Christian Rub
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Christian Rub (pronounced ''Rhoob''; April 13, 1886 – April 14, 1956) was an Austrian-born American
character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
. He was known for his work in films of the late 1910s to the early 1950s, and was featured in more than 100 films.


Biography

Rub's parents, Otto and Paula, were an actor and a "stage beauty", respectively. His sister, Marianne, performed on radio. Rub was born in
Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
, in
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. Rub became a comedian as a boy in Germany. When he was 15, he performed in a French drama in Vienna at the Imperial theater. Two years later, he was in the Tyrolean Alps with a company, "playing everything from very ancient grandpas to very young lovers." He starred in two-reel comedies in Hollywood in the early 1920s. His first appearance was in the 1919 movie '' The Belle of New York''. He ventured into drama on stage with a role in a production of ''Grand Hotel'' in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Rub provided the voice of
Geppetto Geppetto ( ; ) is a fictional character in the 1883 Italian novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator (and thus 'father') of Pinocchio. He wears a yellow wig resemblin ...
in the 1940 animated Disney film ''
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'', as well as voices of kindly old men for
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
, Fox and
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
cartoons. Rub was not the original voice for Geppetto. He replaced the first actor, whose voice Walt Disney considered to be too harsh. During the creation of ''Pinocchio,'' Rub was notorious amongst the film's animators for his open and frequent expression of admiration for
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
. Rub's last movie role was in 1952's '' Something for the Birds''. He died in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...
one day after his 70th birthday.


Partial filmography

* '' The Belle of New York'' (1919) – (film debut) * ''
The Trial of Vivienne Ware ''The Trial of Vivienne Ware'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William K. Howard, written by Barry Conners and Philip Klein, and starring Joan Bennett, Donald Cook, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, ZaSu Pitts, Lilian Bond a ...
'' (1932) – Axel Nordstrom * '' The Man from Yesterday'' (1932) – Swiss Terrace Waiter * ''
Those We Love ''Those We Love'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Robert Florey. It was adapted by F. Hugh Herbert from the play by George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, ...
'' (1932) – (uncredited) * '' The Crooked Circle'' (1932) – Old Dan * ''Le bluffeur'' (1932) – Dr. Rudolph Pfeiffer – Inventor * '' Silver Dollar'' (1932) – Rische * '' Secrets of the French Police'' (1932) – Anton Dorain * '' No Other Woman'' (1933) – Eli Bogavitch * '' The Billion Dollar Scandal'' (1933) – Locksmith Convict (uncredited) * '' Luxury Liner'' (1933) – Peasant Father * '' Humanity'' (1933) – Schmiddy * '' The Mind Reader'' (1933) – Printer (uncredited) * '' The Kiss Before the Mirror'' (1933) – Man on the Wrong Floor * '' Mary Stevens, M.D.'' (1933) – Gus – Mary's Janitor * ''
Tugboat Annie ''Tugboat Annie'' is a 1933 American pre-Code film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, written by Norman Reilly Raine and Zelda Sears, and starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery as a comically quarrelsome middle-aged couple who operate a tugboat. ...
'' (1933) – Sailor (uncredited) * '' Bureau of Missing Persons'' (1933) – Apartment House Custodian (uncredited) * '' A Man of Sentiment'' (1933) – Herman Heupelkossel * '' Man of Two Worlds'' (1934) – Knudson * '' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1934) – Innkeeper (uncredited) * '' No More Women'' (1934) – Big Pants * '' No Greater Glory'' (1934) – Watchman * '' Private Scandal'' (1934) – August – First Customer (uncredited) * '' Little Man, What Now?'' (1934) – Herr Puttbreese * '' Stamboul Quest'' (1934) – Dr. Joachim Leder (uncredited) * '' Romance in the Rain'' (1934) – Slotnick * '' The Fountain'' (1934) – Kerstholt * '' No Ransom'' (1934) – Budge (uncredited) * '' I Am a Thief'' (1934) – Train Station Attendant (uncredited) * '' Music in the Air'' (1934) – Zipfelhuber * ''
The Mighty Barnum ''The Mighty Barnum'' is a 1934 film directed by Walter Land and starring Wallace Beery as P.T. Barnum. The movie was written by Gene Fowler and Bess Meredyth, adapted from their play of the same name. Beery had played Barnum four years earl ...
'' (1934) – Bit Part (uncredited) * '' The Night Is Young'' (1935) – Cafe Proprietor (uncredited) * '' Romance in Manhattan'' (1935) – Otto – an Immigrant (uncredited) * '' Maybe It's Love'' (1935) – Ole – the Janitor (uncredited) * '' One More Spring'' (1935) – Man with glasses in elevator (uncredited) * '' A Dog of Flanders'' (1935) – Hans * '' Black Fury'' (1935) – Hospitalized Miner (uncredited) * '' Stolen Harmony'' (1935) – Mathew Huxley (uncredited) * '' Mark of the Vampire'' (1935) – Deaf Man at Inquest (uncredited) * '' Age of Indiscretion'' (1935) – Briggs (uncredited) * '' Let 'Em Have It'' (1935) – Henkel * '' Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935) – Dr. Jorgen * '' Ladies Crave Excitement'' (1935) – Lars Swenson * '' Metropolitan'' (1935) – Weidel * '' Peter Ibbetson'' (1935) – Maj. Duquesnois * '' The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'' (1935) – Gallard's Guide (uncredited) * '' We're Only Human'' (1935) – William Anderson * '' Hitch Hike Lady'' (1935) – Farmer * '' Tough Guy'' (1936) – Cap (uncredited) * '' Next Time We Love'' (1936) – Otto—Innkeeper (uncredited) * '' The Leathernecks Have Landed'' (1936) – Schooner Captain * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) – Old Conductor (uncredited) * '' Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' (1936) – Christian Jenson (uncredited) * '' Murder on a Bridle Path'' (1936) – Chris Thomas * '' Dracula's Daughter'' (1936) – Coachman (uncredited) * '' The Princess Comes Across'' (1936) – Gustavson (uncredited) * '' Fury'' (1936) – Sven Ahern – Barber (uncredited) * '' Parole!'' (1936) – John – Jury Foreman (uncredited) * '' Sins of Man'' (1936) – Fritz * '' Suzy'' (1936) – 'Pop' Gaspard * '' Girls' Dormitory'' (1936) – Forester * '' Star for a Night'' (1936) – Postmaster (uncredited) * ''
The Devil Is a Sissy ''The Devil Is a Sissy'' is a 1936 American MGM comedy-drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and Rowland Brown. The film stars Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney, three of the biggest child stars of the 1930s. The film pre ...
'' (1936) – Tombstone Mason (uncredited) * '' Murder with Pictures'' (1936) – Olaf (uncredited) * '' Love on the Run'' (1936) – Stephen (uncredited) * '' Outcast'' (1937) – Olaf – the Valet * '' Maytime'' (1937) – Sleeper Outside Cafe (uncredited) * '' When Love Is Young'' (1937) – Anton Werner * '' Thin Ice'' (1937) – Minister (scenes deleted) * '' Café Metropole'' (1937) – Maxl Schinner * '' Captains Courageous'' (1937) – Old Clement (uncredited) * '' It Could Happen to You'' (1937) – Clavish * '' One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (1937) – Brandstetter * ''
Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' () and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' ( ...
'' (1937) – Baker * '' Prescription for Romance'' (1937) – Conductor * '' Tovarich'' (1937) – Trombone Player (uncredited) * '' Mad About Music'' (1938) – Pierre * '' Professor Beware'' (1938) – Gustave – Museum Attendant (uncredited) * '' I'll Give a Million'' (1938) – Commissionaire * '' You Can't Take It with You'' (1938) – Mr. Schmidt * '' The Great Waltz'' (1938) – Coachman * '' Never Say Die'' (1939) – The Mayor * '' Forged Passport'' (1939) – Mr. Nelson * '' Hidden Power'' (1939) – Doctor * '' No Place to Go'' (1939) – Otto Schlemmer * '' Everything Happens at Night'' (1939) – Telegrapher * ''
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'' (1940) – Geppetto (voice, uncredited) * '' Swiss Family Robinson'' (1940) – Thoren * '' Ski Patrol'' (1940) – Jakob Sorenson, old villager * ''
Earthbound ''EarthBound'', originally released in Japan as is a 1994 role-playing video game, role-playing video game developed by Ape, Inc., Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the second e ...
'' (1940) – Etienne Almette * '' Four Sons'' (1940) – Kapek * '' All This, and Heaven Too'' (1940) – Loti (uncredited) * ''
Haunted House A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property ...
'' (1940) – Olaf Jensen * '' Rhythm on the River'' (1940) – Pawnbroker (uncredited) * '' Father's Son'' (1941) – Lunk Nelson * '' Henry Aldrich for President'' (1941) – Janitor (uncredited) * '' Dangerously They Live'' (1941) – Steiner * '' Nazi Agent'' (1942) – Mohr (uncredited) * '' It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942) – Pop Schlumbom (uncredited) * '' Tales of Manhattan'' (1942) – Cello Player (Laughton sequence) * '' Berlin Correspondent'' (1942) – Prisoner * '' Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' (1943) – Tailor (uncredited) * '' The Leather Burners'' (1943) – Sooky Withers (uncredited) * '' Bomber's Moon'' (1943) – Johann * '' Princess O'Rourke'' (1943) – Janitor (uncredited) * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) – Jones (uncredited) * ''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...
'' (1944) – Mr. Snapps – Janitor (uncredited) * '' Jungle Woman'' (1944) – George – Groundsman * '' Three Is a Family'' (1944) – Bellboy * ''
Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band by George Gershwin. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects and premiered in a concer ...
'' (1945) – Swedish Janitor (uncredited) * '' Strange Confession'' (1945) – Mr. Moore * '' Fall Guy'' (1947) – Swede * '' Something for the Birds'' (1952) – Leo Fischer (final film role)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rub, Christian 1886 births 1956 deaths American male film actors American male voice actors Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States People from Passau Male actors from Graz Male actors from Bavaria