Sam Ash (actor)
| Sam Ash | |
|---|---|
Ash in 1918
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Howard Ash |
| Born |
August 28, 1884 Campbell County, Kentucky, US |
| Died | October 20, 1951 (aged 67) Hollywood, California, US |
| Genres | Vaudeville, musical theatre, films |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1914–1951 |
| Labels | Columbia, Emerson, OKeh, Grey Gull, Gennett |
Samuel Howard Ash (August 28, 1884 – October 20, 1951), usually credited as Sam Ash, was an American vaudeville performer, singer, and movie actor who appeared in minor roles in over 200 films, including It's a Wonderful Life.
He was born in Campbell County, Kentucky, of English-born parents who had immigrated to the US. By 1900 he was living with his parents and siblings in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1910 lived in Chicago. He was unrelated to Sam Ash, born Samuel Ashkynase (1897–1956), founder of the eponymous musical instrument store, despite some erroneous claims that they were one and the same person.
He first recorded as a tenor singer for Columbia Records in 1914, and the following year found success in a duet with Elida Morris, "Hello Frisco!" from the Broadway musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1915. In December 1915 he appeared on the Broadway stage, in a leading role in Rudolf Friml's operetta Katinka, which ran for over 200 performances. He recorded regularly for Columbia over the next few years. In 1915 he made one of his most commercially successful recordings, "America, I Love You", and in 1917 he recorded "Cleopatra Had a Jazz Band". His regular appearances in Broadway revues included Doing Our Bit (1917), Monte Cristo, Jr. (1919), and Oh, What A Girl! (1919) among others. In the 1920s he continued to record for Columbia as well as for a number of other record labels, including Little Wonder, Gennett, Grey Gull, and OKeh. He also continued to appear in Broadway musicals, including Some Party in 1922, The Passing Show of 1922, and Houseboat on the Styx in 1928.
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