Herman Bing
Herman Bing (March 30, 1889 – January 9, 1947) was a German-American character actor. He acted in more than 120 films and many of his parts were uncredited.
Herman Bing | |
---|---|
Bing in The Great Ziegfeld trailer | |
Born | |
Died | January 9, 1947 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | Suicide |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1921–1946 |
Spouse(s) | Carla Lichtenstein (m. ?–1947; his death) |
Children | 1 |
Biography
Bing was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. [1]:115 He was son of the opera singer Max Bing (1865-1919) and Frieda Seckback (1869-1939), and brother of actor Gustav Bing (1893-1967), Clara Bing (1895-1976), and Erna Bing Swarzchild. He was married to Carla Lichtenstein and had one daughter.
Bing began his career at the circus, at age 16, and vaudeville showing comedic talent.[2]:25 In 1921 he made his film debut in "Ciska Barna, die Zigeunerin".
He was production chief of several films in Germany before he went to America, in 1923, with director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau as Murnau's interpreter and assistant director. He also worked under John Ford and Frank Borzage, before establishing himself as a successful character actor well-known for his wild-eyed facial expressions and thick German accent.
He provided the voice for the Ringmaster in Walt Disney's Dumbo (1941). The start of World War II in Europe caused all things German to be unpopular with audiences. His German accent was no longer in demand in the years following World War II. He became increasingly depressed in the mid-1940s, as he was unable to secure work in Hollywood, and committed suicide by gunshot in 1947.[3]
Filmography
- Ciska Barna, Die Zigeunerin (1921)
- Sunrise (1927), Streetcar Conductor (uncredited)
- 4 Devils (1928)
- Married in Hollywood (1929), German Director
- A Song of Kentucky (1929), Jake Kleinschmidt
- The Three Sisters (1930), Von kosch
- Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), Mr. Bing – Otis' Assistant
- Anna Christie (1930), Larry – the Bartender (uncredited)
- Men Behind Bars (1931), Lawyer
- Women Love Once (1931)
- The Great Lover (1931), Losseck
- The Guardsman (1931), A Creditor
- Private Lives (1931), Train Conductor (uncredited)
- Men of Chance (1931), Fritz Tannenbaum (uncredited)
- Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), Franz Odenheimer (uncredited)
- Are You Listening? (1932), Radio Actor (uncredited)
- Doomed Battalion (1932), Austrian Soldier (uncredited)
- The Tenderfoot (1932), The Chef (uncredited)
- Westward Passage (1932), Otto Hoopengarner – the Dutchman
- Radio Patrol (1932), Schwabacher, the Funeral Director (uncredited)
- Week-End Marriage (1932), Mr. Mengel (uncredited)
- Unashamed (1932), Hans (uncredited)
- Crooner (1932), Vaudevillian with Dachshunds (uncredited)
- A Passport to Hell (1932), Barfly (uncredited)
- Blessed Event (1932), Emil – the Head Chef (uncredited)
- Big City Blues (1932), First Waiter (uncredited)
- The Crash (1932), E.F. McSorley – Diamond Broker (uncredited)
- Three on a Match (1932), Prof. Irving Finklestein (uncredited)
- False Impressions (1932, Short), The Cook – Replaced by Marvin Loback (scenes deleted)
- Silver Dollar (1932), Gold Buyer (uncredited)
- Flesh (1932), Pepi – Headwaiter
- A Farewell to Arms (1932), Swiss Postal Clerk (uncredited)
- Hypnotized (1932), Capt. Otto Von Stormberg
- The Great Jasper (1933), Herman Beaumgartner (uncredited)
- Fast Workers (1933), Schultz (uncredited)
- The Plumber and the Lady (1933, Short), Otto Mauser
- The Nuisance (1933), Willy
- Dinner at Eight (1933), Waiter
- My Lips Betray (1933), Weininger
- Footlight Parade (1933), Fralick
- Curtain at Eight (1933), Sam – Producer (uncredited)
- The Bowery (1933), Max Herman
- Fits in a Fiddle (1933, Short), Heinrich Mickelmeier
- After Tonight (1933), Railroad Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
- Chance at Heaven (1933), Franklyn's Chauffeur (uncredited)
- College Coach (1933), Prof. Glantz
- Blood Money (1933), Butcher Weighing Sausages (uncredited)
- Lady Killer (1933), Western Director (uncredited)
- Trimmed in Furs (1934, Short), Engles the Lodge Owner
- Mandalay (1934), Prof. Kleinschmidt
- The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), Fireman's Band Leader (uncredited)
- Melody in Spring (1934), Wirt
- I'll Tell the World (1934), Adolph
- Manhattan Love Song (1934), Gustave
- Twentieth Century (1934), Beard #1 (uncredited)
- The Black Cat (1934), Car Steward (uncredited)
- The Cat's-Paw (1934), German-Speaking Gangster (uncredited)
- Hide-Out (1934), Jake
- Embarrassing Moments (1934), Bartender
- One Night of Love (1934), Vegetable Man (uncredited)
- When Strangers Meet (1934), Mr. Oscar Schultz
- The Merry Widow (1934), Zizipoff
- Crimson Romance (1934), Himmelbaum
- I Sell Anything (1934), Dutchman Bidding $1.25 (uncredited)
- Love Time (1934), Istvan
- Evelyn Prentice (1934), Klein – Antiques Dealer (uncredited)
- Broadway Bill (1934), Waiter (uncredited)
- The Mighty Barnum (1934), Farmer Schultz
- The Night Is Young (1935), Nepomuk
- The Great Hotel Murder (1935), Hans
- It Happened in New York (1935), Stout Passenger (uncredited)
- West Point of the Air (1935) (scenes deleted)
- The Florentine Dagger (1935), Baker
- The Misses Stooge (1935, Short), Sazarac the Magician
- Vagabond Lady (1935), Spear Department Head (uncredited)
- In Caliente (1935), Florist
- Stage Frights (1935, Short)
- Unknown Woman (1935), François (uncredited)
- Calm Yourself (1935), Mr. Sam Bromberg
- Don't Bet on Blondes (1935), Prof. Friedrich Wilhelm Gruber
- Every Night at Eight (1935), Joe Schmidt
- Call of the Wild (1935), Sam
- Here Comes the Band (1935), Hans Bergenspitz (uncredited)
- Redheads on Parade (1935), Lionel Kunkel
- Thunder in the Night (1935), Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- His Family Tree (1935), Mr. 'Stony' Stonehill
- Barbary Coast (1935), Fish Peddler (uncredited)
- Hands Across the Table (1935), Barber (uncredited)
- Three Kids and a Queen (1935), Walter Merkin
- 1000 Dollars a Minute (1935), Vanderbrocken
- Fighting Youth (1935), Luigi
- Rose Marie (1936), Mr. Daniells
- Slide, Nellie, Slide (1936, Short), The Hot Dog King
- Tango (1936), Mr. Kluckmeyer – Tango Hosiery
- The Music Goes 'Round (1936), Himself – Guest Singer (uncredited)
- Laughing Irish Eyes (1936), Weisbecher
- The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Costumer
- The King Steps Out (1936), Pretzelberger
- The Three Wise Guys (1936), Baumgarten
- Human Cargo (1936), Fritz Schultz
- Blackmailer (1936), Dr. Rosenkrantz – Coroner
- Adventure in Manhattan (1936), Otto
- Come Closer, Folks (1936), Herman
- That Girl from Paris (1936), 'Hammy' Hammacher
- Champagne Waltz (1937), Max Snellinek
- Maytime (1937), August Archipenko
- Oh, What a Knight! (1937, Short)
- Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937), Von Giersdorff – aka Count Herman
- Every Day's a Holiday (1937), Fritz Krausmeyer
- Paradise for Three (1938), Mr. Polter
- Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938), Monsieur Pepinard
- Four's a Crowd (1938), Barber
- Vacation from Love (1938), Oscar Wittlesbach
- The Great Waltz (1938), Dommayer
- Sweethearts (1938), Oscar Engel
- Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Silhouettist (uncredited)
- Public Deb No. 1 (1940), Dutchman (uncredited)
- Bitter Sweet (1940), Market Keeper
- Dumbo (1941), The Ringmaster (voice, uncredited)
- The Devil with Hitler (1942, Short), Louis
- The Captain from Köpenick (completed in 1941, released in 1945), City Hall guardian Kilian
- Where Do We Go from Here? (1945), Hessian Col. / Von Heisel
- Breakfast in Hollywood (1946), Herman (uncredited)
- Rendezvous 24 (1946), Herr Schmidt
- Night and Day (1946), Ladisaus Smedick – 2nd 'Peaches' (uncredited) (final film role)
References
- Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9 – via Google Books.
- Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7864-8694-6 – via Google Books.
- "COMEDIAN KILLS HIMSELF; Herman Bing, of Films, Leaves Note Ascribing Act to Nerves". The New York Times Archives. January 10, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2018.