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Arlene Harris
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<h2 id="early-years">Early years</h2> <p>Harris was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was educated primarily in England.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> During the first three years of Harris's life, she was unable to hear.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> At age 5, she was entertaining her family with comedy sketches. When she was older, she "branched out into the art of impersonating."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="vaudeville">Vaudeville</h2> <p>Harris toured in vaudeville as Arlene Francis in the 1920s.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> She had to retire after being injured in an automobile accident, but the <a href="/facts/Great_Depression_in_the_United_States/WhukPD96">Great Depression in the United States</a> caused her to return to entertaining—this time in radio.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="radio">Radio</h2> <p>Before her career in film, Harris was well known as a comic actress on the radio program, <i>The Chatterbox</i>. </p><p>She first appeared on radio on <a href="/facts/KFWB/KzK36W2V">KFWB</a> in Hollywood, California.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> She was a regular on <i>Al Pearce and His Gang</i>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> where she was known as "The Human Chatterbox" in monologues that involved telephone conversations with an unheard friend.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> A <a href="/facts/CBS/BhMsVoej">CBS</a> statistician once calculated that she averaged four words per second during one of her rapid-fire monologues.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> She also co-starred with Pearce in <i>Here Comes Elmer</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p><p>Harris played Mummy Higgins on <i><a href="/facts/The_Baby_Snooks_Show/uju6WBUN">The Baby Snooks Show</a></i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> and was heard on <a href="/facts/Ina_Ray_Hutton/DIUDJ8jC">Ina Ray Hutton's</a> program<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> and <i>Fare for Ladies</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="television">Television</h2> <p>Harris played herself in an episode of <i><a href="/facts/The_Dick_Van_Dyke_Show/Nl2zRTkt">The Dick Van Dyke Show</a></i> in 1964,.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> She also appeared on <i>Panorama Pacific</i> and made guest appearances on several TV programs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="recognition">Recognition</h2> <p>Harris has a star at 6250 Hollywood Boulevard in the Radio section of the <a href="/facts/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame/vCQcm9yu">Hollywood Walk of Fame</a>. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="personal-life">Personal life</h2> <p>Harris was married to Dr. Harry G. Harris.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="death">Death</h2> <p>Harris died June 12, 1976, at the <a href="/facts/Motion_Picture_%2526_Television_Country_House_and_Hospital/jCVmSE5m">Motion Picture Country Home</a> in Woodland Hills, California.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> She is entombed in <a href="/facts/Chapel_of_the_Pines_Crematory/q7ljCTV7">Chapel of the Pines Crematory</a> at <a href="/facts/Los_Angeles%2c_California/pyXpYEX9">Los Angeles, California</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arlene Harris. <ul><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364441/">Arlene Harris</a> at <a href="/facts/IMDb_(identifier)/uWrqVYVy">IMDb</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Dache, Dorothy (February 16, 1937). "What About Arlene, the Chatterbox of 'Al Pearce's Gang'?". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. p. 23. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251162/harrisburg_telegraph/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251162/harrisburg_telegraph/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Nicoll, Bruce (February 28, 1937). "Behind the Mike". The Lincoln Star. Nebraska, Lincoln. p. 38. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251072/the_lincoln_star/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251072/the_lincoln_star/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Radio Riddle Answer". Washington Court House Record-Herald. Ohio, Washington Court House. January 19, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250813/washington_ch_recordherald/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250813/washington_ch_recordherald/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 15. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Arlene Harris Tribute Sunday; Willson In Anaheim Friday". Santa Ana Register. California, Santa Ana. June 17, 1976. p. 28. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Nicoll, Bruce (February 28, 1937). "Behind the Mike". The Lincoln Star. Nebraska, Lincoln. p. 38. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251072/the_lincoln_star/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251072/the_lincoln_star/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Here Comes Elmer". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. December 23, 1944. p. 23. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251123/harrisburg_telegraph/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251123/harrisburg_telegraph/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 121. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Arlene Harris Tribute Sunday; Willson In Anaheim Friday". Santa Ana Register. California, Santa Ana. June 17, 1976. p. 28. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"Arlene Harris to Present 'Talk of the Town' for Club". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. April 6, 1969. p. 39. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250729/the_san_bernardino_county_sun/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250729/the_san_bernardino_county_sun/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>"(TV listing)". Independent Press-Telegram. California, Long Beach. March 29, 1964. p. 118. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251007/independent_presstelegram/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5251007/independent_presstelegram/</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>The Return of Edwin Carp Archived 2012-04-10 at the Wayback Machine - Season 3 : Ep. 27 of the Dick Van Dyke Show <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/114065/the-dick-van-dyke-show-the-return-of-edwin-carp#x-0,vepisode,1,0" target="_blank">http://www.hulu.com/watch/114065/the-dick-van-dyke-show-the-return-of-edwin-carp#x-0,vepisode,1,0</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>"Woman's Club Monday Meeting Time Advanced". Redlands Daily Facts. California, Redlands. November 18, 1961. p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250975/redlands_daily_facts/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250975/redlands_daily_facts/</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"Arlene Harris". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved May 13, 2016. <a href="http://www.walkoffame.com/arlene-harris" target="_blank">http://www.walkoffame.com/arlene-harris</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"Radio Riddle Answer". Washington Court House Record-Herald. Ohio, Washington Court House. January 19, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250813/washington_ch_recordherald/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250813/washington_ch_recordherald/</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>"Arlene Harris Tribute Sunday; Willson In Anaheim Friday". Santa Ana Register. California, Santa Ana. June 17, 1976. p. 28. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5250608/santa_ana_register/</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition. <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>