Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth (January 8, 1903 – July 19, 1976), known profesionally as Gene Roth, was an American film actor and film manager.

Early years

Roth was born in

Redfield, South Dakota Redfield is a city in and the county seat of Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The city was named for J. B. Redfield, a railroad official. Geography Redfield is located at . According to th ...

. He was the son of a German father and a Swedish mother, who raised their three sons after the father left the family. The actor, whose billing names included Gene Stutenroth, Eugene Stutenroth, and Eugene Roth finished high school in 1920 and was a manager of a movie theater before he became an actor.

Film

Roth appeared in over 250 films between

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

and 1967. His first film was ''

Daughter of the Tong ''Daughter of the Tong'' is a 1939 crime film about a detective that goes against a female leader of an Oriental crime ring. Plot Ralph Dickson is an FBI agent assigned to investigate the killing of a colleague. He is chosen to investigate due ...

'' (1939). As Gene Stutenroth, he became a successful manager of movie theaters in the 1930s, and was working in this capacity when he visited Hollywood in 1944. Stutenroth was watching a movie scene being photographed when a member of the crew noticed that he looked like

Ernst Hanfstaengl Ernst Franz Sedgwick Hanfstaengl (; 2 February 1887 – 6 November 1975) was a German-American businessman and close friend of Adolf Hitler. He eventually fell out of favour with Hitler and defected from Nazi Germany to the United States. He lat ...

, then a crony of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

in Nazi Germany. Stutenroth was promptly fitted with makeup and costume, and became a popular character actor. His burly frame and craggy features made him ideal as an all-purpose menace, gangster, tough guy, or sheriff. Most of his acting jobs in the mid-1940s were in "B" features for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

and

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. In 1949, he abandoned his real name and shortened his screen name to "Roth." He also starred as the master villain in the Columbia serials ''

Captain Video ''Captain Video and His Video Rangers'' is an American science fiction television series that aired on the DuMont Television Network and was the first series of its genre on American television. The series aired between June 27, 1949, and Apri ...

'', ''

Mysterious Island ''The Mysterious Island'' (french: L'Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's fam ...

'' (1951), and ''

The Lost Planet ''The Lost Planet'' is a 1953 American horror science fiction serial film 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay b ...

'' (1953). Roth is remembered for his portrayals of formidable authority figures in

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

comedies such as '' Slaphappy Sleuths'', '' Hot Stuff'', '' Quiz Whizz'', ''

Outer Space Jitters ''Outer Space Jitters'' is a 1957 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). It is the 182nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring t ...

'' and (as a professor) ''

Pies and Guys ''Pies and Guys'' is a 1958 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). It is the 185th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the ...

''. His most memorable role was as Russian spy

Bortsch Borscht () is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word "borscht" is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give ...

hiding microfilm in '' Dunked in the Deep'' (1949), as well as its remake, ''

Commotion on the Ocean ''Commotion on the Ocean'' is a 1956 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard in his final starring role). It is the 174th entry in the series release ...

'' (1956). His most famous line was his threat to

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Lithuanian Yiddish, Litvak accent. He is ...

: "Give me dat fill-um!" ('fill-um' being 'film' with a Russian accent). Roth later made frequent television appearances including seven episodes of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' from 1949 to 1954. Roth portrayed a con man in a ''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...

'' episode, '' Dead Patrolman'' in 1956. His final film appearance with the Stooges was in ''

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules ''The Three Stooges Meet Hercules'' is a 1962 American comedy fantasy film directed by Edward Bernds. It is the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howar ...

''. In 1960, Roth appeared as Davis on the TV western ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

'' in the episode "Counterfiet Gun." Roth appeared three times on Gene Barry's TV western ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', once playing "Mayor Oliver Hinton" in the 1959 episode "Election Day", and twice in 1960, once playing a miner in the episode "The Rage of Princess Anne" and another time as a crooked bartender in the episode "The Big Gamble". Roth retired from acting in the 1960s and operated a liquor store in Hollywood.

Death

Roth was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

on July 19, 1976.Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts'', p. 231 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

Selected filmography

* ''

Merry-Go-Round A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' (1923) - Guard * ''

'' (1939) - Henchman (uncredited) * '' Mercy Plane'' (1939) - Mechanic (uncredited) * ''

Adventures of the Flying Cadets ''Adventures of the Flying Cadets'' is a 13-episode 1943 Universal film serial directed by Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins. Plot Flying students Danny Collins (Johnny Downs), "Jinx" Roberts (Bobby Jordan), "Scrapper" McKay (Ward Wood) and "Zom ...

'' (1943, Serial) - Brunner - Nazi Agent hs. 2-4(uncredited) * '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943) - Gen. Diebold (uncredited) * '' Crazy House'' (1943) - Dead End Character (uncredited) * ''

The Cross of Lorraine ''The Cross of Lorraine'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer war film about French prisoners of war escaping a German prison camp and joining the French Resistance. Directed by Tay Garnett, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Gene Kelly, was partly base ...

'' (1943) - German Officer (uncredited) * ''

The Spider Woman ''The Spider Woman'' (alternatively titled ''Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman'' and ''Spider Woman'') is a 1943 mystery film starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, the seventh of fourteen such films the p ...

'' (1943) - Henchman Taylor (uncredited) * '' The Sultan's Daughter'' (1943) - Ludwig * ''

Song of Russia ''Song of Russia'' is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by Lás ...

'' (1944) - German Army Commander (uncredited) * '' Charlie Chan in the Secret Service'' (1944) - Luis Philipe Vega * '' The Girl in the Case'' (1944) - Roberts (uncredited) * ''

Shake Hands with Murder ''Shake Hands with Murder'' is a 1944 American comedy mystery film directed by Albert Herman and starring Iris Adrian, Frank Jenks and Douglas Fowley. The film is a B movie released by the low-budget distributor Producers Releasing Corporation.Di ...

'' (1944) - William Howard * ''

The Hitler Gang ''The Hitler Gang'' is a 1944 American pseudo-documentary film directed by John Farrow, which traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler. Described as a "documentary-propaganda" film by its studio, Paramount Pictures, the historical drama is based ...

'' (1944) - Putzi Hanfstaengel (uncredited) * '' The Contender'' (1944) - 1st Fight Ring Announcer (uncredited) * '' Waterfront'' (1944) - Big Detective (uncredited) * ''

Are These Our Parents ''Are These Our Parents?'' is a 1944 American romantic drama film directed by William Nigh. It stars Helen Vinson, Lyle Talbot, Ivan Lebedeff. Plot A mother's preference for partying, boozing, and running around with an assortment of sleazy char ...

'' (1944) - Hoodlum (uncredited) * ''

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of th ...

'' (1944) - Studio Gate Guard (uncredited) * ''

Raiders of Ghost City ''Raiders of Ghost City'' is a 1944 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures set in California during the American Civil War. Plot At the height of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates, headed by Alex Morel, raid all gold ...

'' (1944, Serial) - Grattan (uncredited) * ''

Seven Doors to Death ''Seven Doors to Death'' (also known as ''Vanishing Corpses'' in its American reissue title) is a 1944 American film directed by Elmer Clifton and starring Chick Chandler, June Clyde and George Meeker. The film is a comedy/mystery film that was w ...

'' (1944) - Detective Morgan (uncredited) * ''

San Diego, I Love You ''San Diego, I Love You'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Jon Hall, Louise Allbritton and Edward Everett Horton.McLaughlin p.249 Synopsis Philip McCooley, a widowed high school teacher in small-town Cali ...

'' (1944) - Stevedore (uncredited) * '' Enemy of Women'' (1944) - Gestapo Announcer (uncredited) * ''

Rogues' Gallery A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes. History In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...

'' (1944) - Mr. Joyce * '' Strange Journey'' (1946) * ''

Gas House Kids in Hollywood Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma). A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...

'' (1947) * ''

Reaching from Heaven ''Reaching from Heaven'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Frank Strayer, which stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, and John Qualen. The screenplay was written by Charles Palmer, from an original story by Henry Rische and H. W. Gockel. P ...

'' (1948) * ''

Oklahoma Badlands ''Oklahoma Badlands'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Yakima Canutt and written by Robert Creighton Williams. The film stars Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, Mildred Coles, Roy Barcroft, Gene Roth and Earle Hodgins. The film was released o ...

'' (1948) * ''

The Sickle or the Cross ''The Sickle or the Cross'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Frank Strayer, which stars Kent Taylor, Gloria Holden, and Gene Lockhart. The screenplay was written by Jesse L. Lasky Jr. from an original story by T. G. Eggers. Produced and ...

'' (1949) * '' Dunked in the Deep'' (1949) - Borscht * ''

Ghost of Zorro ''Ghost of Zorro'' is a 1949 Republic Movie serial. It uses substantial stock footage from earlier serials, including ''Son of Zorro'' and '' Daredevils of the West''. This film was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Plot The year is 1865 and t ...

'' (1949) - George Crane * ''

Trail of the Rustlers ''Trail of the Rustlers'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Gail Davis and Tommy Ivo. It is part of the Durango Kid series of films.Pitts p.363 It is also known by the alternative title ''Los ...

'' (1950) * '' The Hoodlum'' (1951) - Prison Warden Stevens (uncredited) * ''

Red Snow Red Snow was a British thermonuclear weapon, based on the US W28 (then called Mark 28) design used in the B28 thermonuclear bomb and AGM-28 Hound Dog missile. The US W28 had yields of and while Red Snow yields are still classified, declassified ...

'' (1952) * ''

Gold Fever A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Ze ...

'' (1952) * '' Fargo'' (1952) * '' Wetbacks'' (1956) * ''

The Go-Getter "The Go-Getter" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the March 1931 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'' (as "Sales Resistance"), and in the United Kingdom in the August 1931 ''Strand''. Part of the Blandings ...

'' (1956) - Head File Clerk * '' The Quiet Gun'' (1957) - Frank Townsend (uncredited) * ''

Utah Blaine ''Utah Blaine'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Rory Calhoun. It was based on a novel by Louis L'Amour. Plot After saving a rancher from hanging, cowboy Mike "Utah" Blaine learns that his enemy Rink Witte ...

'' (1957) - Tom Cory * ''

The True Story of Jesse James ''The True Story of Jesse James'' is a 1957 American Western drama film adapted from Henry King's 1939 film '' Jesse James'', which was only loosely based on James' life. It was directed by Nicholas Ray, with Robert Wagner portraying Jesse Jam ...

'' (1957) - Railroad Engineer (uncredited) * ''

Zombies of Mora Tau ''Zombies of Mora Tau'' (also known as ''The Dead That Walk'') is a 1957 black-and-white zombie horror film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Gregg Palmer, Allison Hayes and Autumn Russel. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, it was produced b ...

'' (1957) - Sam * '' God Is My Partner'' (1957) - Mr. Johnson (uncredited) * '' Jet Pilot'' (1957) - Sokolov's Batman (uncredited) * ''

Rockabilly Baby ''Rockabilly Baby'' is a 1957 American musical film directed by William F. Claxton and written by William Driskill and William George. The film stars Virginia Field, Douglas Kennedy, Les Brown, Irene Ryan, Ellen Corby, Marlene Willis and Judy ...

'' (1957) - Harry Johnson * ''

She Demons ''She Demons'' is a 1958 American independent black-and-white science fiction horror film, produced by Arthur A. Jacobs and Marc Frederic, directed and co-written by Richard E. Cunha, that stars Irish McCalla, Tod Griffin, and Victor Sen Yu ...

'' (1958) - Igor * ''

The Young Lions ''The Young Lions'' (1948) is a novel by Irwin Shaw about three soldiers in World War II. Plot Christian Diestl is at first a sympathetic Austrian drawn to Nazism by despair for his future but willing to sacrifice Jews if necessary. Noah Acke ...

'' (1958) - Bavarian Café Manager (uncredited) * ''

Earth vs. the Spider ''Earth vs. the Spider'' (a.k.a. ''The Spider'') is an independently made 1958 American black-and-white science fiction horror film produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon, who also provided the plot upon which the screenplay by George Wort ...

'' (1958) - Sheriff Cagle * ''

I Want to Live! ''I Want to Live!'' is a 1958 American biographical film noir directed by Robert Wise and starring Susan Hayward, Simon Oakland, Virginia Vincent and Theodore Bikel. It follows the life of Barbara Graham, a prostitute and habitual criminal w ...

'' (1958) - Eric, Machinist (uncredited) * '' Alaska Passage'' (1959) - Anderson * ''

The Rebel Set ''The Rebel Set'' is a 1959 American crime drama film in black and white directed by Gene Fowler Jr. It was later featured and riffed on ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' in Season 4. Plot summary Mr. Tucker (Platt), proprietor of a Los Angel ...

'' (1959) - Conductor, New York Train * '' The Miracle of the Hills'' (1959) - Sheriff Crane * ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...

'' (1959) - Drunken Sea Captain (uncredited) * ''

Attack of the Giant Leeches ''Attack of the Giant Leeches'' (originally to be called ''The Giant Leeches'') is an independently made, 1959 black-and-white science fiction film, science fiction-horror film, produced by Gene Corman and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. It sta ...

'' (1959) - Sheriff Kovis * '' Jet Over the Atlantic'' (1959) * ''

G.I. Blues ''G.I. Blues'' is a 1960 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley and Juliet Prowse. The movie was filmed at Paramount Pictures studio, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Pr ...

'' (1960) - Businessman #1 with Klugmann (uncredited) * '' Tormented'' (1960) - Mr. Nelson, lunch stand operator * '' Cimarron'' (1960) - Connors (uncredited) * ''

Atlantis, the Lost Continent ''Atlantis, the Lost Continent'' is a 1961 American science fiction film in Metrocolor produced and directed by George Pal and starring Sal Ponti (under the screen name of Anthony Hall), Joyce Taylor, and John Dall. The film was distributed ...

'' (1961) - Governor of Animals (uncredited) * ''

The Cat Burglar ''The Cat Burglar'' is a 1961 American neo-noir crime film written by actor and former criminal Leo Gordon and directed by William Witney. It starred Jack Hogan, June Kenney and John Baer.Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...

'' (1961) - Chief Justice (uncredited) * ''

'' (1962) - Captain (uncredited) * ''

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm ''The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm'' is a 1962 American fantasy film directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion animation. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of ...

'' (1962) - Berlin Royal Academy Representative at Train Station (uncredited) * ''

Stagecoach to Dancers' Rock ''Stagecoach to Dancers' Rock'' is a 1962 American Western film directed by Earl Bellamy, written by Keneth Darling, and starring Warren Stevens, Martin Landau, Jody Lawrance, Judy Dan, Don Wilbanks, Del Moore and Robert Anderson. It was rel ...

'' (1962) - Jude * ''

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

'' (1962) - The Tailor (uncredited) * '' How the West Was Won'' (1962) - Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited) * ''

The Courtship of Eddie's Father ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' is an American sitcom based on the 1963 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Mark Toby (edited by Dorothy Wilson). The series is about a widower, Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), who is a ...

'' (1963) - The Minister (uncredited) * ''

Twice-Told Tales ''Twice-Told Tales'' is a short story collection in two volumes by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first volume was published in the spring of 1837 and the second in 1842. The stories had all been previously published in magazines and annuals, hence th ...

'' (1963) - Cabman * '' The Prize'' (1963) - Bjornefeldt (uncredited) * '' The Best Man'' (1964) - Pennsylvania Delegate (uncredited) * ''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...

'' (1964) - German (uncredited) * '' Sylvia'' (1965) - Professor Eglebert (uncredited) * ''

The Greatest Story Ever Told ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens. It is a retelling of the Biblical account about Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity through to the Ascension. Along with the ensemble cast ...

'' (1965) - (uncredited) * ''

Young Dillinger ''Young Dillinger'' is a 1965 gangster film directed by Terry O. Morse. It stars Nick Adams as the notorious criminal John Dillinger, and co-stars Robert Conrad, John Ashley and Mary Ann Mobley. Plot With help from Elaine, his girlfriend, you ...

'' (1965) - Herman, Justice of the Peace * ''

Torn Curtain ''Torn Curtain'' is a 1966 American Political thriller, political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Written by Brian Moore (novelist), Brian Moore, the film is set in the Cold War. It is about ...

'' (1966) - Guard in Post Office (uncredited) * ''

Rosie! ''Rosie!'' is a 1967 American comedy film directed by David Lowell Rich, based on Ruth Gordon's play ''A Very Rich Woman''. Plot Rosie Lord is a widowed millionaire who, much to the dismay of her daughters Mildred and Edith, spends her money ...

'' (1967) - Joseph

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roth, Gene 1903 births 1976 deaths American male film actors Road incident deaths in California 20th-century American male actors People from Redfield, South Dakota