In 1931, Harris won the role of "Little Maria" in the horror film "Frankenstein". In arguably the film's most memorable scene, Maria meets the fugitive monster (played by Boris Karloff) beside a lake and charms the monster with her innocence, humanity and friendship. These were qualities that he had not experienced with hostile, untrusting adults. A children's game is tragically misinterpreted by the monster, and he throws Little Maria into the lake, unintentionally drowning her and turning the surrounding village's population into a lynch mob, seeking revenge after the child's body is found. The shot of Maria being thrown into the water was cut from original prints, and was restored in the 1980s.