Al Ritz (born Albert "Al" Joachim; August 27, 1901 – December 22, 1965), was an American comedian, actor and entertainer. Ritz was the oldest of the

Ritz Brothers The Ritz Brothers were an American family comedy act who performed extensively on stage, in nightclubs and in films from 1925 to the late 1960s. A fourth brother, George, acted as their manager. Early life The four brothers were born to Austria ...

Early life

Ritz was born Albert Joachim on August 27, 1901, in

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. His father, Max Joachim (December 1871–January 4, 1939) owned a

haberdashery In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing ...

while his mother, Pauline Joachim (May 1874–November 26, 1935) was a housewife. Ritz's father was a native of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

and his mother was born in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. Ritz had three brothers, George, Samuel (later "Jimmy Ritz"), and

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

, and a sister, Gertrude Soll.

Career

Early career

Ritz began his solo career shortly after he finished high school to join

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

''The Ritz Brothers''

After the three Joachim brothers graduated from high school, they decided to team up as a song-and-comedy act. The brothers began using the name "Ritz" for their nightclub act reportedly after seeing the name on the side of a laundry truck. With fourth brother George acting as their agent, the Ritz Brothers worked nightclubs and vaudeville. The act consisted of the trio indulging in precision dancing, tongue-twisting lampoons of popular stories and songs, and slapstick. In 1934, the Ritz boys made their screen debut in the two-reel comedy ''Hotel Anchovy'', which led to their being signed by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

as a specialty act. ''

Sing, Baby, Sing ''Sing, Baby, Sing'' is a 1936 American film. Richard A. Whiting and Walter Bullock received an Academy Award nomination in Best Original Song at the 9th Academy Awards for their song "When Did You Leave Heaven". Plot After Joan Warren (Alice ...

'' (1936) was the first feature film to costar the Ritzes, and their first starring role followed a year later in ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

''. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Ritz Brothers continued a wildly popular supper club and resort circuit and made their first appearances as TV guest stars.

Personal life

Ritz was married once, to Antoinette 'Annette' Calamari Ritz. They were married until his death. Ritz did not have any children.

Death

The Ritz Brothers were appearing at

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

' Roosevelt Hotel in December 1965 when Al died of a heart attack on December 22. He was buried at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. His wife, Antoinette 'Annette' Calamari Joachim was interred beside him upon her death on January 30, 1992.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritz, Albert 1901 births 1965 deaths American male comedians Comedians from New Jersey American male film actors Jewish American comedians Jewish American male actors Male actors from Newark, New Jersey American male comedy actors 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors Vaudeville performers Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Jewish American male comedians 20th-century American Jews