Hubert Diltz

born: 17 August 1897
Colorado Springs, Colorado,
United States of America
died: 27 July 1957
Los Angeles, California,
United States of America
(bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis, age 59)

American actor who worked as an extra for Mack Sennett in the 1920's. He also worked as Ben Turpin's stuntman in several comedies. Diltz's brother, Charles Diltz (who married a Sennett bathing girl), was a writer and director.
He was a World War I veteran, and also sometimes went by the first name "Herbert" (as in his WWI records, alternate name on death certificate). He enlisted on 15 December 1917 at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah (Army serial #1,185,243). The Salt Lake Tribune on 25 January 1918 listed "Herbert Osborne Diltz" among 41 drafted soldiers being sought because they failed to answer their registration questionnaires. Nonetheless, Diltz served in the following organizations: the 52nd Provisional Recruit Squadron, Waco, Texas (to 18 February 1918), the 28th Balloon Company (to 6 June 1918), and the 155th Depot Brigade (to his discharge). He was honorably discharged on 19 August 1918 with a Surgeon's Certificate of Disability (he was viewed as 25% disabled on date of discharge).
His given or suggested birth year varies from document to document, with a stated or suggested range of any year from 1892 to 1899. Though 1895 is given on his death certificate (informant was his brother Charles, who himself was born in June 1895 - thus his brother could not have been born a mere month later), and as thus, is commonly reported by many sources, a look at the available or found documents pertaining to him shows that 1897 is the one supported by the majority, including most of the earliest records located for him (1900, 1910 and 1920 Censuses), and is thus the birth year I would go with.
Real name: Hubert Osborn Diltz
Height: 5'8½"
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

5


1934
The Live Ghost
Sailor

1935
Treasure Blues
Customer paying his bill/
Stand-in for Arthur Housman

1936
The Pinch Singer
Audience extra

1936
Divot Diggers
Tractor driver

1936
On The Wrong Trek
Hobo

Acknowledgements:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQMC-VD3 (1900 Census, line 84 - b. Aug 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK4Q-7B5 (1910 Census, line 45 - 16 Apr 1910 + age 12 = b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29J9-TSQ (WWI draft registration card - Herbert Osborn Diltz - b. 1894)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQX-T99 (1920 Census, line 71 - 7-8 Jan 1920 + age 22 = b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8N9-LGJ (1922 marriage - 30 Dec 1922 + age 25 = b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLW-NW5D (son Delmar's birth certificate - 4 Feb 1925 + age 27 = b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL7-FLB8 (daughter Carol's birth certificate - 7 Feb 1928 + age 30 = b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCFK-XM1 (1930 Census, line 80 - 5 Apr 1930 + age 33 = b. 1896)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZQ3-S9H (1932 passenger list, line 17 - explicitly states b. 1898, but 24 Jul 1932 + age 34 suggests b. 1897)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9HW-KGK (1940 Census, line 20 - 11 Apr 1940 + age 40 = b. 1899)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPWH-FR1 (CA Death Index - b. 1895)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9SV-99QZ-L (death certificate - b. 1895)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/289490154/ (Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Dec 1917)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/289513211/ (Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Jan 1918)
"Utah, Military Records, 1861-1970," Ancestry.com (Herbert O Diltz - b. 1894)
"U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947," Ancestry.com (Hubert Diltz - b. 1897)
"U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry.com (Hubert Diltz - b. 1892)
Jesse Brisson (research and help; identification in The Pinch Singer, Treasure Blues, On The Wrong Trek)
Jim Jarvis (research and help)
Jim Dallape (help)

This page was last updated on: 19 April 2023