Early in his Broadway career, Paul Harris secured roles in the National tour of Showboat, and a world tour of Porgy and Bess. So it's no surprise that the first film role he played was the leading one in the Othello inspired drama, All Night Long, from 1962.
Set in jazz clubs, Harris plays piano man, Aurelius Rex, who, like Othello, is lead to believe his beautiful wife is cheating on him. With the exception of a more hopeful ending, All Night Long follows the main storyline of the popular Shakespeare tale. And just like the play, it's the lead role that captures the heart of the piece. And Paul Harris does so with quiet intensity, proving that subtlety is often the right choice.
One would have thought that after such a powerful introduction in the film world, other equally memorable parts would follow. And although Paul Harris is unforgettable in every role he played, most of his following characters were supporting or smaller. His only other leading role came in the 1974 little seen crime drama, Jive Turkey, where he gives another riveting performance, this time playing racketeer, Pasha, trying to stay one step ahead of both the police, and the mob.
Perhaps his most watched film is one in which he had a supporting role, that of Gator, the pimp in the Issac Hayes action thriller, Truck Turner. And even though lovers of Black cinema from the 1970's may be familiar with that movie, most people have probably never heard of Paul Harris. This is a cinematic shame, for his work is proof he had the talent and natural presence to go far in the world of film and television.
Although not a name one thinks of when naming great actors, Paul Harris was one. And if you are lucky enough to stumble upon one of the many obscure films he was a part of, you will most likely agree that he was Not Very Famous...but should be.
The first time I saw Paul Harris was when he played the Blind Man in the classic 1973 Blaxploitation movie “The Mack.” I saw him about a year ago on TCM in “All Night Long. All I could think of was that a movie like that would never have been made in the United States in 1962. After seeing that film I, too, couldn’t understand why he never became a star. I Googled Mr. Harris but there was very little info on him, practically nothing. My guess would have been that in the late fifties and early sixties there was only room enough for one, possibly two: Poitier and Belafonte. Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteYes, so many talented Black actors from the Sidney Poitier era, like Ivan Dixon and Paul Harris (just to name a few) never were really given the right opportunities. And that is obvious to anyone who discovers their work.
DeleteLove this site.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I don't post as much as I used to, but I will always be adding more wonderful names to the list.
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