#racket squad

January 11, 1877

Sam Harris was born on January 11, 1877 in Sydney, Australia. From 1928 to 1966 he appeared in roughly 770 films and television episodes, nearly all in uncredited background appearances. If Bess Flowers is the Queen of the Extras, then Harris is the King!  

His film career started in 1928 with The Spirit of Gallipoli, a silent film made in his native Australia.  

Harris appeared with Lucille Ball in 14 films from 1934 to 1956:

Kid Millions (1934)

Old Man Rhythm (1935)

Having Wonderful Time (1938)

Annabel Takes a Tour (1938)

Dance Girl Dance (1940)

The Big Street (1942)

Thousands Cheer (1943)

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945)

The Dark Corner (1946)

Lured (1947)

Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)

Fancy Pants (1950)

Ellis in Freedomland (1952)

Forever Darling (1956)

His first television appearance was on an episode of “Racket Squad” on February 28, 1952. 

As a background performer, he was often seen at parties and society functions, wearing a suit or tuxedo. He sometimes sat with his back to the camera or was in the distant background. 

On “I Love Lucy” Harris was in the audience for “Over the Teacups” in “Ethel’s Birthday” (ILL S4;E8). 

He played a subway passenger in “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (ILL S6;E12). 

He was quickly glimpsed in a Paris café in “Lucy Meets Charles Boyer” (ILL S5;E19) first aired on March 5, 1956. 

He was in the airport when “The Ricardos Go to Japan” (LDCH S3;E2) first aired on November 27, 1959.

Sam Harris appeared on six episodes of “The Lucy Show,” starting with “Lucy is Kangaroo for a Day” (TLS S1;7) on November 12, 1962. Harris was one of the diners at the sophisticated Cavalier Restaurant. 

“Lucy Enters a Baking Contest” (TLS S2;E28) on April 27, 1964 as a member of the Danfield Bank Board of Directors (above right).

Harris was a courtroom spectator when “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (TLS S2;E23) on March 9, 1964.  

Harris is on the board of directors (chaired by Gale Gordon) of Consolidated Pictures in the Lucille Ball / Bob Hope TV special “Mr. & Mrs.” aired on April 19, 1964 on CBS. 

Harris was at the country club formal dance when Lucy rolls in during “Lucy and the Good Skate” (TLS S3;E1) on September 21, 1964.

He was at the Embassy Ball (above left) in “My Fair Lucy” (TLS S3;E20) on February 8, 1965.

His final appearance with Lucille Ball is as a casino patron when “Lucy Goes To Vegas” (TLS S3;E17) on January 18, 1965. 

For Desilu or at Desilu Studios he appeared on “Our Miss Brooks” (1956), “The Adventures of Jim Bowie” (1957), “The Real McCoys” (1959), “The Ann Sothern Show” (1959), “The Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” (1960), “The Untouchables” (1960-61), “The Andy Griffith Show” (1961), and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1962-63). 

His final screen appearance was in the Disney film The Ugly Dachshund, released on February 16, 1966.  The cast included “Lucy” veterans Charles Lane, Bobby Jellison, Parley Baer, Dorothy Konrad, and Leoda Richards.  

August 9, 1952

On August 9, 1952 Lucy and Desi were featured on the cover of TV Digest, a competitor of TV Guide as part of their inside story “Visiting The Stars on Vacation”.  The Digest was eventually absorbed by TV Guide when it went national in March 1953. 

The Atlanta edition of TV Digest used this same cover image two weeks later, on August 23, 1952. The back cover is a full page ad for Atlanta’s Pat Murphey, an appliance business. Coming on the heels of the July presidential conventions, Murphey is pitching renting or buying a DuMont TV in preparation for the November election between GOP incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) and the Democrat challenger Adlai Stevenson. 

The three bathing beauties also gracing the cover are not identified. This is a composite photo and the Arnazs’ and the three women were not photographed together. 

Both magazines feature this Jerry Doyle cartoon “How TV Stars Take Vacations”.  

Lucille Ball is depicted with knitting needles and a stork with a doctors’ bag nearby, anticipating the birth of her baby in January 1953. 

Abe Burrows was a Broadway and radio author who spent the summer furiously writing (hence the sweat) and appearing on the TV panel show “The Name’s The Same”. 

Bob Hope and Sid Caesar, two of radio and TV’s most prolific comic actors, spent the summer of 1952 playing golf. 

Bert Parks is probably best remembered as the emcee of the Miss America Pageant. During 1952, Parks had several TV shows ending in the spring and beginning in the fall. He spent his summer boating. 

Red Skelton later talked about his summer vacation in the mountains and the beach on the September 28 episode of “The Red Skelton Show”. On the October 5 episode he talked about an earthquake that summer. On July 16, 1952, Central California was rocked by a 7.5 earthquake with 12 casualties. Skelton was hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment in the summer of 1952, explaining his depiction carrying a large bottle of prescription medication. 

Sam Levenson was a panelist on the CBS series “This Is Show Business” along with playwright George S. Kaufman and Abe Burrows. On the same date this issue of TV Digest was published (August 9, 1952) Levenson was featured on the cover of their rival TV Forecast. Levenson spent the summer being a new father. 

Perry Como was joining other recording artists of the time by transitioning to television. The summer of 1952 looks to have been spent on outdoor activities like fishing. 

Jimmy Durante was a vaudeville comic and film star who, during 1952, hosted “All Star Revue”. On July 28, 1952, Durante was featured on the cover of TV Forecast, a rival publication of TV Digest. 

Donald O’Connor was a song and dance man who had two films in release during the summer of 1952: Singin’ in the Rain and Francis Goes To West Point. 

Of the above celebrities, only Sam Levenson and Abe Burrows (both basically writers) never appeared on television with Lucille Ball. 

Other articles, ads, and features in this edition of TV Digest: 

Bob Hope Exhibition Golf Tour with Jimmy Demaret ~ Both Hope and Demaret appeared on “I Love Lucy” as themselves. Golf was a favorite pastime of Desi Arnaz. 

Perry Como & Ed Sullivan ~ Lucy and Desi made several appearances on “Toast of the Town” aka “The Ed Sullivan Show” starting in 1954. Como appeared on the show in 1950 and 1956. 

Sid Caesar’s Family ~ Caesar married Florence Levy in 1943 and they had three children together.  Caesar guest-starred on “The Lucy Show” in 1968. 

Arthur Godfrey (below left) ~ Hosted the lead-in program to “I Love Lucy” in 1951. He guest-starred on “The Lucy Show” in 1965. He was also an aviator. 

“Guiding Light” (above right) ~ The soap opera began airing on CBS on June 30, 1952. It was canceled in 2009. In 1977, CBS stopped network reruns of Lucille Ball sitcoms in order to allow “Guiding Light” to expand to a full hour. 

Guy Madison & Andy Devine (below left) ~ played Wild Bill Hickok and Pete ‘Jingles’ Jones in the TV series “The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok” (1951-58) on CBS.

“Racket Squad” (above right) ~ was a CBS crime drama from 1950 to 1953 originally sponsored by Philip Morris, just like “I Love Lucy.” 

Robert Montgomery & Angela Lansbury (below left) ~ were then collaborating on a second installment of his NBC show “Robert Montgomery Presents” (1950-58) which aired in 1953.  They first collaborated in 1950. Lucille Ball later played the role Lansbury made famous on stage in the musical Mame.  

The Dave Garroway Story (above right) ~ Dave Garroway was then the host of the new NBC morning program “Today”. In 1952 he also hosted the first five episodes of “All Star Summer Revue” until it was taken over by Jan Murray on August 2. He interviewed Lucille Ball on his short-lived series “Garroway” in 1970. 

Lucille Ball was also seen on the cover of TV Digest in October 1951 (her first on such a guide), May 1952, October 1952, November 1952, and December 1952. 

From the Golden Age of Television

Season 2 Episode 11

Racket Squad - The Salted Mine - CBS - November 15, 1951

Crime Drama

Running Time: 30 minutes

Written by Giovanni Bello

Produced by Hal Roach Jr. and Carroll Case

Directed by George Blair

Stars:

Reed Hadley as Captain John Braddock

Percy Helton as Dad Miller

Richard Travis as Evan Davis

Wade Crosby as Sam Kelsey

Bill Kennedy* as Sawyer

Robert Bray as Jeff Retter (billed as Bob Bray)

George Duchin as McGuire