Harry Bannister

Harry Bannister (September 29, 1889 – February 26, 1961) was an American actor, theater producer, and director who worked across stage, film, and television. Born in Holland, Michigan, he began his career in both film and on Broadway during the 1920s and remained active on Broadway through 1954.

Bannister married actress Ann Harding in 1926. The two worked together in Pittsburgh theatre, performing with the Sharp Company and subsequently co-founding the Nixon Players. Their professional collaboration extended to film, with Bannister appearing alongside Harding in Her Private Affair (1929) and The Girl of the Golden West (1930). The marriage ended in divorce in 1932.

As a producer, Bannister founded the American Music Hall Theatre Group in New York City. The organization's inaugural production was a melodrama titled The Drunkard, which ran for 277 performances. His Broadway credits as a performer span several decades and include The Bat, Strip for Action, the musical Polonaise, Forward the Heart, and Affairs of State. In Affairs of State he starred opposite Celeste Holm. He also appeared on Broadway in Love Me Long alongside Shirley Booth.

Bannister's work extended to television, where he played one of the fathers in the 1953 television series Life with Father, based on the Russel Crouse production. He died in Manhattan, New York City, on February 26, 1961, at the age of 71.