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Actor

Gus Schilling

20 Jun 1908Born
16 Jun 1957Died
48Age at death
57Credits

Biography

August "Gus" Schilling (June 20, 1908 - June 16, 1957) was an American actor.

August "Gus" Schilling (June 20, 1908 – June 16, 1957) was an American film actor who started in burlesque comedy and usually played nervous comic roles, often unbilled. A friend of Orson Welles, he appeared in five of the director's films — Citizen Kane (first screen performance), The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Macbeth and Touch of Evil (final performance, released posthumously).

Born in New York City, Schilling had a rubber face and flustered gestures which made him a natural comedian and he began his career understudying comedy stars Bert Lahr and Joe Penner on Broadway.

Read the full biography

He soon became a favorite among burlesque comedians, who welcomed him into the burlesque profession. Schilling was in a relationship with burlesque star Betty Rowland and the couple toured in the Minsky burlesque troupe.

Orson Welles saw Schilling in New York and followed him to Florida. There Welles hired Schilling to appear in a stage production featuring several Shakespearean scenes. "I learned my part by taking the script to Welles and having him translate the lines to everyday English," Schilling recalled in 1939. Welles promised Schilling a part in Welles's first motion picture, and kept his promise: Schilling is featured in Citizen Kane (1941). This established Schilling in Hollywood movies as a "nervous" comedian (he plays a jittery symphony conductor in Olsen and Johnson's Hellzapoppin', for example). He also co-starred with character comedian Richard Lane in a series of 11 comedy shorts for Columbia Pictures; the series ran from 1945 to 1950.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1958Touch of EvilFilm: Eddie Farnham (uncredited)
  2. 1956Bigger Than LifeFilm: Druggist (uncredited)
  3. 1956GloryFilm: Joe Page
  4. 1955Rebel Without a CauseFilm: Attendant (uncredited)
  5. 1955Run for CoverFilm: Doc Ridgeway
  6. 1954Executive SuiteFilm: Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
  7. 1954She Couldn't Say NoFilm: Ed Gruman
  8. 1952One Big AffairFilm: Mr. Rush
  9. 1951On Dangerous GroundFilm: Lucky
  10. 1951HoneychileFilm: Window Washer
  11. 1951Gasoline AlleyFilm: Joe Allen
  12. 1950Hit Parade of 1951Film: Studio Guide
  13. 1950Our Very OwnFilm: Frank
  14. 1949Bride for SaleFilm: Timothy
  15. 1949Flung by a FlingFilm: Capt. Gus Schilling
  16. 1949He's in AgainFilm: Gus
  17. 1948Angel on the AmazonFilm: Dean Hartley
  18. 1948The Return of OctoberFilm: Benny
  19. 1948MacbethFilm: A Porter
  20. 1948Pardon My Lamb ChopFilm: Gus
  21. 1948Two Nuts in a RutFilm: Gus Schilling, Lane's assistant
  22. 1947The Lady from ShanghaiFilm: Goldfish
  23. 1947Wedding BelleFilm: Gus Schilling
  24. 1947Training for TroubleFilm: Gus Schilling
  25. 1947Stork Bites ManFilm: Hubert Butterfield
  26. 1947Calendar GirlFilm: Eddie Gaskin
  27. 1946Pardon My TerrorFilm: Gus
  28. 1946Hot WaterFilm: Gus
  29. 1946Dangerous BusinessFilm: Alexander Pough
  30. 1946Ain't Love Cuckoo?Film: Gus Schilling
  31. 1945High Blood PleasureFilm: Gus
  32. 1945River GangFilm: Dopey Charlie
  33. 1945A Thousand and One NightsFilm: Jafar
  34. 1945See My LawyerFilm: J. Ambrose Winkler aka Winky
  35. 1945It's a PleasureFilm: Bill Evans
  36. 1944Sing a JingleFilm: Bucky
  37. 1943Larceny with MusicFilm: Austin J. Caldwell
  38. 1943Hers to HoldFilm: Rosey Blake
  39. 1943Presenting Lily MarsFilm: Scotty - Stage Manager
  40. 1943ChatterboxFilm: Gillie
  41. 1943The Amazing Mrs. HollidayFilm
  42. 1943Lady BodyguardFilm: Bughouse Sweeney
  43. 1942You Were Never LovelierFilm: Fernando
  44. 1942The Magnificent AmbersonsFilm: Drug Clerk (uncredited)
  45. 1942There's One Born Every MinuteFilm: Professor Asa Quisenberry
  46. 1942BroadwayFilm: Joe
  47. 1942Dr. Kildare's VictoryFilm: Leo Cobb
  48. 1941Hellzapoppin'Film: Orchestra Conductor
  49. 1941Appointment for LoveFilm: Gus
  50. 1941It Started with EveFilm: Raven
  51. 1941Ice-CapadesFilm: Dave
  52. 1941Citizen KaneFilm: John
  53. 1941The PenaltyFilm: Bank Teller (uncredited)
  54. 1941Lucky DevilsFilm: Aloysius Grimshaw
  55. 1940Dr. Kildare's CrisisFilm: Orderly Cleaning Window
  56. 1940Mexican Spitfire Out WestFilm: Hotel Desk Clark
  57. 1940Pop Always PaysFilm: City Dump Watchman

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.