Advertisement

Harry “Harry Doll” Earles

Advertisement

Harry “Harry Doll” Earles Famous memorial

Birth
Stolpen, Landkreis Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzebirge, Saxony, Germany
Death
4 May 1985 (aged 83)
Sarasota, Sarasota County, Florida, USA
Burial
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Entertainer. Born Kurt F. Schneider, the son of Gustav and Emma Schneider in Stolpen, Germany. He and three older siblings all inherited dwarfism. The two eldest, he and his sister Frieda, were discovered by American, Bert W. Earles, and traveled to the US in 1914, where they toured with a Wild West show under the names of Gracie and Harry Earles. Their manager also brought sisters Daisy (Hilda) and Elly, also called Tiny, to the United States by 1926 where they joined Harry and Grace in their act. They billed themselves under their manager's name of Earles until his death almost a decade later, when they took the stage name of Doll. They left the Wild West show, and started touring with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Off season, the family also began appearing in films; Harry, Daisy and Tiny were cast in the 1932 film, “Freaks,” he also appeared in “The Unholy Three” (1925) as Tweedledee, he later reprised the role for the sound version in 1930. Other films included “The Purple Moment” (1928), “Good News” (1930), “Sealskins” (1932), “A Girl's Best Years” (1936), and all four siblings played Munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), where Harry was one of the Lollipop Guild. They billed themselves as "The Moving Picture Midgets" at the time. They continued to work the circus sideshow for thirty seasons, and when the Ringling traveling shows ended in 1956, the Dolls toured with the Christiani Circus. He and Elly were the shortest of the family, at three feet three inches. In 1958, the four siblings retired as a group, purchasing a custom equipped house for themselves in Sarasota, Florida, where they lived out their retirement. He died at age 83, following Gracie and Daisy, and preceding Elly.
Entertainer. Born Kurt F. Schneider, the son of Gustav and Emma Schneider in Stolpen, Germany. He and three older siblings all inherited dwarfism. The two eldest, he and his sister Frieda, were discovered by American, Bert W. Earles, and traveled to the US in 1914, where they toured with a Wild West show under the names of Gracie and Harry Earles. Their manager also brought sisters Daisy (Hilda) and Elly, also called Tiny, to the United States by 1926 where they joined Harry and Grace in their act. They billed themselves under their manager's name of Earles until his death almost a decade later, when they took the stage name of Doll. They left the Wild West show, and started touring with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Off season, the family also began appearing in films; Harry, Daisy and Tiny were cast in the 1932 film, “Freaks,” he also appeared in “The Unholy Three” (1925) as Tweedledee, he later reprised the role for the sound version in 1930. Other films included “The Purple Moment” (1928), “Good News” (1930), “Sealskins” (1932), “A Girl's Best Years” (1936), and all four siblings played Munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), where Harry was one of the Lollipop Guild. They billed themselves as "The Moving Picture Midgets" at the time. They continued to work the circus sideshow for thirty seasons, and when the Ringling traveling shows ended in 1956, the Dolls toured with the Christiani Circus. He and Elly were the shortest of the family, at three feet three inches. In 1958, the four siblings retired as a group, purchasing a custom equipped house for themselves in Sarasota, Florida, where they lived out their retirement. He died at age 83, following Gracie and Daisy, and preceding Elly.

Bio by: Iola


Advertisement

Advertisement

How famous was Harry “Harry Doll” Earles ?

Current rating: 4.12644 out of 5 stars

174 votes

Sign-in to cast your vote.

  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: May 9, 2003
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7428149/harry-earles: accessed ), memorial page for Harry “Harry Doll” Earles (3 Apr 1902–4 May 1985), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7428149; Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea; Maintained by Find a Grave.