Sig Arno

Sig Arno, born Siegfried Aron on December 27, 1895, in Hamburg, Germany, was a German-Jewish actor and stage comedian whose career spanned silent film, Hollywood cinema, and Broadway. He died on August 17, 1975, in Woodland Hills, California, from Parkinson's disease, at the age of 79.

Before entering film in 1920, Arno had established himself in Germany as a stage comedian. He went on to appear in approximately 90 German films, among them G.W. Pabst's Pandora's Box alongside Louise Brooks, working predominantly in comic roles. The rise of Adolf Hitler prompted him to leave Germany in 1933. He continued working in Europe until 1939, when he relocated to Hollywood.

Over the following two decades, Arno appeared in more than 50 American films, frequently cast as waiters, maître d's, and comic European characters. His film credits include Pardon My Sarong and The Mummy's Hand. Among his most recognized screen performances is his portrayal of Toto in The Palm Beach Story (1942), a mustachioed, nonsense-speaking man who relentlessly pursues Mary Astor's character, Princess Centimillia.

Arno's Broadway career extended from 1944 to 1958 and encompassed three productions. These included the musical Song of Norway, the play The Cold Wind and the Warm, and Time Remembered, a play by Jean Anouilh. His performance in Time Remembered earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1958.

In 1966, Arno received an honorary award at the German Film Awards recognizing his sustained and distinguished contributions to German cinema. Outside of performing, he was also a accomplished portrait painter. He was married four times, including twice to Caroline Dahms, with his final marriage to her lasting until his death.