Gus Schilling


August "Gus" Schilling 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, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Macbeth and Touch of Evil.

Career

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.
File:Robert Ryan-Gus Schilling On Dangerous Ground.jpg|thumb|right|Robert Ryan and Gus Schilling in a screenshot from the trailer for 1951's On Dangerous Ground
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. This established Schilling in Hollywood movies as a "nervous" comedian. 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.

Personal life

In July 1945 Schilling was arrested in Hollywood on charges of possession of narcotics. At his trial he testified that he admitted ownership of the marijuana to save his wife from arrest. The all-woman jury acquitted Schilling on November 29.
Schilling and Rowland were often reported as married, but Rowland later said that they never were. His professional career remained successful, and he worked in movies and television throughout the 1950s. His final film, Welles's Touch of Evil, in which he has a brief uncredited appearance, was released in May 1958, nearly a year after his death.
On June 16, 1957, Schilling was found dead of an apparent heart attack in his Hollywood apartment.

Filmography

Pop Always Pays – City Dump Watchman Mexican Spitfire Out West – Danny – Hotel Desk Clerk Dr. Kildare's Crisis – Orderly Cleaning Window Lucky Devils – Aloysius GrimshawThe Penalty – Parkins, Bank Teller The Flame of New Orleans – Couturier Citizen Kane – John, The Headwaiter / Screening Room ReporterThe People vs. Dr. Kildare – Interne at Mike's Too Many Blondes – Elevator OperatorMystery Ship – Waiter Ice-Capades – DaveDr. Kildare's Wedding Day – Leo Cobb – Orderly It Started with Eve – RavenAppointment for Love – GusHellzapoppin' – Orchestra conductor Dr. Kildare's Victory – Leo CobbBroadway – JoeThere's One Born Every Minute – Professor Asa QuisenberryThe Magnificent Ambersons – Drug Clerk You Were Never Lovelier – FernandoLady Bodyguard – Bughouse SweeneyThe Amazing Mrs. Holliday – Jeff AdamsHi, Buddy – Downbeat CollinsChatterbox – GilliePresenting Lily Mars – Scotty – Stage Manager Hers to Hold – Rosey BlakeLarceny with Music – Austin J. CaldwellSing a Jingle – BuckyIt's a Pleasure – Bill EvansSee My Lawyer – J. Ambrose Winkler aka WinkyRiver Gang – JafarDangerous Business – Alexander PoughCalendar Girl – Ed GaskinStork Bites Man – Hubert ButterfieldThe Lady from Shanghai – GoldieMacbeth – A Porter The Return of October – Benny Angel on the Amazon – Dean HartleyBride for Sale – TimothyOur Very Own – Frank, TV RepairmanHit Parade of 1951 – Studio Guide