Harry Reed

Harry Reed was an African American comedian, acrobat, and performer who built a career in American show business spanning from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth century.

Reed entered the entertainment industry in 1892, beginning his career alongside his father, Cicero Reed, in a production called Silence and Fun. He subsequently became a member of a comedy team known as McCarver, Reed and McCarver, formed with Howard McCarver, which headlined the Honolulu Coon Company show. From there, Reed joined the Smart Set Company before partnering with John Christian under the billing Christian and Reed. That pairing incorporated a skating act into their performances and worked alongside Archer's Filipino Girls.

Reed was also an acrobat, and his range of performance skills extended to singing. Among the songs associated with him was "In the Right Church but the Wrong Pew." He appeared in Cooney Dreamland in 1904 and was part of the ensemble known as the Majestic Trio. His association with Lawrence and Ella Deas led to the formation of the act billed as Deas, Reed, Deas, an expansion of the earlier Deas and Deas pairing.

Reed's Broadway career included a role in The Oyster Man in 1907, produced by Ernest Hogan's Oyster Man Company. In that production, Reed succeeded George Ali in the role of Useless, the Dog. He also appeared in the 1909 film Harry Reed.