Harry Richman (born Henry Reichman Jr.; August 10, 1895 – November 3, 1972) was an American singer, actor, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and nightclub performer, at his most popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

[1] Richman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Russian Jewish parents Henry and Katie (née Golder) Reichman.

Eventually known for his nasal baritone, he started out and worked as a piano accompanist to such stars as Mae West and Nora Bayes.

In fact, the actual quote is "Famed nightclub entertainer Richman made his film debut in this primitive early talkie about vaudevillian who can't handle success and turns to drink.

Richman had a residence near the end of his career at the Latin Quarter club in Boston, MA, where he performed on Sundays in late 1941.

[9] Richman was also an amateur aviator of some accomplishment, being the co-pilot in 1936, with famed flyer Henry Tindall "Dick" Merrill, of the first round-trip transatlantic flight in his own single-engine Vultee V-1AD transport, named "The Lady Peace.

"[10] Richman had filled much of the empty space of the aircraft with ping pong balls as a flotation aid in case they were forced down in the Atlantic.

The publicity enabled him to sell autographed ping pong balls until his death, and specimens of these continue to show up for sale on celebrity memorabilia websites.