Born Name:  Henry Reichman Jr.

Born Date:  August 10, 1895

Born Place:  Cincinnati, Ohio

Died Date:  November 3, 1972

Died Place:  Hollywood, California

Occupations:  Actor, dancer, singer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, nightclub performer, aviator

Brief Biography:  Harry Richman was a multi-talented American entertainer of the 1920s and 1930s best known for popularizing the Irving Berlin classic "Puttin' on the Ritz," he was one of the highest-paid show business stars of his era.

Early Life and Vaudeville:
Richman began playing piano in bars at just 11 years old. By age 18, he was touring the West Coast as "Harry Richman, the Singing Comedian". He worked as an accompanist for major stars of the time, including Mae West and Nora Bayes. West famously fired him because his charismatic stage presence consistently stole the audience's attention

Broadway and Radio Stardom:
Known for his suave, "Dapper Dan" persona, top hat, cane, and a signature lisp where he punctuated performances with a "Yeth thir!", Richman became a staple of the New York stage.
The Scandals: He starred in George White's Scandals of 1926, where he sang "Birth of the Blues".
Hit Revues: He introduced hit songs like "Exactly Like You" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" in Lew Leslie's International Revue (1930).
Songwriting: He co-wrote a number of Tin Pan Alley hits, including "Muddy Water" (1926) and "Miss Annabelle Lee" (1927).

Film and Aviation:
Richman made his feature film debut in 1930 in Puttin' on the Ritz, where he introduced the iconic title track and established himself in early movie musicals. Outside of the entertainment world, he was an avid aviator. In September 1936, he made headlines globally by financing and co-piloting one of the first round-trip, non-stop trans-Atlantic flights alongside pilot Dick Merrill.

Legacy:
Richman's career peaked in the pre-war years, but his style left a lasting mark on 20th-century entertainment.