Theresa Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Theresa Harris
Harris in I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Born	(1906-12-31)December 31, 1906 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 8, 1985(1985-10-08) (aged 78) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery
Alma mater	UCLA Conservatory of Music Zoellner's Conservatory of Music
Occupation	Actress, singer, dancer
Years active	1929–1958
Spouse(s)	George Robinson (m. 1933)

Theresa Harris (born December 31, 1906 – died October 8, 1985) was a talented American actress, singer, and dancer. She appeared in many movies and TV shows.

Early Life and Education

Theresa Harris was born on New Year's Eve in 1906 in Houston, Texas. Her parents, Isaiah and Mable Harris, had been sharecroppers (farmers who worked on land owned by others) in Louisiana.

When Theresa was 11, her family moved to Southern California. She went to Jefferson High School. After high school, she studied music at the UCLA Conservatory of Music and Zoellner's Conservatory of Music. Later, she joined the Lafayette Players, a theater group for African American performers.

Theresa Harris's Acting Career

Theresa Harris started her film career in 1929 in a movie called Thunderbolt. In this film, she sang the song "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home."

Early Roles in the 1930s

In the 1930s, Theresa often played roles as maids for famous actresses like Ginger Rogers and Bette Davis. She also took on small parts in many films, often without getting credit for her work. She played blues singers, waitresses, and other characters.

Theresa had a bigger role in the 1933 movie Hold Your Man with Jean Harlow and Clark Gable. In the same year, she played a character named Chico in Baby Face. She also had an important role in Professional Sweetheart (1933) with Ginger Rogers. Theresa's character filled in for Rogers's character as a singer on the radio. Even though her role was very important to the story, she did not get credit for it.

Challenges and Speaking Out

Throughout the 1930s, Theresa continued to play many uncredited roles. She played Zette, Bette Davis's maid, in the 1938 film Jezebel. In 1937, she appeared in Bargain with Bullets, a film made by and for African American actors.

While promoting this film, Theresa spoke about the difficulties African American actors faced in Hollywood. She said that she never had the chance to play more than a maid in movies. She felt that her skin color limited her opportunities. Theresa wanted to be a full actress, but Hollywood didn't offer her many different roles.

She also praised Ralph Cooper, who started a film company to make movies with African American actors. Theresa believed that this would encourage Hollywood to create better films with more varied roles for Black performers.

Later Career in Film and TV

Theresa kept trying to get better roles in Hollywood. In 1939, she was credited for playing Ruby in the movie Tell No Tales. She also had a small but memorable role in the 1947 film Out of the Past.

Besides movies, Theresa also performed on many radio shows, like Hollywood Hotel. She often worked with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who played her boyfriend on screen. They performed together in Buck Benny Rides Again (1940) and What's Buzzin' Cousin (1943). In Buck Benny Rides Again, they sang and danced in a musical number called "My, My."

Theresa was a favorite of producer Val Lewton at RKO Pictures. He often cast African American actors in roles that were not typical stereotypes. She appeared in his films Cat People (1942), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), Phantom Lady (1944), and Strange Illusion (1945).

In the 1950s, Theresa Harris appeared on television shows such as Lux Video Theatre and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Her last film role was in The Gift of Love in 1958.

Personal Life

Theresa Harris married George Robinson, who was a doctor, in 1933. She stopped acting in the late 1950s. She lived comfortably because she had made smart investments during her acting career.

Theresa was a Methodist (a type of Christian). She was also a Democrat and supported Adlai Stevenson II for president in 1952.

Theresa Harris passed away on October 8, 1985, in Inglewood, California. She was buried in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Legacy

The main character in Lynn Nottage's 2011 play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark is partly based on Theresa Harris.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Theresa Harris para niños