Harry Harris- TV Director

[Tracey]

I just recently found out today on my lunch time by reading newspaper and noticed that Harry Harris had passed away last Thursday at age of 86.

Here is the article of Harry Harris (LA Times Newspaper) dated 03/24/09

Harry Harris

Emmy-winning TV director

Harry Harris, 86, who had a five-decade career directing TV series and made-for-TV movies and won an Emmy Award for directing an episode of "Fame" in 1982, died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, his family said. He had myelodysplasia, a blood disorder.

After working as a film editor for the Desilu television studio in the late 1950s, Harris got his chance to direct in 1960 on the Steve McQueen western TV series, "Wanted: Dead or Alive."

He went on to direct hundreds of episodes of TV series in the next 47 years, including dozens of installments of "Gunsmoke," "Land of the Giants," "Eight Is Enough," "The Waltons," "Falcon Crest," "In the Heat of the Night" and "7th Heaven." His extensive TV directing credits include "Rawhide," "Daniel Boone," "Branded," "Lost in Space," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," "Magnum, P.I." and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

He also directed several made-for-TV movies, including "Waltons" and "Eight Is Enough" reunion programs and TV movie versions of "Swiss Family Robinson" (1975) and "Alice in Wonderland" (1988).

Harris was born Sept. 8, 1922, in Kansas City, Mo., and moved to Los Angeles in 1937. He attended UCLA before landing a job at Columbia Pictures, where he became an assistant film editor.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces during World War II and served with the First Motion Picture Unit at the old Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, working as a sound effects editor on newsreels and training films.

In addition to his Emmy for "Fame," Harris was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for directing a 1983 "ABC Afterschool Special" called "Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents?" starring Jennifer Jason Leigh.

He also earned Emmy and Directors Guild of America nominations for directing a 1973 episode of "The Waltons."


-- Times Staff and Wire Reports [e-mail]

[ncwaltonsfan]

Sending prayers,condolences,and thoughts to the family.

R.I.P. Harry Harris. Thank you for all your excellent work.

[kazk]

Thanks for sharing this. He was one of my favourite Waltons directors. He did many 7th Heaven episodes over the years too. He must have worked for a very long time.

RIP Harry Harris Thank you for your wonderful work.

[dagmargermany]

I am sorry to hear about the death of Harry Harris. Every time I read his name I thought about the Waltons, because he was my favourite Waltons director.

Thank you for your wonderful work Mr. Harris.

Dagmar

[TomV]

Harry Harris had the distinction of directing episodes in all 9 seasons of the series, plus two of the reunion movies.
No other director had such longevity with The Waltons.

[Ryan James]

Oh no! I'm sad to hear that. Didn't he attend the Waltons reunion in 2007?

RYAN J.

[kazk]

You're thinking of my other favorite Waltons director, John McGreevey. He was at the reunion Ryan. Such a lovely, gracious man he is too.

[Honeybee]

RIP Harry Harris

My prayers & thoughts, are with his family.

[dwhill7478]

As I have stated on this forum previously, I feel the episodes of The Waltons directed by Harry Harris were probably the best of the whole series, and that's saying a lot. His work ran the length of the series. I think it is also worth noting that Mr. Harris was chosen to direct the final episode in Season 9, a fitting tribute to a great director. His work seems to cover most of the classic TV series I own on DVD. Thank you, Mr. Harris, for your considerable part in molding the greatest drama in television history. I offer my sincere condolences to the Harris family.