Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “House Party”

Robin Harris

It’s terribly sad what happened to Robin Harris. A comedian, known for his “down home” style, it took some folks in L.A. a while to adjust to, not only his material, but his diction. One critic left his show utterly confused, saying she couldn’t understand him. But that didn’t stop others from recognizing and celebrating his brilliance. Spike Lee was the first director to take a chance on Harris by putting him in his classic film, Do The Right Thing. From there his career took off and he was constantly busy, selling out shows across the country. He was expected to blow up even further with all the movie roles, comedy specials and additional exposure. But all of that came to a halt. Harris, who was keeping a busy schedule, also suffered from a breathing problem that often affected his sleep. Just nine days after House Party had been released, Harris who had just finished a show, had dinner with friends, went to a Blues club and later died in his sleep in his hotel room in Chicago.

The film Bebe’s Kids, which is a bit from Harris’ standup comedy show, was originally going to be a feature with live actors. But in order to pay tribute to Harris, Hudlin decided to continue the project as an animated feature. As a child of the ’90’s, I’m so glad he did. Bebe’s Kids is a classic.