Victor Potel
Encyclopedia
Victor Potel was an American film character actor
who began in the silent era
and appeared in over 430 films in his 38 year career.
in 1889, and his acting career goes back almost to the beginning of the commercial film industry in the United States
. He made his first silent film in 1910, a comedy short filmed in Chicago
by Essanay Film Manufacturing Company called A Dog on Business. Potel continued to make films for Essanay, appearing in dozens of films every year, including most of the Broncho Billy series, and played a character called "Slippery Sam" in 80 movies. He also appeared in Universal Pictures
' "Snakeville" series.
Potel's first talking picture was Melody of Love, starring Walter Pidgeon
, made for Universal in 1928, and in the sound era he continued to work continuously and constantly, playing small parts and sometimes uncredited bit parts, all primarily comic roles due to his height (6' 1", 1.85m) and gawkiness.
In addition to acting, on several occasions Potel also wrote and directed. In the 1920s he directed two silent shorts, The Rubber-Neck in 1924 and Action Craver in 1927, and contributed the story for Saxophobia in 1927. In the following decade, in the sound era, he was the dialogue director for The Big Chance (1933), and wrote the story for Inside Information in 1934). In 1935 he provided continuity and dialogue for Million Dollar Haul and the screenplay for Hot Off the Press. In the 1940s, Potel was part of Preston Sturges
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
, appearing in nine films written and directed by Sturges.
Potel continued to work right up until his death on 8 March 1947. The final film he worked on, Relentless finished filming on 28 February of that year.
Sound
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who began in the silent era
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and appeared in over 430 films in his 38 year career.
Career
Victor Potel was born in Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
in 1889, and his acting career goes back almost to the beginning of the commercial film industry in the United States
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
. He made his first silent film in 1910, a comedy short filmed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
by Essanay Film Manufacturing Company called A Dog on Business. Potel continued to make films for Essanay, appearing in dozens of films every year, including most of the Broncho Billy series, and played a character called "Slippery Sam" in 80 movies. He also appeared in Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
' "Snakeville" series.
Potel's first talking picture was Melody of Love, starring Walter Pidgeon
Walter Pidgeon
Walter Davis Pidgeon was a Canadian actor, who starred in many motion pictures, including Mrs...
, made for Universal in 1928, and in the sound era he continued to work continuously and constantly, playing small parts and sometimes uncredited bit parts, all primarily comic roles due to his height (6' 1", 1.85m) and gawkiness.
In addition to acting, on several occasions Potel also wrote and directed. In the 1920s he directed two silent shorts, The Rubber-Neck in 1924 and Action Craver in 1927, and contributed the story for Saxophobia in 1927. In the following decade, in the sound era, he was the dialogue director for The Big Chance (1933), and wrote the story for Inside Information in 1934). In 1935 he provided continuity and dialogue for Million Dollar Haul and the screenplay for Hot Off the Press. In the 1940s, Potel was part of Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
Preston Sturges Unofficial Stock Company Actors
Actors who frequently worked with film director Preston Sturges: !! Christmas in July !! The Lady Eve !! Sullivan's Travels !! The Palm Beach Story !! The Miracle of Morgan's Creek !! Hail the Conquering Hero !! The Great Moment !! The Sin of Harold Diddlebock !! Unfaithfully Yours !! The...
, appearing in nine films written and directed by Sturges.
Potel continued to work right up until his death on 8 March 1947. The final film he worked on, Relentless finished filming on 28 February of that year.
Selected filmography
Silent- A Dog on Business (1910)
- Alkali Ike's AutoAlkali Ike's AutoAlkali Ike's Auto is a 1911 film directed by Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson.-Cast:* Augustus Carney - Alkali Ike* Harry Todd - Mustang Pete* Margaret Joslin - Betty Brown* Arthur Mackley - Man in Apron* Victor Potel* John B. O'Brien...
(19111911 in filmThe year 1911 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 23: D.W Griffith shows the first major close-up shot on film with the successful release of The Lonedale Operator proving his ever growing mastery of how to utilise film....
) - His RegenerationHis RegenerationHis Regeneration is a 1915 American comedy silent film made by Essanay Studios. It featured Charlie Chaplin in an uncredited role as a customer.-Synopsis:A rough criminal gets into an argument over a girl in a dance hall.-Cast:* Gilbert M...
(19151915 in filmThe year 1915 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 8 : D.W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks box office and film length records, running at a total length of 3 hrs 10 minutes.* June 18 : The Motion Picture Directors...
) - Baseball MadnessBaseball MadnessBaseball Madness is a 1917 silent comedy film directed by Billy Mason and starring Gloria Swanson.-Cast:* Gloria Swanson* Billy Mason* Orin Jackson - * Mark Fenton* Countess Du Cello - * Victor Potel...
(1917) - The Outcasts of Poker FlatThe Outcasts of Poker Flat (1919 film)The Outcasts of Poker Flat was a 1919 Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. The film is considered to be lost. -Cast:* Harry Carey - Square Shootin' Harry Lanyon/John Oakhurst* Cullen Landis - Billy Lanyon/Tommy Oakhurst...
(19191919 in filmThe year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
) - The Petal on the CurrentThe Petal on the CurrentThe Petal on the Current is a 1919 drama film directed by Tod Browning.-Cast:* Mary MacLaren - Stella Schump* Gertrude Claire - Stella's Mother* Fritzi Ridgeway - Cora Kinealy * Robert Anderson - John Gilley...
(1919) - One a Minute(1921)
- I Can Explain (19221922 in film-Events:* June 11 - United States première of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, the first commercially successful feature length documentary film....
) - Step on It!Step on It! (film)Step on It! is a 1922 Western film directed by Jack Conway and featuring Hoot Gibson.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson - Vic Collins* Edith Yorke - Mrs. Collins* Frank Lanning - Pidge Walters* Barbara Bedford - Lorraine Leighton* Victor Potel - Noisy Johnson...
(1922) - The Loaded DoorThe Loaded DoorThe Loaded Door is a 1922 American Western film directed by Harry A. Pollard and starring Hoot Gibson.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson as Bert Lyons* Gertrude Olmstead as Molly Grainger* William Ryno as Bud Grainger * A...
(1922) - A Lost LadyA Lost LadyWilla Cather's A Lost Lady was first published in 1923. It tells the story of Marian Forrester and her husband, Captain Daniel Forrester who live in the Western town of Sweet Water, along the Transcontinental Railroad.-Plot summary:...
1924 - Beyond the BorderBeyond the BorderBeyond the Border is a 1925 Western film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and starring Harry Carey.-Cast:* Harry Carey - Bob Smith* William Scott - Bob Moore* Mildred Harris - Molly Smith* Tom Santschi - Nick Perdue* Jack Richardson - Brick Dawson...
(19251925 in film-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
) - Below the Line (1925)
- Ten Years (1925)
- The Bar-C MysteryThe Bar-C MysteryThe Bar-C Mystery is a 1926 Western film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. It is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Dorothy Phillips - Jane Cortelyou* Wallace MacDonald - Nevada* Ethel Clayton - Mrs...
(19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) - Morganson's Finish (1926)
- Special DeliverySpecial Delivery (1927 film)Special Delivery is a 1927 silent comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Eddie Cantor - Eddie, The Mail Carrier* Jobyna Ralston - Madge, The Girl* William Powell - Harold Jones* Donald Keith - Harrigan, The Fireman...
(19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) - Captain Swagger (1928)
- Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1928)
Sound
- Melody of LoveMelody of Love"Melody of Love" is a popular song. The music was originally written by Hans Engelmann in 1903. The lyrics were added by Tom Glazer in 1954.An instrumental version recorded by Billy Vaughn was the highest-charting version on the Billboard charts in 1955...
1928) - The Bad OneThe Bad OneThe Bad One is an American black-and-white musical film directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Dolores del Río and featuring Boris Karloff and is a romantic prison drama film...
(19301930 in film-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
) - Doughboys (1930)
- Ten Cents a DanceTen Cents a Dance (1931 film)Ten Cents a Dance is a 1931 romantic drama film starring Barbara Stanwyck as a married taxi dancer who falls in love with one of her customers...
(19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - King of the WildKing of the WildKing of the Wild is a Mascot movie serial.-Plot:Robert Grant, framed for a coup in the Indian country of Ranjapur, escapes from prison to Africa in search of the real villains...
(1931) - The Squaw ManThe Squaw Man (1931 film)The Squaw Man is a film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It was the third version of the same play that he filmed, and the first in sound. It stars Warner Baxter in the leading role. The film lost $150,000 in its initial release...
(1931) - Partners (1932)
- The Adventures of Rex and RintyThe Adventures of Rex and RintyThe Adventures of Rex and Rinty is a Mascot film serial starring the Rex and canine actor Rin Tin Tin, Jr..-Cast:* Rex as Rex, The King of Wild Horses* Rin Tin Tin, Jr...
(19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - Big Boy Rides AgainBig Boy Rides Again- Cast :*Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as Tom Duncan*Constance Bergen as Nancy Smiley*Charles K. French as John Duncan*Lafe McKee as Tap Smiley*Victor Potel as Ranch Foreman Scarface*William Gould as Lawyer Burt Hartecker*Bud Osborne as Windy...
(1935) - The Fighting MarinesThe Fighting MarinesThe Fighting Marines is a Mascot movie serial. This was the last serial ever produced by Mascot. The studio was bought out and merged with others to become Republic Pictures...
(1935) - The Last of the Clintons (1935)
- O'Malley of the Mounted (1936)
- The Great McGintyThe Great McGintyThe Great McGinty is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff and featuring William Demarest and Muriel Angelus. It was Sturges's first film as a director; he sold the story to Paramount Pictures for just $10 on condition...
(19401940 in filmThe year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
) - Christmas in JulyChristmas in July (film)Christmas in July is a 1940 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges based on his 1931 play A Cup of Coffee. It was Sturges' second film as writer-director, after The Great McGinty, and stars Dick Powell and Ellen Drew....
(1940) - Sullivan's TravelsSullivan's TravelsSullivan's Travels is a 1941 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a satire about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who longs to make a socially relevant drama, but eventually learns that comedies are his more valuable contribution to society. The film features...
(1941) - The Palm Beach StoryThe Palm Beach StoryThe Palm Beach Story is a 1942 romantic screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor Young contributed the lively musical score, including a fast-paced variation of William Tell Overture for the...
(19421942 in filmThe year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
) - The Miracle of Morgan's CreekThe Miracle of Morgan's CreekThe Miracle of Morgan's Creek is a 1944 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall...
(1944) - The Egg and IThe Egg and I (film)The Egg and I is a 1947 film directed by Chester Erskine, who co-wrote screenplay with Fred F. Finklehoffe, based on the book by Betty MacDonald.This comedy was such a hit with audiences, it spawned the Ma and Pa Kettle film series...
(19471947 in filmThe year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten".*November 25...
) - Relentless 1948)