Sam Ash (actor)
Sam Ash | |
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.jpg) Ash in 1918 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Howard Ash |
| Born | August 28, 1884 Campbell County, Kentucky, US |
| Died | October 20, 1951 (aged 67) Hollywood, California |
| Genres | Vaudeville, musical theatre, films |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1914–1951 |
| Labels | Columbia, Emerson, OKeh, Grey Gull, Gennett |
Samuel Howard Ash (August 28, 1884 – October 20, 1951) was an American vaudeville performer, singer, and movie actor who appeared in minor roles in over 200 films, including It's a Wonderful Life.
Biography
He was born in Campbell County, Kentucky,[1] of English-born parents who had immigrated to the US. By 1900 he was living with his parents and siblings in Cincinnati, Ohio,[2] and in 1910 lived in Chicago.[3] He was unrelated to Sam Ash, born Samuel Ashkynase (1897–1956), founder of the eponymous musical instrument store, despite some erroneous claims[4] that they were one and the same person.
He first recorded as a tenor singer for Columbia Records in 1914,[5] credited as Samuel Ash, and the following year found success in a duet with Elida Morris, "Hello Frisco!" from the Broadway musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1915.[6] In December 1915 he appeared on the Broadway stage, in a leading role in Rudolf Friml's operetta Katinka, which ran for over 200 performances.[7] He recorded regularly for Columbia over the next few years.[5] In 1915 he made one of his most commercially successful recordings, "America, I Love You",[6] and in 1917 he recorded "Cleopatra Had a Jazz Band".[4] His regular appearances in Broadway revues included Doing Our Bit (1917), Monte Cristo Jr. (1919), and Oh, What A Girl! (1919) among others.[8] In the 1920s he continued to record for Columbia as well as for a number of other record labels, including Little Wonder, Gennett, Grey Gull, and OKeh.[1][6] He also continued to appear in Broadway musicals, including Some Party in 1922, The Passing Show of 1922, and Houseboat on the Styx in 1928.[8]
From 1929, he was based in Hollywood. He made his film debut that year, third on the bill as a suspect in the
He appeared in 205 movies between 1929 and 1953; his last two films were released posthumously.He died in Hollywood in 1951, at the age of 67, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Selected filmography
- Unmasked (1929)
- The Merry Widow (1934)
- Circus Shadows (1935)
- Anything Goes (1936)
- San Francisco (1936)
- Madame X (1937)
- Marie Antoinette (1938)
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) – Critic in Audience at Army Show
- Some Like It Hot (1939)
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
- Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
- The Secret Seven (1940)
- Citizen Kane (1941) – Man at Boat Dock (uncredited)
- The Male Animal (1942)
- Roxie Hart (1942)
- Mr. Skeffington (1944)
- Cover Girl (1944)
- George White's Scandals (1945)
- The Stork Club(1945)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946) – Nervous Banker (uncredited)
- Gilda (1946)
- The Killers (1946)
- All the King's Men (1949)
- Samson and Delilah (1949)
References
- ^ a b c d Biography by Eugene Chadbourne at Allmusic.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013
- ^ 1900 United States Federal Census for Samuel Ash. Retrieved June 5, 2013
- ^ 1910 United States Federal Census for Samuel H Ash. Retrieved June 5, 2013
- ^ a b Scott Alexander, The First Jazz Records. Retrieved June 5, 2013
- ^ a b Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 19, 2015
- ^ ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ a b c Biography by Hans J, Wollstein at Movies.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013
- ^ a b Sam Ash at Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved June 5, 2013
External links
- Sam Ash at IMDb
- Sam Ash at the Internet Broadway Database
- Samuel Ash recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
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