Al Ritz | |
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![]() Ritz in The Gorilla (1939) | |
Birth name | Albert Joachim |
Born | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | August 27, 1901
Died | December 22, 1965 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | (aged 64)
Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Medium |
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Years active | 1925–1965 |
Genres | Slapstick |
Al Ritz (born Albert "Al" Joachim; August 27, 1901 – December 22, 1965), was an American comedian, actor and entertainer. Ritz was the oldest of the Ritz Brothers.
Early life
[edit]Ritz was born Albert Joachim on August 27, 1901, in Newark, New Jersey.[1] Ritz had three brothers, George, Samuel (later "Jimmy Ritz"), and Harry, and a sister, Gertrude Soll.[2]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Ritz began his solo career shortly after he finished high school to join vaudeville.
The Ritz Brothers
[edit]After the three Joachim brothers graduated from high school, they decided to team up as a song-and-comedy act. The brothers began using the name "Ritz" for their nightclub act reportedly after seeing the name on the side of a laundry truck. With fourth brother George acting as their agent, the Ritz Brothers worked nightclubs and vaudeville. The act consisted of the trio indulging in precision dancing, tongue-twisting lampoons of popular stories and songs, and slapstick.
In 1934, the Ritz boys made their screen debut in the two-reel comedy Hotel Anchovy, which led to their being signed by 20th Century Fox as a specialty act. Sing, Baby, Sing (1936) was the first feature film to costar the Ritzes, and their first starring role followed a year later in Life Begins in College.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Ritz Brothers continued a wildly popular supper club and resort circuit and made their first appearances as TV guest stars.
Personal life
[edit]Ritz was married once, to Antoinette 'Annette' Calamari Ritz. They were married until his death. Ritz did not have any children.
Death
[edit]The Ritz Brothers were appearing at New Orleans' Roosevelt Hotel in December 1965 when Al died of a heart attack on December 22.[3]
Filmography
[edit]Year | Movie |
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1934 | Hotel Anchovy |
1936 | Sing, Baby, Sing |
1937 | Cinema Circus |
1937 | One in a Million |
1937 | On the Avenue |
1937 | You Can't Have Everything |
1937 | Life Begins in College |
1937 | Ali Baba Goes to Town |
1938 | The Goldwyn Follies |
1938 | Kentucky Moonshine |
1938 | Straight Place and Show |
1939 | The Three Musketeers |
1939 | The Gorilla |
1939 | Pack Up Your Troubles |
1940 | Argentine Nights |
1942 | Behind the Eight Ball |
1943 | Hi'ya, Chum |
1943 | Show-Business at War |
1943 | Never a Dull Moment |
1956 | Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas |
References
[edit]- ^ "IMDb Entry". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Obituary for Al Ritz (Aged 64)". Kenosha News. December 23, 1965. p. 3. Retrieved April 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Al Ritz at IMDb
- Al Ritz at Find a Grave