Harry Rosenthal (15 May c. 1893 – 10 May 1953) was an orchestra leader, composer, pianist and actor.
Biography
Rosenthal was born in Belfast in 1893, and by the 1920s he was in London where he had a thriving musical career as a composer, bandleader and pianist, including composing five operettas which met with great success. He came to the United States by 1929, when he wrote songs for Herbert Stothart's musical Polly on Broadway, and in 1930 acted in Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman's play June Moon, which was revived in 1933. After he met Edward, the Prince of Wales at a reception, he accompanied the heir to the British throne on a world tour.
Rosenthal's film career began in 1931 and ended in 1948, during which time he worked on 19 films, playing pianists, orchestra leaders and also non-musical roles, as well as composing music (for The Sin of Harold Diddlebock) and conducting (on For Me and My Gal). In the early 1940s, Rosenthal was part of writer-director Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in all of Sturges' films from The Great McGinty (1940) through The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947) with the exception of Hail the Conquering Hero.Rosenthal appeared in The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, The Great Moment, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Both in New York and in Hollywood, Rosenthal was often mentioned in gossip columns, surprisingly so, given the small size of the parts he played. His death in 1953, from a heart attack, was similarly noted.IMDB Bio
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1931 Merely Mary Ann 1939 Tail Spin Harrison, Cafe Manager Uncredited1939 Wife, Husband and Friend Bill Wilkins 1940 Johnny Apollo Piano Player performed two songs1940 The Great McGinty Louie - The Boss' Bodyguard 1940 Christmas in July Harry 1941 The Lady Eve Piano Tuner Uncredited1941 Unfinished Business Piano Player 1941 Birth of the Blues Piano Player 1941 Sullivan's Travels The Trombenick 1942 The Palm Beach Story Orchestra Leader 1942 For Me and My Gal Orchestra Conductor & Arranger Uncredited, also music conductor1943 Presenting Lily Mars Pianist Uncredited1944 The Miracle of Morgan's Creek 1944 The Great Moment Mr. Chamberlain Uncredited1945 The Horn Blows at Midnight Sherman Starr Uncredited1947 The Sin of Harold Diddlebock Reveler Uncredited, also composer1948 The Big Clock Charlie 1949 Red, Hot and Blue Piano Player Uncredited, (final film role)
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