Harriette Tarler: Movies & Filmography

Harriette Tarler (November 4, 1920 – November 18, 2001) was an American actress whose brief but prolific career spanned the late 1950s, a period when the studio system was winding down and television was beginning to dominate popular entertainment. Born in New York City, she entered the industry in 1956 and quickly became a recognizable supporting face in more than fifteen films before stepping away from the screen in 1959. Her most enduring legacy comes from her work with The Three Stooges, where she appeared in eight of the sixteen shorts that featured the third Stooge, Joe Besser, and she starred in the trio of sci‑fi comedy shorts Space Ship Sappy, Outer Space Jitters and Flying Saucer Daffy. In the memorable short Hoofs and Goofs she performed a dual role as Mr. Dinklespiel’s daughter and provided the voice of Besser’s reincarnated sister Birdie, a vocal performance she repeated in the sequel Horsing Around. Beyond the Stooge shorts, Tarler’s film résumé includes a supporting turn in The Joker Is Wild opposite Frank Sinatra and appearances in Commotion on the Ocean, Rumpus in the Harem and A Merry Mix Up, demonstrating her versatility in both comedy and musical numbers. Her television credits feature several episodes of the iconic police drama Dragnet, underscoring her ability to transition between film and the emerging TV medium. After retiring from Hollywood in the early 1960s, Tarler returned to her native New York, where she cultivated a passion for orchid growing, a hobby she pursued with the same dedication she had shown on set. She remained married to businessman Arthur Tarler until her death in New York on November 18, 2001, and is interred at Mount Hebron Cemetery. Though her time in the spotlight was short, her contributions to mid‑century American comedy continue to be celebrated by fans of classic slapstick cinema.