American actor and comedian who teamed with Babe Hardy for the Plump & Runt series after a successful stint playing with him in the Pokes & Jabbs comedies with Bobby Burns. Okay, so those are the facts. The rest is a complete clusterf*ck of misinformation, contradiction and quite frankly unbelievable speculation. Make of it what you will!
One source gives a (more believable) birth year of 1885, though I was first persuaded to use the 1866 year as according to his Billboard obituary, which says he was 89 at the time of his death, and the 1900 Census, which gives a possibly "shaved" birth year of 1870. I was then encouraged to use the 1867 year of birth based on further research though I personally don't see Billy Ruge being 50 years old in the Plump & Runt films - but that's just my opinion.
In the 1950 Census Ruge was living by himself at 146 W. 45th St., Manhattan, NYC at age 83. He worked 30 hrs per week as "theatrical----show business". He was "never married" and born in NY.
The 1900 Census lists August as his month of birth, whereas the 1904 Passport Application lists August 16th. The year 1867 comes from the June 1870 Plattsburg Census age 2. (I guess he couldn't talk yet so he couldn't lie about it like he often did.) The year 1867 and Plattsburg comes from his Dad's 1868 Naturalisation Papers in Plattsburg. He was born in French Canada. Without a birth record, I'd say it's safe to ASSUME that the August 16, 1867 birth is correct. The Passport says BILLY is 5'2" in height. The 1916, 1918 & 1919 Studio bios say he is 5'0". They also say he was born in 1885. The 1916 says NYC and the others just say N.Y. |
