Victor Potel
Victor Potel was an American film character actor who began in the silent era and appeared in more than 430 films in his 38-year career.
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 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. 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 March 8, 1947. The final film he worked on, Relentless finished filming on February 28 of that year.
Selected filmography
;SilentA Dog on Business Across the Plains Alkali Ike's Auto The Good-for-Nothing - Old ClerkHis Regeneration - Pawn Shop Clerk Baseball Madness Captain Kidd, Jr. - Constable SamFull of Pep - BeanpoleThe Amateur Adventuress - Gregory Charles SentelThe Outcasts of Poker Flat The Petal on the Current - Skinny FlintIn Mizzoura - DaveWater, Water, Everywhere - Steve BrainardMary's Ankle - Johnny StokesThe Heart of a Child - Charley PeastoneBillions - PushkinBob Hampton of Placer - Willie McNeilOne a Minute - Jingo PittsLavender and Old Lace - Joe PendletonAt the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern - The PoetI Can Explain - Will PotterDon't Write Letters - The LoverStep on It! - Noisy JohnsonThe Loaded Door - SlimA Tailor-Made Man - PeterQuincy Adams Sawyer - Hiram MaxwellRefuge - AlphpmseModern Matrimony - Junior RutherfordPenrod and Sam - Town DrunkardItching Palms - The Village DumbbellTea: With a Kick! - Bellboy 13The Meanest Man in the World - Lute BoonAnna Christie - Minor Role Reno - Detective McRaeWomen Who Give - Ephraim DoolittleThe Law Forbids - Joel AndrewsA Self-Made Failure - Pokey JonesAlong Came Ruth - Oscar SimsA Lost Lady - Ivy PetersTen Days - ConstableContraband - George BogardusBeyond the Border - Man in Smallpox Below the Line - 'Cuckoo' NilesWhat Price Beauty The Bar-C Mystery Morganson's Finish - Ole JensenThe Lodge in the Wilderness - GoofusThe Carnival Girl - SlimRacing Romance - ConstableUneasy Payments - Press AgentSpecial Delivery - Nip, a detective The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come - Tom TurnerLingerie - Leroy's BuddyCaptain Swagger - Jean;SoundMelody of Love - The GawkBorder Romance - SlimThe Virginian - NebraskyThe Bad One - SailorCall of the West - Trig PetersParadise Island - SwedeDoughboys - SvendenburgThe Virtuous Sin - SentryDe frente, marchen - AdormideraScandal Sheet - Reporter Ten Cents a Dance - Smith, a SailorKing of the Wild - PetersonThe Squaw Man - AndyPartners - Deputy LemMake Me a Star - Actor in 'Wide Open Spaces' The Purchase Price - Clyde Face in the Sky - Ed Burns, Carnival Patron Hallelujah, I'm a Bum - The General Damaged Lives - PolicemanDancing Lady - Worker Twisted Rails - Tom WatsonInside Information - Rice - Thin DetectiveThunder Over Texas - DickFrontier Days - Deputy Tex HatchBig Boy Rides Again - ScarfaceRuggles of Red Gap - Curly - Cowboy The Marriage Bargain - Jeff ThompsonMississippi - Guest The Drunkard - Farmer GatesThe Cowboy and the Bandit - Lanky - Henchman Million Dollar Haul - Schultz - Florist / Henchman Whispering Smith Speaks - Bill ProutyHard Rock Harrigan - 'Big' OscarLady Tubbs - Slim The Adventures of Rex and Rinty - Kinso, Royal Guard Commander Western Frontier - Slim Trails End - RedThe Girl Friend - Small Town Farmer Waterfront Lady - AlexShe Couldn't Take It - Farmer Shipmates Forever - Radio Fan Barbary Coast - Wilkins Moonlight on the Prairie - Tall Cowboy The Last of the Clintons - Jed ClintonThe Fighting Marines - Henchman - Fake Native Chief Gun Play - Brawler Hot Off the Press The Broken Coin Man Hunt - Townsman Pointing Out Shefiff's Office The Milky Way - Todd Fight Spectator Yellow Dust - Jugger - the BartenderThe Music Goes 'Round - Garage Attendant Song of the Saddle - Little CasinoThree Godfathers - 'Buck Tooth'O'Malley of the Mounted - Gabby - the CookDown to the Sea - AndyFury - Jorgeson - Barber Shop Customer We Went to College - Boatman The Captain's Kid - Deputy Jake HutchinsonFour Days' Wonder - Postman Arizona Mahoney - Stagecoach Helper Elmer Laughing at Trouble - Lem Parker Lady from Nowhere - AbnerGod's Country and the Woman - TurpentineRacing Lady - Mr. Mitchell Two Gun Law - CassiusA Day at the Races - Horn Blower Married Before Breakfast - Tall Hobo Being Shaved White Bondage - Luke Stacey Western Gold - JasperOn Such a Night - Louisiana Sharecropper Small Town Boy - Abner TownerAdventure's End - Tall Sailor Swing Your Lady - Clem The Girl of the Golden West - Lem - Stagecoach Driver On the Great White Trail - Lyons The Strange Case of Dr. Meade - SteveStand Up and Fight - Coach Driver Let Freedom Ring - Ole Swensen - 2nd Swede Down the Wyoming Trail - Slim The Housekeeper's Daughter - Suspect Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence - Ranch Hand Blondie Brings Up Baby - Lars Rovin' Tumbleweeds - Man in StoreChip of the Flying U - Station Agent Slightly Honorable - Gasoline Station Proprietor West of Carson City - Ranch Hand Gabby Young Tom Edison - Mr. Tompkins Enemy Agent - George Three Faces West - Postman The Great McGinty - Cook Girl from God's Country - BarberThe Villain Still Pursued Her - Policeman Christmas in July - Davenola SalesmanLi'l Abner - Fantastic BrownTrail of the Vigilantes - Conductor Road Show - Rube The Lady Eve - Third Ship's Waiter A Girl, a Guy and a Gob - Bystander Eating Popcorn Las Vegas Nights - Cowboy Onlooker at Slot Machine Pot o' Gold - Olaf Svenson The Devil and Miss Jones - Attendant at First Bath House The Lady from Cheyenne - Lem Ride on Vaquero - Ole The Big Store - Swedish Blonde Children's Father Puddin' Head - HillbillyNew Wine - Minor Role Never Give a Sucker an Even Break - Russian Magistrate Clines Nothing but the Truth - Pedestrian Birth of the Blues - Trumpet Player in Beer Garden Look Who's Laughing - Mr. Bagworthy, the Postman Sullivan's Travels - CameramanThe Palm Beach Story - Mr. McKeewieThe Man in the Trunk - Deaf Floor Man The Valley of Vanishing Men - Townsman The Sky's the Limit - Joe - Second Bartender The Good Fellows - Branders Girl Crazy - Station Master The Miracle of Morgan's Creek - Newspaper EditorIt Happened Tomorrow - Joe The Great Moment - First Dental PatientHail the Conquering Hero - Progressive Bandleader Kansas City Kitty - Painter Goin' to Town - Can't Help Singing - Guide Strange Illusion - Mac - Game WardenA Medal for Benny - Pepster Flame of Barbary Coast - Train Fireman Rhythm Round-Up - Slim JensenCaptain Tugboat Annie - SwensonThe Glass Alibi - Gas AttendantThey Made Me a Killer - Willoughby The Return of Rusty - Gas Station Attendant Heldorado - Desert Springs Station Agent The Shocking Miss Pilgrim - Speaker Calendar Girl - Fireman The Sin of Harold Diddlebock - Prof. PotelleThe Devil Thumbs a Ride - Minnie's Old Man Ramrod - Burch NelliceThe Egg and I - CrowbarThe Farmer's Daughter - Farmer with Destroyed Property Yankee Fakir - Contest Chairman The Millerson Case - Hank Nixon Relentless - Barfly