Jimmy Ritz


Samuel Joachim, known professionally as Jimmy Ritz, was an American actor and comedian. He was also the second Ritz Brother.

Early life

Ritz was born Samuel Joachim to parents Max and Pauline Joachim on October 4, 1904. His father was a haberdasher from Austria-Hungary and his mother was Russian. Ritz had three brothers, George, Al, and Harry, and a sister, Gertrude Soll.

Career

The Ritz Brothers began as a dancing act in 1925, and by 1929 they had become vaudeville headliners. When vaudeville faded, they took their act, which combined complicated dance routines, sound-alike singing voices and a distinctively zany, juvenile humor, to film, full theatrical presentations, and eventually television.
They were appearing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood when movie producer Darryl F. Zanuck spotted them. Their first film, Sing, Baby, Sing, in 1936, was followed by On the Avenue, You Can't Have Everything, Life Begins in College, Hi'ya, Chum, One in a Million, The Gorilla, The Three Musketeers, The Goldwyn Follies, Straight, Place and Show, Pack Up Your Troubles, Argentine Nights, Behind the Eight Ball, Blazing Stewardesses and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, the last two with Harry only. Al died in 1965.

Death

Ritz died on November 17, 1985, in Los Angeles, California due to heart disease at the age of 81. He is buried with his brothers at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography