Samuel Howard Ash (August 28, 1884 – October 20, 1951) was an American vaudeville performer, singer, and movie actor who appeared in minor roles in over 200 films, including It's a Wonderful Life.

[3] He was unrelated to Sam Ash, born Samuel Ashkynase (1897–1956), founder of the eponymous musical instrument store, despite some erroneous claims[4] that they were one and the same person.

He made his film debut that year, third on the bill as a suspect in the Craig Kennedy mystery Unmasked, starring Robert Warwick in his first "talkie".

[7] Over the next two decades he had hundreds of small parts in movies, playing characters such as waiters, news vendors, ship stewards, and reporters.

[1] Ash also featured in a number of popular film serials such as Dick Tracy, The Masked Marvel, and Captain America.