myrna Loy as a call girl who helps him with a murder case....
(1933) - Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933)
- Blood MoneyBlood Money (1933 film)Blood Money is a 1933 crime film about a crooked bail bondsman played by George Bancroft, with Judith Anderson as his longtime lover and Frances Dee as the thrill-seeking socialite who catches his eye. This marked the film debut of Anderson...
(1933) - The Worst Woman in Paris? (1933)
- Roman ScandalsRoman ScandalsRoman Scandals is a 1933 black-and-white American musical film starring Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, Edward Arnold and David Manners. It was directed by Frank Tuttle....
(1933) - Success at Any Price (1934)
- A Modern HeroA Modern HeroA Modern Hero is a 1934 American drama film starring Richard Barthelmess and directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst. It was Pabst's only American talking film.-Plot:...
(1934) - Finishing SchoolFinishing School (film)Finishing School is a 1934 romantic drama film starring Frances Dee as a young woman who gets into trouble after being sent to a finishing school by her neglectful parents.This film was condemned by the Legion of Decency.-Plot:...
(1934) - Drums O' VoodooDrums O' VoodooDrums O' Voodoo is a film about voodoo. The film was written by Augustus Smith and was directed by Arthur Hoerl, based on the play by Smith of the same name....
(1934) - Black Moon (1934)
- DesirableDesirableDesirable is a 1934 drama film directed by Archie Mayo, starring Jean Muir and George Brent. Helen Walbridge is a famous actress who does not want her true age to be known...
(1934) - Go Into Your DanceGo Into Your DanceGo Into Your Dance is a 1935 musical film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Glenda Farrell, and Helen Morgan.-Plot:...
(1935) - Broadway Melody of 1936Broadway Melody of 1936Broadway Melody of 1936 is a musical released by MGM in 1935. It was a follow up of sorts to the successful The Broadway Melody, which had been released in 1929, although, beyond the title and some music, there is no story connection with the earlier film.The film was written by Harry W. Conn, Moss...
(1935) - Fifteen Maiden Lane (1936)
- Banjo On My Knee (1936)
- Gangsters on the Loose (1937)
- Charlie Chan at the OlympicsCharlie ChanCharlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
(1937) - The Lady EscapesThe Lady EscapesThe Lady Escapes is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Gloria Stuart, Michael Whalen, George Sanders and Cora Witherspoon...
(1937) - Big Town Girl (1937)
- Jezebel (1938)
- The Toy WifeThe Toy WifeThe Toy Wife is a 1938 drama film directed by Richard Thorpe. The period film was produced by Merian C. Cooper, written by Zoe Akins and had Luise Rainer and Melvyn Douglas in the leading roles.-Plot:...
(1938) - Passport Husband (1938)
- Tell No Tales (1939)
- The WomenThe Women (1939 film)The Women is a 1939 American comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor. The film is based on Clare Boothe Luce's play of the same name, and was adapted for the screen by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin, who had to make the film acceptable for the Production Code in order for it to be released.The film...
(1939) - One Hour to Live (1939)
- City of Chance (1940)
- Buck Benny Rides AgainBuck Benny Rides AgainBuck Benny Rides Again is a 1940 Paramount Pictures feature film starring Jack Benny and Ellen Drew. The film featured regulars from Benny's radio show including Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Andy Devine, Phil Harris, and Dennis Day. The film was directed and produced by Mark Sandrich and produced...
(1940) - Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe Trail (film)Santa Fe Trail is a 1940 western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The film was one of the top-grossing films of the year, being the seventh Flynn-de Havilland collaboration. The film also has nothing to do with its namesake, the famed Santa Fe Trail...
(1940) - Love Thy NeighborLove Thy Neighbor (1940 film)Love Thy Neighbor is a movie produced by Paramount in 1940 which starred Jack Benny and Fred Allen. It featured Mary Martin with her famous fur coat striptease performance of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" which is set in a stage revue....
(1940) - The Flame of New OrleansThe Flame of New OrleansThe Flame of New Orleans is a 1941 comedy film directed by René Clair and starring Bruce Cabot in his first comedy role and Marlene Dietrich. It was nominated an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by Martin Obzina, Jack Otterson and Russell A...
(1941) - Blossoms in the DustBlossoms in the DustBlossoms in the Dust is a 1941 American film which tells the story of the non-fictional Edna Gladney who takes it upon herself to help orphaned children to find homes, despite the opposition of the "good" citizens who think that illegitimate children are beneath their interest...
(1941) - Our Wife (1941)
- Sing Your Worries Away (1942)
- Tough As They ComeLittle Tough GuysThe Little Tough Guys were a group of actors who made a series of films and serials released by Universal Studios from 1938 through 1943...
(1942) - Cat People (1942)
- I Walked with a ZombieI Walked with a ZombieI Walked with a Zombie is a 1943 horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur. It was the second horror film from producer Val Lewton for RKO Pictures; the first was the very successful Cat People, also directed by Tourneur...
(1943) - What's Buzzin', Cousin? (1943)
- Phantom Lady (1944)
- Strange IllusionStrange IllusionStrange Illusion is a 1945 American film noir directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. According to noir historian Spencer Selby the film is, "A stylish cheapie by the recognized master of stylish cheapies."-Plot summary:...
(1945) - The Dolly SistersThe Dolly SistersThe Dolly Sisters is a 1945 American biographical film about the Dolly Sisters, identical twins who became famous as entertainers on Broadway and in Europe in the early years of the twentieth century. It starred Betty Grable as Jenny and June Haver as Rosie.-Cast:*Betty Grable as Yansci "Jenny"...
(1945) - Smooth as Silk (19461946 in filmThe year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
) - Three Little Girls in Blue (1946)
- Hit Parade of 1947 (1947)
- Miracle on 34th StreetMiracle on 34th StreetMiracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...
(1947) - Out of the PastOut of the PastOut of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring , with uncredited revisions by Frank Fenton and James M...
(1947) - The Big ClockThe Big ClockThe Big Clock is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was his fourth novel, following three for Random House and five collections of his poetry...
(1948) - The Velvet TouchThe Velvet TouchThe Velvet Touch is an American drama film released by RKO Radio Pictures.-Production background:The dialogue in Leo Rosten's screenplay, adapted from a story by William Mercer and Annabel Ross, anticipates the witty repartee in All About Eve and Auntie Mame .The cast, directed by Jack Gage,...
(1948) - Alias Nick BealAlias Nick BealAlias Nick Beal is a 1949 film retelling of the Faust myth. In this version, a judge sells his soul to the devil.-Critical reaction:...
(1949) - Neptune's DaughterNeptune's Daughter (1949 film)Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc...
(1949) - TensionTension (film)Tension is a crime thriller film noir directed by John Berry, and written by Allen Rivkin, based on a story written by John D. Klorer. The drama features Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, and others.-Plot:...
(1949) - And Baby Makes Three (1949)
- The File on Thelma JordonThe File on Thelma JordonThe File on Thelma Jordon is a 1950 film noir directed by Robert Siodmak from a screenplay by Ketti Frings. It stars Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey.-Plot:...
(1950) - Grounds for MarriageGrounds for MarriageGrounds for Marriage is a 1951 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Written and produced by Samuel Marx, the film stars Van Johnson and Kathryn Grayson.-Plot:...
(1951) - Al Jennings of Oklahoma (1951)
- The Company She Keeps (1951)
- Angel Face (1952)
- Here Come the GirlsHere Come the Girls (1953 film)Here Come the Girls is a comedy film directed by Claude Binyon, filmed in Technicolor, produced by Hope's company Hope Productions Inc., and released by Paramount Pictures.-Storyline:...
(1953) - The French LineThe French LineThe French Line is a 1954 musical film starring Jane Russell made by RKO Pictures, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Edmund Grainger, with Howard Hughes as executive producer. The screenplay was by Mary Loos and Richard Sale, based on a story by Matty Kemp and Isabel Dawn...
(1954) - Spoilers of the Forest (1957)
- The Gift of LoveThe Gift of LoveThe Gift of Love is a 1958 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack.-Cast:*Lauren Bacall as Julie Beck*Robert Stack as William Bill Beck*Evelyn Rudie as Hitty*Lorne Greene as Grant Allan*Anne Seymour as Miss McMasters...
(1958)