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J. Harold Murray (born Harry Rulten, February 17, 1891 – December 11, 1940)
was an American
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
singer and actor. For more than a decade, during the
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...
and the
Depression Thirties, he contributed to the development of
musical theater
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
by bridging
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
,
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
and the modern American musical. The most popular American songs he introduced on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
included
"Autumn in New York" (1934, ''
Thumbs Up!'', words and music by
Vernon Duke
Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for "Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can't ...
); "
Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee "Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee" is a song by Irving Berlin appearing in the musical comedy '' Face the Music'', which opened in 1932. On opening night it was sung by J. Harold Murray and Katherine Carrington. The song, set in a self-service resta ...
" and "Soft Lights and Sweet Music" (1932, ''
Face the Music'',
Moss Hart
Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director.
Early years
Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...
and
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russi ...
); "Rio Rita", "The Kinkajou" and "The Rangers Song" (1927, ''
Rio Rita'',
Harry Tierney
Harry Austin Tierney (May 21, 1890 – March 22, 1965) was an American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as ''Irene'' (1919), Broadway's longest-running show of the era (620 performances), ''Kid Boots'' (1923) and'' ...
and
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
); and "Mandalay" (1921, ''
The Whirl of New York
''The Whirl of New York'' is a Broadway musical that premiered at Winter Garden Theatre on June 13, 1921. It was an expanded and substantially re-worked version of '' The Belle of New York'' (1897, music by Gustave Kerker with book and lyrics by ...
'',
Gustave Kerker
Gustave Adolph Kerker (February 28, 1857 – June 29, 1923) was a German-born composer and conductor who spent most of his life in the US. He became a musical director for Broadway theatre productions and wrote the music for a series of operettas ...
,
Hugh Morton and
Edgar Smith).
Early years
Born in
South Berwick, Maine
South Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,467 at the 2020 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791.
The town was s ...
,
on February 17, 1891,
"Hal" Murray served in the
Merchant Marine during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. As a boy, he studied voice in Boston and sang in theaters and in churches. He moved to New York and worked for a music publishing company for two years.
Career
Murray began performing in vaudeville in 1918 and continued there for two years.
He made his debut on the musical theatre stage as J. Harold Murray in out-of-town productions of
Arthur Hammerstein
Arthur Hammerstein (December 21, 1872 – October 12, 1955) was an American songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager.
Biography
Born and educated to a Jewish family in New York City, Hammerstein was the son of the theater impresari ...
's ''Always You'' and
Frank Tinney
Frank Aloysius Robert Tinney (March 29, 1878 – November 28, 1940) was an American blackface comedian and actor.
Tinney achieved considerable success in vaudeville and on Broadway in the early 20th century. Comedian Joe Cook considered Tinney ...
's ''Sometime'', both in 1920.
He debuted on Broadway at the age of 30 in
J.J. Shubert
Jacob J. Shubert (c. 1879 – December 26, 1963) was an American theatre owner/operator and producer and a member of the famous theatrical Shubert family.
Biography
Born in Vladislavov, in the Suwałki Governorate of Congress Poland, a part o ...
's ''
The Passing Show of 1921
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. During the rest of the decade, he starred in 10 musicals, and separately co-starred with
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...
(''
Make It Snappy
''Make It Snappy'' was a musical revue that ran for 96 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in the 1922–23 Broadway season. It ran from 13 April to 1 July 1922.
It starred Eddie Cantor, who introduced the hit songs "Yes! We Have No Bananas" ...
'', 1922),
Fred Allen
John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
(''
Vogues of 1924
The Vogues are an American vocal rock and roll group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original lineup consisted of Bill Burkette (lead baritone), Don Miller (baritone), Hugh Geyer (first tenor), and Chuck Blasko (seco ...
'') and
Joe E. Brown
Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...
(''
Captain Jinks
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
'', 1925). Other shows were ''
The Midnight Rounders of 1921'', ''The Whirl of New York'' (1921), ''
Springtime of Youth
Springtime may refer to:
* Spring (season), one of the four temperate seasons
Film and television
* ''Springtime'' (1920 film), an American silent comedy starring Oliver Hardy
* ''Springtime'' (1929 film), a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated Disney ...
'' (1922), ''Caroline'' (1923), ''
China Rose'' (1925) with Olga Steck, and ''
Castles in the Air'' (1926) with
Vivienne Segal
Vivienne Sonia Segal (April 19, 1897 – December 29, 1992) was an American actress and singer.
Early years
Segal was born on April 19, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the elder daughter of Jewish parents Bernhard Segal, a physician, ...
. In February 1927, he starred in ''Rio Rita'', a
Flo Ziegfeld
Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also ...
production. It was so successful after it opened the Ziegfeld Theatre that the musical ''Show Boat'', which had been scheduled to open in April, was delayed until the end of the year.
In Hollywood from 1929 to 1930 in the pre-Code years, Murray appeared in the
William Fox Studio musicals ''
Cameo Kirby'' with
Norma Terris Norma may refer to:
* Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Astronomy
*Norma (constellation)
* 555 Norma, a minor asteroid
*Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy
Geography
*Norma, Lazi ...
, ''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'', ''
Married In Hollywood
''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas.
Plot
A show ...
'' with
Norma Terris Norma may refer to:
* Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Astronomy
*Norma (constellation)
* 555 Norma, a minor asteroid
*Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy
Geography
*Norma, Lazi ...
, ''
Women Everywhere
''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
The film's s ...
'' (1930) with
Fifi D'Orsay
Fifi D'Orsay (born Marie-Rose Angelina Yvonne Lussier; April 16, 1904 – December 2, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress and singer.
Early life
Fifi D'Orsay was born Yvonne Lussier in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to a father who was a postal cl ...
, and ''
Under Suspicion''.
Returning to New York City, Murray starred in the
Moss Hart
Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director.
Early years
Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...
-
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russi ...
musical ''
Face the Music'',
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...
's ''East Wind'', ''Thumbs Up'', and ''Venus in Silk''. The last was a Laurence Schwab operetta that closed out-of-town (Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.) before reaching Broadway.
Murray retired from the Broadway stage in 1935. He sang on a Hartford, Connecticut radio show weekly for three years. He also was active in business, and summer stock (''The Only Girl'', 1938; ''Knickerbocker Holiday'', 1939, at The Player's Theatre,
Clinton, Connecticut
Clinton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population of the town was 13,185 at the 2020 census. The town center along the shore line was listed as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 c ...
). He performed in several musical film shorts for
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
(''Nite in a Night Club'', 1934; ''The Singing Bandit'', 1937; ''Somewhere in Paris'', 1938; ''Wild and Bully'', 1939),
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
(''Phony Boy'', 1937; ''Under a Gypsy Moon'', 1938) and
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...
(''Who Was That Girl'', 1934; ''The Flame Song'', 1934).
Modern theater musicals emerged from vaudeville and operettas, and J. Harold Murray played an important role in their early development. His acting and strong baritone performances of songs such as "Rio Rita", "The Ranger’s Song", "Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee", "Soft Lights and Sweet Music", and "New York in Autumn" were notable then. His introducing them on the Broadway stage contributed to their withstanding the test of time into the 21st century.
Later years
After Murray left show business, he became part owner of New England Brewery in Hartford, Connecticut, and commuted daily from his 200-acre farm to work at the brewery. He was defeated in a 1938 election when he ran for a seat in the Connecticut State Senate.
Personal life and death
Murray was married to the former Dolly Hackett. He had one son, William Joseph Rulten Murray, from a previous marriage.
[Boston Globe, July 30, 1925]
J. Harold Murray developed
nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy.
Types
* Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of th ...
in the spring of 1940. He died of the disease on December 11 at the age of 49.
Selected filmography
* ''
Married in Hollywood
''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas.
Plot
A show ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Women Everywhere
''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
The film's s ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Under Suspicion'' (1930)
* ''
Cameo Kirby'' (1930)
References
*Bloom, K (1985). ''American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion'', Facts on File Publications, Vol. 1.
*Bordman, G (1978). ''American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle'', Oxford University Press.
*Ewen, D (1966). ''American Popular Songs: From the Revolutionary War to the Present'', Random House.
*Green, S (1976). ''Encyclopaedia of the Musical Theatre'', Dodd, Mead & Company.
*Norton, R (2002). ''A Chronology of American Musical Theatre'', Oxford University Press, Vol. 2, 1912–1952.
*''
The New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'', Feb. 9, 1939 ''The Brewers' Big Horses Can't Run Over An Actor Who Sings Between Barrels''.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, J. Harold
American male musical theatre actors
American male film actors
American baritones
People from South Berwick, Maine
1891 births
1940 deaths
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Maine
20th Century Studios contract players
RKO Pictures contract players
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers
Vaudeville performers
Deaths from nephritis