Eddie Morris (1887-1932) was born and raised in Decatur, Illinois. His father, E. J. Morris, was a well known tailor and then hotel owner in the Decatur community. Morris had a fascination for the theatrical stage as a young boy, and his ability to mimic personalities made him a popular entertainer for the local community. When he was old enough to work, he took a treasurer position with the Decatur Powers Opera house. Morris attended Decatur High School for three years, becoming president of the Junior class before leaving for college at Brown's Business College. He graduated with a degree in Stenography and bookkeeping.
He later worked for the H. I. Baldwin Grain and Commission company. In 1907, he went to Philadelphia as the private secretary to the president of the Economic Life Insurance Company. He later earned a position as secretary for Henry W. Savage, who was a leading theatrical producer in New York City in the 1910s. Soon after, Morris auditioned for and earned a part in George Ade's "College Widow." He stared in many theatrical and musical plays including the "Arcadians," "The Three of Us," "Pink Lady," "Lady Luxury," "Playing Ponies," "Father and Son," "The Lilac Domino," "The Lady We Love," and "The Little Cafe." In 1911, he maried Loretta Doyle, keeping their marriage a secret from his family until the birth of his son in 1923. In 1912, he performed in vaudeville curcuits with Walter Catlett. He also performed alongside Tom Waters in a cabaret show at Rector's restaurant in New York. Following this, Morris stared in two silent movies, "The Key" (1913) and "Midnight at Maxim's" (1915), and wrote the scripts for several others.
In 1917, he crossed the Atlantic, despite ongoing submarine battles, to tour England, Ireland, Scottland, and Wales. After surviving several air raids, Morris left England to tour Australia and South Africa. Following the war, he returned to England performing live on the BBC and composing songs and sketches for several radio shows. In 1929, he returned to America and immediately took a position as the prinicipal comedian for three different stock theaters in Montreal, Toronto, and Washington DC.
Sources:"Eddie Morris, Former Decatur Stage Star, Dies in Hollywood." Decaur Herald (Thursday February 18, 1932): 5.
"Eddie Morris Making Talkies," Decatur Herald (Sunday July 7, 1929): 8.
"Eddie Morris, Stage Favorite, Represents Decatur in Theater," Decatur Herald (Sunday September 16, 1923): 17, 23.
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