Herman Bing (1889 - 1947)

Born 30 Mar 1889 in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen-Nassau, Preußen, Deutsches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Karoline (Lichtenstein) Bing — married 20 Oct 1915 in Berlin, Brandenburg, Preußen, Deutsches Reich

Descendants

Died 9 Jan 1947 at age 57 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Biography

Herman Bing is Notable.

Herman Bing was born on March 30, 1889, in what was then Frankfurt am Main, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia. He was son of the opera singer Max Bing (1865-1919) and his wife, Frieda Seckback (1869-1939). He had three siblings, Eana, Gustav (1893-1967), and Clara (1895-1976).

Herman is said to have begun his career at the circus, at age 16, and then became a comic in Vaudeville. However, in 1910, at age 21, he was residing with his parents and younger siblings in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a bookkeeper at a wholesale house.

Apparently, Herman returned to Garmany shortly thereafter, and on 20 Oct 1915, he married Karoline Lichtenstein in Berlin. Their only child, Ellen, was born there 1 Apr 1920.

Herman made his film debut in the German film Ciska Barna, die Zigeunerin (1921) and worked as production chief on several other films in Germany.

Karoline died 31 Jan 1923, in Berlin, and on 20 Mar 1923, Herman left Germany for America aboard the ship Minnekahda, arriving at the port of New York on 30 March. A month later. on 1 May 1923, Herman filed his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen, in Chicago, noting his occupation as "accountant". It could be, distraught over his wife's passing, that he had little desire to ere-enter the world of show business. But by 1927, Herman had returned to show business, serving as assistant director and interpreter for German director F. W. Murnauon on his silent film, Sunset, starring actress Janet Gaynor. Herman also made his screen debut in this film, in an uncredited role as a streetcar conductor.

On 13, Nov 1928, Herman took his Oath of Allegiance and became a United States citizen

In 1930, at age 41, Herman was residing in Los Angeles, California, with his widowed mother; his unmarried sister, Clara (age 34); his divorced sister, Erna (age 39); and Erna's twelve-year-old daughter, Ruth.

In 1940, Herman continued to reside in Los Angeles, with his two sisters, his niece Ruth, and now his daughter Ellen (age 20).

In 1944, Herman registered for the World War II draft in Beverly Hills, California. By then, the War was raging across Europe and American audiences had begun to reject all things German. Over time, Herman became increasingly depressed, as his heavy German accent prevented him from securing work in Hollywood. On 9 Jan 1947, Herman committed suicide by self-inflicted gunshot, in Los Angeles, California.

Known for his wild-eyed facial expressions and thick German accent, over the course of his career Herman would act in more than 120 films, although many of his parts were uncredited. Among his acting credits were Hide-Out (1934), Redheads on Parade (1935), and The Great Waltz (1938). Herman also provided the voice for the Ringmaster in Walt Disney's animated classic Dumbo (1941).

Sources

• Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1936 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKCQ-H79 : accessed 17 July 2021), Herman Bing in household of Max Bing, Chicago Ward 6, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 349, sheet 4B, family 65, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 246; FHL microfilm 1,374,259.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCJ1-QFH : accessed 17 July 2021), Herman Bing in household of Freda Bing, Los Angeles (Districts 0001-0250), Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 59, sheet 6B, line 99, family 370, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 134; FHL microfilm 2,339,869.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CD-G43 : 6 January 2021), Herman Bing, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-120, sheet 12B, line 69, family 255, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 398.

• "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGRT-LPBR : 1 March 2021), Herman Bing, 1947.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #5470

See also:

• Wikipedia: Herman Bing
• Wikidata: Item Q76708
• IMDB: [IMDB: Herman Bing
• WikiTree: Classic Disney Project