Clarence Wertz

born: 03 March 1891 Bloomfield, New Jersey, United States of America

died: 03 December 1935 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (peritonitis due to ruptured appendix, age 44)

American actor, acrobat, and stuntman who once worked in silent comedies with Max Linder (in 1922's "The Three Must-Get-Theres"), Larry Semon, and Joe Rock, among others. Previously performing in vaudeville as part of an acrobatic duo, Wertz entered films in 1916 and continued working in such for nearly twenty years until shortly before his death. He also later worked as a double for Guy Kibbee and Ed Wynn. At the time of his death, he had recently filmed a bit as a drunk in the Eddie Cantor film "Strike Me Pink" (released 1936). Per his death certificate, he had last worked as a motion picture actor just one week (26 Nov) before his passing (at Alvarado Hospital at 1:30am on 03 Dec 1935) from peritonitis, about two weeks after his appendix had "ruptured." After his passing, The Screen Guilds' Magazine (Jan 1936) noted that Wertz was "an active worker in the [Junior Screen Actors' Guild] organization and a member of the [Junior Guild] Advisory Board," and called him "one of the best Junior Guild workers from the start and [he] served two terms on the Advisory Board."

Real name: Clarence P. Wertz

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1930 Shivering Shakespeare Man in bull costume Acknowledgements: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9J4-N8B (1900 Census; link and indexing are screwy) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVN-K2L (WWI draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQV-6GL (1920 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8ZN-6J3 (1922 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:H94D-756Z (1922 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCV4-M1M (1930 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKS9-K8J1 (CA Death Index) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLM-YSBY (death certificate) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9371587 (Find a Grave) https://billiongraves.com/grave/Carence-P-Wertz/4591011 (BillionGraves) https://archive.org/details/sfnewsletter90unse/page/n195/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (San Francisco News Letter, 21 Aug 1915) https://archive.org/details/screamer1916191700scre/page/n272/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (The Screamer, 23 Jun 1917) https://archive.org/details/movwor33chal/page/n290/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (Moving Picture World, 14 Jul 1917) https://archive.org/details/movingpicturewee59movi_1/page/n434/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (Moving Picture Weekly, 13 Oct 1917) https://archive.org/details/variety49-1917-12/page/n412/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wurtz%22&view=theater (Variety, 28 Dec 1917) https://archive.org/details/screenland11unse/page/n231/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (Screenland, Jul 1925) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/717457624/ (Hollywood Citizen-News, 04 Dec 1935) https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19351205.2.187 (San Pedro News-Pilot, 05 Dec 1935) https://archive.org/details/motionpicturedai38unse_0/page/n557/mode/1up?q=%22c+p+wertz+passes%22&view=theater (Motion Picture Daily, 06 Dec 1935) https://archive.org/details/variety120-1935-12/page/n125/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (Variety, 11 Dec 1935) https://archive.org/details/ScreenGuildsMagJan1936/page/n13/mode/1up?q=%22clarence+wertz%22&view=theater (Screen Guilds' Magazine, Jan 1936) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q283-92NH (parents' marriage, 1890) https://www.ebay.com/itm/115163916648 (05 Oct 1935 contract for "Strike Me Pink" [under working title "Shoot the Chutes"]) [autograph source] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOkO2elWF3c ("The Silent Comedy Watch Party ep 02 - Mar 29, 2020 - Ben Model and Steve Massa") [screenshot source; 01:03:18 mark] Jesse Brisson (bio notes and research) This page was last updated on: 30 January 2023