Sir Harry Lauder (Wikipedia)Born: August 4, 1870
Died: February 26, 1950
Married: Ann Vallance
Children: John Lauder, 1891–1916 (died in World War I)
Sir Henry Lauder, known professionally as Harry Lauder, was a Scottish entertainer; he was at one time the highest paid entertainer in the world. He was a singer, a songwriter, a comedian, an author, and a film actor.
William Morris brought Lauder to Saranac Lake for a fundraiser for the building of the First United Methodist Church, and he also performed at fundraisers for the Saranac Lake Day Nursery. He may have had tuberculosis— he is said to have stayed at the Moir Camp as a TB patient.
Local livery man Giles Bombard is said to have resembled Harry Lauder.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 5, 2014
Famous Celtic visitors to Saranac Lake
By AMY CATANIA and TODD BAILEY, Historic Saranac Lake
SARANAC LAKE - This year's Celtic Winter Carnival theme brings to mind the early Irish settlers to the area.
Many of today's well-known local families can trace their roots back to those early settlers…
Another, perhaps less-known story is that of two famous Celtic visitors brought to Saranac Lake by William Morris, theatrical agent and manager. Morris founded the William Morris Agency, which is still in business today representing actors in show business. Morris came to the village for the fresh-air cure in 1902 and took an interest in community life. Through the 1920s, he brought some of the top talent to Saranac Lake to perform for fundraisers for various community groups.
In 1919 Morris and his wife founded the Saranac Day Nursery to provide day care for young children of working parents. He supported the nursery (now the site of the Adirondack Carousel) by arranging benefit shows each July 4 from 1924 to 1930.
Morris was also a founder of the National Variety Artists Lodge,1 later renamed Will Rogers Hospital.
One of Morris' most notable guests was a Scotsman, Sir Henry Lauder. Known professionally as Harry Lauder, he was a singer, songwriter, comedian, author and film actor. Lauder was at one time the highest-paid entertainer in the world. He visited Saranac Lake numerous times for benefit performances. It is said that he stayed for a time at the Moir Camp as a TB patient.
In 1915, Morris brought Lauder to perform at the Pontiac Theater, raising funds for the building of the First Methodist Church. In 1918, the Adirondack Record reported that Lauder "is to visit Saranac Lake next month, to start the first scenes in a multi-reel picture which will require him to traverse the continent to produce." In 1922 he made Saranac Lake a stop on his world tour, appearing for a benefit for the Day Nursery and Girls Community Center. In attendance were Governor Miller, ex-Governor Whitman and Col. Walter Scott, head of the Caledonian Societies of the United States and Canada.
[For the continuation of this article as written, see Thomas Aspinall Burke.]
Note:
1. Properly the National Vaudeville Artist Lodge
Lake Placid News, August 25, 1922
HARRY LAUDER TO APPEAR AT DAY NURSERY BENEFIT
Saranac Lake Will See Him as Well as Olga Petrova and Other Stage Notables
William Morris has closed a contract for the appearance of Sir Harry Lauder at the Lexington Theatre for a week, beginning Monday, October 2. This will be the inauguration of a twenty weeks' season that will take the Scottish entertainer to the Pacific coast. At the close of his engagement in San Francisco in February he will sail for Australia, returning in the early Fall, and opening the tour of 1923-24 at Vancouver, B.C.
The Sunday following Lauder's engagement at the Lexington has been set aside for a benefit for the Day Nursery and Girls' Community Center at Saranac Lake, in which Sir Harry, Governor Miller, Ex-Governor Whitman, Col. Walter Scott, head of the Caledonian Societies of the United States and Canada, William Morris, who is a summer resident of Saranac Lake, and many others, are actively interested. Owing to the charitable purpose of the entertainment, Lauder will waive his rule of not appearing at Sunday performances, and will contribute to the program. David Warfield, Al Jolson, Leon Errol, Sophie Tucker, Olga Petrova, Enid Bennett, Mrs. Sidney Drew and many other notables have volunteered to appear.
Lake Placid News, October 14, 1921
LAUDER PLAYS GOLF TOMORROW
Raymond Stevens and Dr. Trembley Will Oppose Visitors
To keep fit for his opening in New York on October 17th at the Lexington Theatre, Sir Harry Lauder is playing golf in the Adirondacks. Tomorrow on the grounds of the Saranac Lake Golf Club he will play an exhibition foursome. His partner will be Duncan Maclnnis, of the Finance Department of the City of New York, the man Mayor Hylan chose to represent him in recent investigation matters, and an old friend of Sir Harry Lauder's.
Col. Walter Scott, the president of all the Scottish Societies of the United States and Canada, has offered a cup for the tournament. Raymond Stevens of Lake Placid and Dr. C. C. Trembley of Saranac Lake, will be the opposing team.
Adirondack Record, April 26, 1918
HARRY LAUDER TO VISIT SARANAC LAKE
Harry Lauder, the famous Scotch comedian, is to visit Saranac Lake next month, to start the first scenes in a multi-reel picture which will require him to traverse the continent to produce. Lauder comes to Saranac Lake at the close of his engagement at the Metropolitan in New York, which opened April 22nd.
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