Lawson Harris

{{short description|American actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Lawson Harris | image = Lawson Harris in 1948.jpg | image_size = | caption = Lawson Harris in 1948 | birth_name = William Lawson Harris | birth_date = June 30, 1897 | birth_place = Vanderburgh County, Indiana, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1948|3|31|1897|6|30}} | death_place = {{nowrap|Los Angeles County, California, U.S.}} | resting_place = Los Angeles National Cemetery | occupation = Director, actor, producer, writer | years_active = 1922–1926 | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Yvonne Pavis|1924|1925|end=div}} * {{marriage|Dolores Johnson|1925|1931|end=div}} }} | children = John Derek }}

'''William Lawson Harris'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3715234|title = William Lawson Harris (1897-1948) - Find a Grave}}</ref> (June 30, 1897 – March 31, 1948) was an American director, actor, producer, and writer who made a number of films in Australia. He came to Australia originally at the behest of Arthur Shirley to work as production manager on ''The Throwback'' (1920) and stayed out there for a number of years.<ref>{{Citation | title=Everyones | date=1920 | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-552028418 | access-date=4 June 2018 }}</ref> Harris was the father of actor and director John Derek.<ref>{{Citation | title=Everyones | date=1920 | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-552028395 | access-date=20 April 2019 }}</ref>

== Biography == Harris was born on June 30, 1897, in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, the son of William James Harris (1874–1908) and Elizabeth Bettie Hawley (1877–?).

He moved to Australia in 1920 with Arthur Shirley and set up an acting school.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234272909 |title=Wanted Picture Pupils |newspaper=Smith's Weekly |volume=III |issue=10 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=30 April 1921 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1921, he announced he would make a film about the arrival of the Jews to Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66649319 |title=MEN AND WOMEN |newspaper=The Advocate (Australia) |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=1 June 1921 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Instead he made ''Circumstance'' (1922)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223951643 |title=AT THE APOLLO THEATRE |newspaper=The Sun |issue=1001 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 June 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref> for Austral Super Films, a company he had established with Cecil Hargraves.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245725860 |title=PICTURE THEATRES. |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |issue=13,499 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 August 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=Everyones | date=1920 | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-541944476 | access-date=18 June 2018 }}</ref> They launched a second film almost immediately.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128205239 |title=Presentation to Jack Munro. |newspaper=The Sunday Times |issue=1899 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 June 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In August 1922, Lawson was sued by Arthur Shirley who claimed Harris used threatening language against him. The case was dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118853209 |title=NATURE'S WEAPONS |newspaper=Evening News |issue=17221 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=28 August 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221515811 |title=PERSONAL SATISFACTION |newspaper=The Sun |issue=3689 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=28 August 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=3 (FINAL EXTRA) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198978040 |title=Menacing Missive. |newspaper=Truth |issue=1,175 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=10 September 1922 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=Everyones | date=1920 | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-541945595 | access-date=18 June 2018 }}</ref>

In January 1923, he announced his next film would be ''Yellow''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234284183 |title=MUSICAL TREAT |newspaper=Smith's Weekly |volume=IV |issue=48 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 January 1923 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It was not made. Instead Lawson returned to the U.S.<ref>{{Citation | title=Everyones | date=1920 | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-552028418 | access-date=18 June 2018 }}</ref>

In 1924, he married actress Yvonne Pavis. They divorced in 1925, and in the same year, he married actress Dolores Johnson (1903–1957), with whom he had a son, Derek Delevan Harris, who became an actor and director under the name John Derek.

In 1931, he and Johnson divorced and he abandoned his son, but eventually reentered his life.<ref>Sean and John Derek: He's no star as a father Lavin, Cheryl. Chicago Tribune 24 Oct 1982: i1.</ref>

== Death == Harris died on March 31, 1948, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California at the age of 50. He was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery.

==Filmography== *''The Throwback'' (1920) (abandoned) - production manager *''Circumstance'' (1922) - director, actor, producer, and writer *''A Daughter of Australia'' (1922) - director, actor, and producer *''Sunshine Sally'' (1922) - director *''Law or Loyalty'' (1926) - director and actor *''My Neighbour's Wife'' (1924)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40595400 |title=Tropical Theatre, Tuesday. |newspaper=Cairns Post |volume=72 |issue=8014 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=27 September 1927 |access-date=18 June 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|1241444}} * [http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=no;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Person%3A%22%2FPerson%2Fkey%2F15864-1%22;querytype=;resCount=10 Lawson Harris] at National Film and Sound Archive {{Lawson Harris}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Lawson}} Category:Film directors from Indiana Category:1897 births Category:1948 deaths Category:Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery Category:American male film actors Category:20th-century American male actors