Victor Potel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victor Potel (October 12, 1889 – March 8, 1947) was an American film character actor who began in the silent era and appeared in over 430 films in his 38-year career.
Victor Potel was born in Lafayette, Indiana 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 Slim" 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 ft 1 in or 1.85 m) 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.
Movies
The Egg and I
Crowbar
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Prof. Potelle
Yankee Fakir
Contest Chairman
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
The Glass Alibi
Gas Attendant (as Vic Potel)
Rhythm Round-Up
Slim Jensen
Flame of Barbary Coast
Train Fireman
A Medal for Benny
Pantera Pepster Club Member (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Newspaper Editor
Hail the Conquering Hero
Progressive Bandleader (uncredited)
The Great Moment
First Dental Patient
It Happened Tomorrow
Wagon Wheels West
Posse Rider (uncredited)
The Good Fellows
Branders (uncredited)
The Man in the Trunk
Deaf Floor Man (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
Mr. McKeewie
Sullivan's Travels
Cameraman
Ride on Vaquero
Ole
The Lady from Cheyenne
Lem
Pot o' Gold
Olaf Svenson (uncredited)
The Lady Eve
Second Steward (uncredited)
Trail of the Vigilantes
Conductor
Li'l Abner
Fantastic Brown
Christmas in July
Davenola Salesman
The Villain Still Pursued Her
Policeman (uncredited)
The Great McGinty
Cook (uncredited)
Girl from God's Country
Barber
Three Faces West
Postman
Young Tom Edison
Mr. Tompkins
Slightly Honorable
Gasoline Station Proprietor (Uncredited)
Chip of the Flying U
Station Agent
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
Man in Store
Blondie Brings Up Baby
Lars (uncredited)
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Ranch Hand
The Housekeeper's Daughter
Suspect
Hollywood Cavalcade
Slim
Second Fiddle
Steve - Crane Operator
Down the Wyoming Trail
Slim
Let Freedom Ring
Ole Swensen (uncredited)
Stand Up and Fight
Coach Driver
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Steve
On the Great White Trail
Lyons
The Girl of the Golden West
Lem - Stagecoach Driver
Adventure's End
Tall Sailor (uncredited)
Small Town Boy
Abner Towner
Western Gold
Jasper
White Bondage
Luke Stacey
Two Gun Law
Cassius
God's Country and the Woman
Turpentine
Laughing at Trouble
Lem Parker
The Captain's Kid
Deputy Jake Hutchinson
Fury
Jorgeson (uncredited)
Down to the Sea
Andy
O'Malley of the Mounted
Gabby - the Cook
Yellow Dust
Jugger - the Bartender
Three Godfathers
'Buck Tooth'
Song of the Saddle
Little Casino
Man Hunt
Townsman Pointing Out Shefiff's Office (uncredited)
The Broken Coin
Gun Play
Brawler (uncredited)
The Fighting Marines
Fake Native Chief [Ch. 12]
The Last of the Clintons
Jed Clinton
Moonlight on the Prairie
Tall Saloon Cowboy
Shipmates Forever
Loafer (uncredited)
She Couldn't Take It
Farmer
Waterfront Lady
Alex
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
Kinso
Western Frontier
Slim
Whispering Smith Speaks
Bill Prouty
The Drunkard
Farmer Gates
The Cowboy and the Bandit
Lanky
Mississippi
Guest (uncredited)
Ruggles of Red Gap
Curly - Cowboy
Big Boy Rides Again
Ranch Foreman Scarface
Frontier Days
Deputy Tex Hatch
Thunder Over Texas
Dick
Inside Information
Rice - Thin Detective
Twisted Rails
Tom Watson
Damaged Lives
Undetermined Role
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
The General
Face in the Sky
Ed Burns, Carnival Patron (uncredited)
Partners
Deputy Lem
Selling Shorts
Slim Bassil
The Squaw Man
Andy
King of the Wild
Peterson
Scandal Sheet
Reporter
Ten Cents a Dance
Smith, a Sailor
Forward, March!
The Virtuous Sin
Sentry
Doughboys
Svendenburg
Paradise Island
Swede
Call of the West
Trig Peters
The Bad One
Sailor
The Virginian
Nebrasky
Border Romance
Slim
Captain Swagger
Jean
Melody of Love
The Gawk
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
Tom Turner
What Price Beauty?
Uneasy Payments
Press Agent
Racing Romance
Constable
The Lodge in the Wilderness
Goofus
Morganson's Finish
Ole Jensen
The Bar-C Mystery
Below the Line
'Cuckoo' Niles
Contraband
George Bogardus
Ten Days
A Lost Lady
Ivy Peters
A Self-Made Failure
Pokey Jones
The Law Forbids
Joel Andrews
Reno
Detective McRae
The Meanest Man in the World
Lute Boon
Refuge
Alphonse
Quincy Adams Sawyer
Hiram Maxwell
The Loaded Door
Slim
A Tailor-Made Man
Peter
Step on It!
Noisy Johnson
At the Sign of the Jack'O Lantern
The Poet
One a Minute
Jingo Pitts
Lavender and Old Lace
Joe Pendleton
Bob Hampton of Placer
Willie McNeil
Billions
Pushkin
The Heart of a Child
Charley Peastone
Mary's Ankle
Johnny Stokes
Water, Water, Everywhere
Steve Brainard
A Petal on the Current
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Full of Pep
Beanpole
The Amateur Adventuress
Gregory Charles Sentel
Captain Kidd, Jr.
Constable Sam
Who's Your Father?
Comedy Role
Baseball Madness
Hearts and Saddles
What Darwin Missed
Professor Alonzo Bozzle
Just a Few Little Things
Archie
Broncho Billy and the Card Sharp
Versus Sledge Hammers
The Count
Broncho Billy Steps In
Broncho Billy and the Land Grabber
The Bachelor's Burglar
The Revenue Agent
The Minister
His Regeneration
Pawn Shop Clerk
Ingomar of the Hills
Broncho Billy and the Vigilante
A Cattle Owner
Slim the Brave and Sophie the Fair
Slippery Slim
Sophie's Home-Coming
Slippery Slim
When Slippery Slim Bought the Cheese
Slippery Slim
Sentimental Sophie
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy and the Sisters
The Minister
When Slippery Slim Went for the Eggs
Slippery Slim
The Battle of Snakeville
Slippery Slim
Snakeville's Rising Sons
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Office
Slippery Slim Gets Square
Slippery Slim
Snakeville's Blind Pig
Slippery Slim
Sophie's Sweetheart
Slippery Slim
Sophie's Fatal Wedding
Slippery Slim
Snakeville's Reform Wave
Slippery Slim
A Horse on Sophie
Slippery Slim
Sophie and the Man of Her Choice
Slippery Slim
Slippery Slim and the Impersonator
Slippery Slim
Snakeville and the Corset Demonstrator
Slippery Slim
Slippery Slim, The Mortgage and Sophie
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy Rewarded
The Hotel Proprietor
Snakeville's Peace-Maker
Slippery Slim
When Slippery Slim Met the Champion
Slippery Slim
Slippery Slim Gets Cured
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy, a Friend in Need
Broncho Billy, the Vagabond
Broncho Billy's Wild Ride
Broncho Billy Wins Out
The School Trustee
Snakeville's New Waitress
Slippery Slim
Slippery Slim -- Diplomat
Slippery Slim
Sophie Gets Stung
Slippery Slim
Sophie Finds a Hero
Slippery Slim
The Wooing of Sophie
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy and the Mine Shark
The Hotel Clerk
The Snakeville Volunteer
Slippery Slim
The Good-for-Nothing
Old Clerk
Sophie Pulls a Good One
Slippery Slim
Sophie Starts Something
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy's Leap
Broncho Billy's Sermon
The Sheriff
Pie for Sophie
Snicklefritz
A Gamblers' Way
The Bartender
Broncho Billy and the Red Man
What Came to Bar Q
Bartender
Broncho Billy and the Bad Man
The Storekeeper
A Night on the Road
Sheriff's Assistant
Broncho Billy-Guardian
Snakeville's New Doctor
Slippery Slim
A Snakeville Courtship
Slippery Slim
That Pair from Thespia
Second Actor
Sophie's New Foreman
Slippery Slim
The Three Gamblers
Broncho Billy's Squareness
A Romance of the Hills
Sophie's Hero
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy's First Arrest
The Last Laugh
Alkali Ike and the Wildman
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy's Oath
Why Broncho Billy Left Bear County
The Druggist
Broncho Billy Reforms
A Thief
Broncho Billy and the Western Girls
Outlaw
Alkali Ike and the Hypnotist
Slippery Slim
Alkali Ike's Misfortunes
Slippery Slim
Alkali Ike's Homecoming
Slippery Slim
The Accusation of Broncho Billy
Broncho Billy's Gratefulness
Dr. Huff
Broncho Billy and the Squatter's Daughter
Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Kid
Jailer
The Making of Broncho Billy
Broncho Billy's Gun Play
Broncho Billy's Promise
Broncho Billy's Mexican Wife
Alkali Ike's Close Shave
Slippery Slim
An Indian's Friendship
The Tomboy on Bar Z
Alkali Ike Stung!
An Indian Sunbeam
A Cowboy
Alkali Ike's Pants
The Tenderfoot Foreman
Broncho Billy for Sheriff
Alkali Ike Plays the Devil
Broncho Billy's Pal
A Story of Montana
Broncho Billy's Narrow Escape
On the Cactus Trail
Alkali Ike Bests Broncho Billy
The Ranch Girl's Mistake
The Biter Bitten
The Prospector's Legacy
Broncho Billy and the Schoolmistress
The Oath of His Office
Widow Jenkins' Admirers
The Loafer
A Child of the West
Broncho Billy's Adventure
Cowboy
Broncho Billy's Christmas Dinner
The Forester's Plea
Town Hall, Tonight
The Tall Schultz Brother
The Strike at the Little Jonny Mine
Broncho Bill's Last Spree
Slippery Slim
The Two Fugitives
The Corporation and the Ranch Girl
A Hungry Pair
Skinny
The Infant at Snakeville
Alkali Ike's Auto
The Puncher's New Love
The Bunco Game at Lizardhead
The Indian Maiden's Lesson
Across the Plains
The Sheriff's Chum
The Bad Man's Downfall
Hank and Lank: They Make a Mash
Lank
The Two Reformations
The Border Ranger
The Count and the Cowboys
The Count
The Bad Man's Christmas Gift
Hank and Lank: Blind Men
Lank
The Tenderfoot Messenger
A Cowboy's Vindication
Circle C Ranch's Wedding Present
Hank and Lank: As Sandwich Men
Lank
Hank and Lank: Lifesavers
Lank
A Westerner's Way
The Silent Message
Hank and Lank: Uninvited Guests
Lank
A Cowboy's Mother-in-Law
Hank and Lank: They Get Wise to a New Scheme
Lank
The Bearded Bandit
Patricia of the Plains
Hank and Lank: They Dude Up Some
Lank
The Tout's Remembrance
Hank and Lank: Joyriding
Lank
A Dog on Business