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| Jimmy Hertz |
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born:
03 April 1895 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America |
died:
11 June 1946 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (age 51) |
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Short, thin-haired American actor who played bit parts at Hal Roach around 1921-1923, in addition to more extensive work for Jack White/Educational, Mack Sennett, and Al Christie throughout the 1920s. The future James H. "Jimmy" Hertz was born Thomas H. H. Pritchett to Ella Virginia (née Jones, 1868-1931) and Thomas H. H. Pritchett -- likely Maryland-born grocer Thomas Holliday Hicks Pritchett (1860-1936). Per the 1900 U.S. Census, Ella had three children, of which Jimmy was the only one surviving. The Pritchetts separated by 1900, with Ella and Jimmy living in Alexandria, Indiana, in the 1900 U.S. Census (8 Jun), where 5-year old Jimmy is listed as Holliday Pritchett; Ella, a dressmaker, claims to be widowed. In 1909, Ella (Jones) Pritchette [sic] re-married to Louis Hertz in New Jersey. In the 1910 U.S. Census (25 Apr), the Hertzes are residing in Philadelphia, where 15-year old Jimmy is listed as James H. Pritchett, working as an insurance office boy; Louis is working as a produce salesman. During the 1910s, Thomas (Jimmy) began going by James H. Hertz. What the "H." stood for depended on the record: his military records give his middle name as Howard, while his Social Security Numident File record gives his middle name as Holliday. For the most part, he just gave the middle initial of "H." Three days before New Year's Eve, 1913, Jimmy had a daughter, Hazel Virginia Hertz (m. Cunningham, 1913-1988), in Philadelphia. The mother's name is given as Lettye Mills Hertz; I currently cannot find a marriage record for Jimmy and Lettye. Virginia is living with Jimmy in both the 1930 U.S. Census and on Jimmy's 1945 World War II draft registration card. On his World War I draft registration card (5 Jun 1917), James Howard Hertz is living in Mohawk, New York, and working as a machinist for the Remington Typewriter Co. in Ilion, New York. He is of medium height and slender build, and has gray eyes and brown hair. Jimmy would end up serving in the Army during World War I, enlisting on 15 September 1917; he was discharged on 17 June 1919, reaching the rank of Private First Class. In the 1920 U.S. Census (8 Jan), 24-year old Jimmy is residing with his mother Ella and stepfather Louis Hertz in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and working as a hotel clerk; Louis is a hotel chauffeur, and Ella is once again a dressmaker, working on her own account. Jimmy moved to Los Angeles around 1920-21 (his 1946 death certificate claims he had been in Los Angeles for 35 years, indicating a ca. 1911 arrival, but census and military records still have him on the East Coast through early 1920). A crew photo (seen in Brent Walker's "Mack Sennett's Fun Factory") from the production of the 1921 Hallroom Boys comedy "In Bad Again" shows Jimmy along with various cast and crew; the 1922 Los Angeles City Directory has Jimmy as a property man with Wilnat Films, Inc., producers of the Hallroom Boys comedies. From there, Jimmy worked for various comedy film outfits throughout the 1920s. He also occasionally worked as an assistant director at Mack Sennett during the late 1920s, where he also played bit and supporting roles. By the 1930 U.S. Census (4 Apr), Jimmy was working as a department manager, presumably wardrobe, for a motion picture studio, and living with his widowed mother Ella and his daughter Virginia at 5405 Carlton Way; at the time of his death, he was wardrobe department manager for Republic Studios (the former Sennett Studios). In the 1933 Los Angeles City Directory, his occupation is given as electrician; in the 1934 Directory, he is a costumer. Jimmy re-enlisted for service during World War II on 6 April 1942, and was discharged on 31 March 1945, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant. On his enlistment record, he stands 65" (5'5") tall, and weighs 142 pounds; his civilian occupation is given in the category of "Designers." On his post-service World War II draft registration card (10 Apr 1945), James H. Hertz is unemployed and living at 11306 Huston St., North Hollywood, California. He lists the person who will always know his address as his daughter, Virginia Cunningham, residing at the same address. His statistics are given as thus: he stands 5'5½" tall, weighs 140 pounds, and has blue eyes, gray hair, and a ruddy complexion. Sometime in the early 1930s, Jimmy married a woman named Laura, who divorced him in early 1944. On 8 July 1945, Jimmy married Toni Stockton (Lindsay) Crawford (1905-1987), a motion picture secretary and former actress from Tennessee; 50-year old Jimmy gives his occupation as costumer. Less than a year later, on 11 June 1946, Jimmy committed suicide at his 1334 N. Beachwood Dr. home via an overdose of sleeping tablets. As a veteran, he is buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery. |
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Real name: Thomas H. H. Pritchett Height: 5'5½" |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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