Herman Bing

Herman Bing
Herman Bing
	Bing in The Great Ziegfeld trailer
Born	March 30, 1889; Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Died	January 9, 1947 (aged 57); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1921–1946
Spouse	Carla Lichtenstein
Children	1

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.

Biography

Bing was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ^[1]^: 115

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 also provided the voice for the Ringmaster in Walt Disney's Dumbo (1941).

Death

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]

Selected filmography

Ciska Barna, Die Zigeunerin (1921)
4 Devils (1928)
Married in Hollywood (1929) as German Director
A Song of Kentucky (1929) as Jake Kleinschmidt
The Three Sisters (1930) as Von Kosch
Show Girl in Hollywood (1930) as Mr. Bing – Otis' Assistant
Men Behind Bars (1931) as Lawyer
Women Love Once (1931)
The Great Lover (1931) as Losseck
The Guardsman (1931) as A Creditor
Westward Passage (1932) as Otto Hoopengarner – the Dutchman
Flesh (1932) as Pepi – Headwaiter
Hypnotized (1932) as Capt. Otto Von Stormberg
The Plumber and the Lady (1933 short) as Otto Mauser
The Nuisance (1933) as Willy
Dinner at Eight (1933) as Waiter
My Lips Betray (1933) as Weininger
Footlight Parade (1933) as Fralick
The Bowery (1933) as Max Herman
Fits in a Fiddle (1933 short) as Heinrich Mickelmeier
College Coach (1933) as Prof. Glantz
Trimmed in Furs (1934 short) as Engles the Lodge Owner
Mandalay (1934) as Prof. Kleinschmidt
Melody in Spring (1934) as Wirt
I'll Tell the World (1934) as Adolph
Manhattan Love Song (1934) as Gustave
Hide-Out (1934) as Jake
Embarrassing Moments (1934) as Bartender
When Strangers Meet (1934) as Mr. Oscar Schultz
The Merry Widow (1934) as Zizipoff
Crimson Romance (1934) as Himmelbaum
Love Time (1934) as Istvan
The Mighty Barnum (1934) as Farmer Schultz
The Night Is Young (1935) as Nepomuk
The Great Hotel Murder (1935) as Hans
The Florentine Dagger (1935) as Baker
The Misses Stooge (1935 short) as Sazarac the Magician
In Caliente (1935) as Florist
Stage Frights (1935 short)
Calm Yourself (1935) as Mr. Sam Bromberg
Don't Bet on Blondes (1935) as Prof. Friedrich Wilhelm Gruber
Every Night at Eight (1935) as Joe Schmidt
Call of the Wild (1935) as Sam
Redheads on Parade (1935) as Lionel Kunkel
His Family Tree (1935) as Mr. 'Stony' Stonehill
Three Kids and a Queen (1935) as Walter Merkin
1000 Dollars a Minute (1935) as Vanderbrocken
Fighting Youth (1935) as Luigi
Rose Marie (1936) as Mr. Daniells
Slide, Nellie, Slide (1936 short) as The Hot Dog King
Tango (1936) as Mr. Kluckmeyer – Tango Hosiery
Laughing Irish Eyes (1936) as Weisbecher
The Great Ziegfeld (1936) as Costumer
The King Steps Out (1936) as Pretzelberger
The Three Wise Guys (1936) as Baumgarten
Human Cargo (1936) as Fritz Schultz
Blackmailer (1936) as Dr. Rosenkrantz – Coroner
Adventure in Manhattan (1936) as Otto
Come Closer, Folks (1936) as Herman
That Girl from Paris (1936) as 'Hammy' Hammacher
Champagne Waltz (1937) as Max Snellinek
Maytime (1937) as August Archipenko
Oh, What a Knight! (1937 short)
Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937) as Von Giersdorff – aka Count Herman
Every Day's a Holiday (1937) as Fritz Krausmeyer
Paradise for Three (1938) as Mr. Polter
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938) as Monsieur Pepinard
Four's a Crowd (1938) as Barber
Vacation from Love (1938) as Oscar Wittlesbach
The Great Waltz (1938) as Dommayer
Sweethearts (1938) as Oscar Engel
Bitter Sweet (1940) as Market Keeper
Dumbo (1941) as The Ringmaster (voice, uncredited)
The Devil with Hitler (1942 short) as Louis
The Captain from Köpenick (completed in 1941, released in 1945) as City Hall guardian Kilian
Where Do We Go from Here? (1945) as Hessian Col. / Von Heisel
Rendezvous 24 (1946) as Herr Schmidt
Night and Day (1946) as 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. Archived from the original on 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2020-11-28 – 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. Archived from the original on 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2020-11-28 – via Google Books.
^ "COMEDIAN KILLS HIMSELF; Herman Bing, of Films, Leaves Note Ascribing Act to Nerves". The New York Times Archives. January 10, 1947. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.