Jimmy Ritz (born Samuel Joachim; October 4, 1904 – November 17, 1985), was an American comedian and actor. He was also the second Ritz Brother.
| Jimmy Ritz | |
|---|---|
 Ritz in The Gorilla (1939) | |
| Birth name | Samuel Joachim |
| Born | October 4, 1904 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 1985 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Medium |
|
| Years active | 1925–1976 |
| Genres | Slapstick |
| Spouse | Ruth Hillard (m. 1938; div. 19??) Judy Lee
(m. 1953; div. 1959) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editRitz was born Samuel Joachim to parents Max (December 1871 – January 4, 1939) and Pauline Joachim (May 1874 – November 26, 1935) on October 4, 1904. His father was a haberdasher from Austria-Hungary and his mother was Russian. Ritz had three brothers, George, Al, and Harry, and a sister, Gertrude Soll.[1]
Career
editThe Ritz Brothers began as a dancing act in 1925, and by 1929 they had become vaudeville headliners. When vaudeville faded, they took their act, which combined complicated dance routines, sound-alike singing voices and a distinctively zany, juvenile humor (their theme song was titled Collegiate), to film, full theatrical presentations, and eventually television.
They were appearing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood when movie producer Darryl F. Zanuck spotted them. Their first film, Sing, Baby, Sing, in 1936, was followed by On the Avenue, You Can't Have Everything, Life Begins in College, Hi'ya, Chum, One in a Million, The Gorilla, The Three Musketeers, The Goldwyn Follies, Straight, Place and Show, Pack Up Your Troubles, Argentine Nights, Behind the Eight Ball, Blazing Stewardesses and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, the last two with Harry only. Al died in 1965.[2]
Death
editRitz died on November 17, 1985, in Los Angeles, California due to heart disease at the age of 81. He is buried with his brothers at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
edit| Year | Movie | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Hotel Anchovy | Jimmy - Hotel Bellboy | Short |
| 1936 | Sing, Baby, Sing | Himself | |
| 1937 | On the Avenue | One of The Ritz Brothers | Uncredited |
| 1937 | You Can't Have Everything | One of The Ritz Brothers | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Life Begins in College | Himself | |
| 1937 | Ali Baba Goes to Town | Himself | |
| 1937 | Cinema Circus | Himself | Uncredited, (archive footage) |
| 1937 | One in a Million | The Ritz Brothers | |
| 1938 | The Goldwyn Follies | Himself | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Kentucky Moonshine | Himself | |
| 1938 | Straight Place and Show | Himself | Uncredited |
| 1939 | The Three Musketeers | One of The Three Lackeys | Uncredited |
| 1939 | The Gorilla | Garrity - a Ritz Brother | |
| 1939 | Pack Up Your Troubles | One of The Ritz Brothers | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Argentine Nights | Jimmy | |
| 1942 | Behind the Eight Ball | Jimmy Jester | |
| 1943 | Hi'ya, Chum | Merry Madcap | |
| 1943 | Show-Business at War | Himself | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Never a Dull Moment | The Three Funny Bubbies | |
| 1956 | Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas | Himself | Short |
| 1975 | Blazing Stewardesses | Jimmy | |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Cleaning Woman | Final film role |
References
edit- ^ Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence & McNeilly, Donald (2007), Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, New York: Routledge, p. 935, ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2.
- ^ "Jimmy Ritz, Comic, Dies at 81". The New York Times. November 21, 1985. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
External links
edit
- Jimmy Ritz at IMDb
- Jimmy Ritz at Find a Grave