Otis Harlan

Otis Harlan
Harlan circa 1892
Born	December 29, 1865 Zanesville, Ohio, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1940 (aged 74) Martinsville, Indiana, U.S.
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Green Lawn Cemetery Columbus, Ohio
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1906–1940
Spouse(s)	Nellie Harvey
Children	Marion Harlan
Relatives	Kenneth Harlan (nephew)

Otis Harlan (December 29, 1865 – January 21, 1940) was an American comedic actor.^[1]

Biography

Harlan was born in Zanesville, Ohio in 1865.^[1] He married Nellie Harvey and had a daughter named Marion. Harlan was the uncle of the silent film era leading man, Kenneth Harlan.^[2]

Career

In 1906, he appeared in Victor Herbert's The Magic Knight. He was playing in vaudeville shows by 1911, appearing in Irving Berlin's ragtime musicals. Harlan also played the role of Cap'n Andy in the first, part-talkie film version of "Show Boat" (1929). He was also seen as the Master of Ceremonies in the sound prologue that accompanied the film. In 1935, Harlan played the role of Starveling in Max Reinhardt's 1935 film version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1937, Harlan provided the voice of "Happy" the dwarf in the Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,^[1] a resounding hit which became a film classic. In the same year he also appeared in the Our Gang short Roamin' Holiday. He also voiced Mr. Mole in Bambi.

Death

He died in Martinsville, Indiana of a stroke on January 21, 1940 at the age of 74. His interment is located in the Greenlawn Cemetery section of New South Park Cemetery in Martinsville, Indiana.

Partial filmography

• A Stranger in New York^[1] (1916)
• Two Kinds of Women (1922)
• Up and at 'Em (1922)
• The World's a Stage^[1] (1922)
• Truxton King (1923)
• Main Street (1923)
• The Brass Bottle (1923)
• The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924)
• Captain Blood^[1] (1924)
• The Dixie Handicap (1924)
• The Redeeming Sin (1925)
• Oh Doctor! (1925)
• How Baxter Butted In (1925)
• Where Was I? (1925)
• Lightnin'^[1] (1925)
• Dollar Down (1925)
• The Perfect Clown (1925)
• What Happened to Jones (1926)
• The Prince of Pilsen^[1] (1926)
• The Midnight Message (1926)
• 3 Bad Men (1926)
• The Whole Town's Talking (1926)
• The Cheerful Fraud (1927)
• Don't Tell the Wife (1927)
• The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg^[1] (1927)
• The Grip of the Yukon (1928)
• Show Boat (1929)
• Broadway (1929)
• The Mississippi Gambler^[1] (1929)
• Loose Ankles (1930)
• Dames Ahoy! (1930)
• The King of Jazz^[1] (1930)
• Man to Man (1930)
• Morals for Women (1931)
• The Big Shot (1931)
• Partners (1932)
• Ride Him, Cowboy^[1] (1932)
• Women Won't Tell (1932)
• That's My Boy (1932)
• The Telegraph Trail (1933)
• Mister Mugg (1933)
• Laughing at Life (1933)
• Hoop-La (1933)
• The Sin of Nora Moran (1933)
• Let's Talk It Over (1934)
• I Can't Escape (1934)
• King Kelly of the U.S.A. (1934)
• Life Returns (1935)
• The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1935)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream^[1] (1935)
• Can This Be Dixie? (1936)
• Roamin' Holiday (1937)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs^[1] (1937) as Happy (voice, uncredited)
• Mr. Boggs Steps Out^[1] (1938) as Abner Katz
• Outlaws of Sonora (1938) as Pool player
• Bambi (1942) as Mr. Mole (voice, uncredited)

References

1. Hischak, Thomas S. (2011), Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary, McFarland, p. 95, ISBN 078646271X.
2. Klepper, Robert K. (1999), Silent films, 1877-1996: a critical guide to 646 movies, McFarland, p. 95, ISBN 0786405953.

External links

• Otis Harlan at the Internet Movie Database
• Otis Harlan At Find A Grave