Ferdinand Schumann-Heink

Who was Ferdinand Schumann-Heink?

Ferdinand Schumann-Heink was a prolific character actor with over 65 films to his credit. He was the son of opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink.

Though most of his films were uncredited roles, he wrote the screenplay for the 1930 film Mamba.

During the First World War Ferdinand enlisted in the U.S. Army Field Artillery, serving at Camp Funston, Arizona until he was medically discharged with weakened lungs from pneumonia. Ferdinand's brother George Washington Schumann-Heink died of illness whilst in the US Army. His brother August had returned to Germany where he was killed in action with the Imperial German Navy when his U-Boat hit a mine in the Mediterranean Sea.