William Ruhl

William Ruhl (October 25, 1901 – March 12, 1956), also known Bill Ruhl or William H. Ruhl, was an American character actor of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Born on October 25, 1901 in Colfax, Washington, Ruhl would enter the film industry in the small role of a shopper in 1934's The Man Who Reclaimed His Head, starring Claude Rains and Joan Bennett. Over the course of his career he would appear in over 150 films and television shows, including over 125 feature films. During the 1940s he was used frequently by Monogram Studios, appearing in several of their series, including Charlie Chan, The Bowery Boys, and Joe Palooka. Notable films in which he appeared include: Pittsburgh (1942), starring John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott; Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur, also in 1942; Hit the Ice (1943), starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello; Michael Curtiz's 1945 drama, Mildred Pierce, for which Joan Crawford won the Academy Award for Best Actress; Life With Father (1947), starring William Powell, Irene Dunne, and Elizabeth Taylor; and Cecil B. DeMille's epic, The Greatest Show on Earth in 1952. Ruhl's final film appearance would be in 1953's Above and Beyond, which starred Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker. In addition to his film work, Ruhl would also make appearances on several television shows, including The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Ruhl died on March 12, 1956 in Hollywood, California at the age of 54. He was buried in Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, California.