Harry Barris (1905-62) was a singer, songwriter and occasional actor, most of whose film appearances were as pianists or singers.
Barris became a professional piano player aged 14, In 1927, while working for Paul Whiteman, he teamed up with Bing Crosby and Al Rinker to form the Rhythm Boys. After they split up in 1931, he became one of the Three Ambassadors with Gus Arnheim.
The Rhythm Boys featured in King of Jazz (1930), making this Barris’s first screen appearance. He went on to perform in well over forty feature films and a number of shorts. He played a pianist in James Whale’s Show Boat (1936) and an orchestra leader in Holiday Inn (1942), reuniting him with Crosby. He had a comedy role in The Fleet’s In (1942), and also appeared in The Lost Weekend (1945) and The Blue Dahlia (1946).
Of the many songs composed by Barris, the best-known is probably ‘Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams’, written in 1931.
Barris was in three MGM musicals: Hollywood Party, Anchors Aweigh and Three Little Words.
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