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Gus Schilling

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
57

Gender
Male

Birthday
June 20, 1908 (118 years old)

Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA

Gus Schilling

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. 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

Acting

1958Touch of Evilas Eddie Farnham (uncredited)
1956Bigger Than Lifeas Druggist (uncredited)
1956Gloryas Joe Page
1955Rebel Without a Causeas Attendant (uncredited)
1955Run for Coveras Doc Ridgeway
1954Executive Suiteas Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
1954She Couldn't Say Noas Ed Gruman
1952One Big Affairas Mr. Rush
1951On Dangerous Groundas Lucky
1951Honeychileas Window Washer
1951Gasoline Alleyas Joe Allen
1950Hit Parade of 1951as Studio Guide
1950Our Very Ownas Frank
1949Bride for Saleas Timothy
1949Flung by a Flingas Capt. Gus Schilling
1949He's in Againas Gus
1948Angel on the Amazonas Dean Hartley
1948The Return of Octoberas Benny
1948Macbethas A Porter
1948Pardon My Lamb Chopas Gus
1948Two Nuts in a Rutas Gus Schilling, Lane's assistant
1947The Lady from Shanghaias Goldfish
1947Wedding Belleas Gus Schilling
1947Training for Troubleas Gus Schilling
1947Stork Bites Manas Hubert Butterfield
1947Calendar Girlas Eddie Gaskin
1946Pardon My Terroras Gus
1946Hot Wateras Gus
1946Dangerous Businessas Alexander Pough
1946Ain't Love Cuckoo?as Gus Schilling
1945High Blood Pleasureas Gus
1945River Gangas Dopey Charlie
1945A Thousand and One Nightsas Jafar
1945See My Lawyeras J. Ambrose Winkler aka Winky
1945It's a Pleasureas Bill Evans
1944Sing a Jingleas Bucky
1943Larceny with Musicas Austin J. Caldwell
1943Hers to Holdas Rosey Blake
1943Presenting Lily Marsas Scotty - Stage Manager
1943Chatterboxas Gillie
1943The Amazing Mrs. Hollidayas
1943Lady Bodyguardas Bughouse Sweeney
1942You Were Never Lovelieras Fernando
1942The Magnificent Ambersonsas Drug Clerk (uncredited)
1942There's One Born Every Minuteas Professor Asa Quisenberry
1942Broadwayas Joe
1942Dr. Kildare's Victoryas Leo Cobb
1941Hellzapoppin'as Orchestra Conductor
1941Appointment for Loveas Gus
1941It Started with Eveas Raven
1941Ice-Capadesas Dave
1941Citizen Kaneas John
1941The Penaltyas Bank Teller (uncredited)
1941Lucky Devilsas Aloysius Grimshaw
1940Dr. Kildare's Crisisas Orderly Cleaning Window
1940Mexican Spitfire Out Westas Hotel Desk Clark
1940Pop Always Paysas City Dump Watchman

Production