Victor Potel

from Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Artwork for The Girl of the Golden WestImage of Victor Potel

Biography

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.

Timeline

1947Aged 58

  • Poster for The Devil Thumbs a Ride

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Yankee Fakir

    Contest Chairman

  • Poster for The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

    Prof. Potelle

  • Poster for The Egg and I

    Crowbar

1946Aged 57

  • Poster for The Glass Alibi

    Gas Attendant (as Vic Potel)

1945Aged 56

  • Poster for Strange Illusion

    Mac

  • Poster for A Medal for Benny

    Pantera Pepster Club Member (uncredited)

  • Poster for Flame of Barbary Coast

    Train Fireman

  • Poster for Rhythm Round-Up

    Slim Jensen

1944Aged 55

  • Poster for It Happened Tomorrow

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for The Great Moment

    First Dental Patient

  • Poster for Hail the Conquering Hero

    Progressive Bandleader (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

    Newspaper Editor

1943Aged 54

  • Poster for The Good Fellows

    Branders (uncredited)

  • Poster for Wagon Wheels West

    Posse Rider (uncredited)

1942Aged 53

  • Poster for The Palm Beach Story

    Mr. McKeewie

  • Poster for The Man in the Trunk

    Deaf Floor Man (uncredited)

1941Aged 52

  • Poster for The Lady Eve

    Second Steward (uncredited)

  • Poster for Pot o' Gold

    Olaf Svenson (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Lady from Cheyenne

    Lem

  • Poster for Ride on Vaquero

    Ole

  • Poster for Sullivan's Travels

    Cameraman

1940Aged 51

  • Poster for Young Tom Edison

    Mr. Tompkins

  • Poster for Three Faces West

    Postman

  • Poster for Girl from God's Country

    Barber

  • Poster for The Great McGinty

    Cook (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Villain Still Pursued Her

    Policeman (uncredited)

  • Poster for Christmas in July

    Davenola Salesman

  • Poster for Li'l Abner

    Fantastic Brown

  • Poster for Trail of the Vigilantes

    Conductor

1939Aged 50

  • Poster for Stand Up and Fight

    Coach Driver

  • Poster for Let Freedom Ring

    Ole Swensen (uncredited)

  • Poster for Down the Wyoming Trail

    Slim

  • Poster for Second Fiddle

    Steve - Crane Operator

  • Poster for Hollywood Cavalcade

    Slim

  • Poster for The Housekeeper's Daughter

    Suspect

  • Poster for Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence

    Ranch Hand

  • Poster for Blondie Brings Up Baby

    Lars (uncredited)

  • Poster for Rovin' Tumbleweeds

    Man in Store

  • Poster for Chip of the Flying U

    Station Agent

  • Poster for Slightly Honorable

    Gasoline Station Proprietor (Uncredited)

1938Aged 49

  • Poster for The Girl of the Golden West

    Lem - Stagecoach Driver

  • Poster for On the Great White Trail

    Lyons

  • Poster for The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

    Steve

1937Aged 48

  • Poster for God's Country and the Woman

    Turpentine

  • Poster for Two Gun Law

    Cassius

  • Poster for White Bondage

    Luke Stacey

  • Poster for Western Gold

    Jasper

  • Poster for Small Town Boy

    Abner Towner

  • Poster for Adventure's End

    Tall Sailor (uncredited)

1936Aged 47

  • The Broken Coin

    Dialogue

  • Poster for Man Hunt

    Townsman Pointing Out Shefiff's Office (uncredited)

  • Poster for Song of the Saddle

    Little Casino

  • Poster for Three Godfathers

    'Buck Tooth'

  • Poster for Yellow Dust

    Jugger - the Bartender

  • Poster for O'Malley of the Mounted

    Gabby - the Cook

  • Down to the Sea

    Andy

  • Poster for Fury

    Jorgeson (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Captain's Kid

    Deputy Jake Hutchinson

  • Poster for Laughing at Trouble

    Lem Parker

1935Aged 46

  • Poster for Big Boy Rides Again

    Ranch Foreman Scarface

  • The Marriage Bargain

    Jeff Thompson

  • Poster for Ruggles of Red Gap

    Curly - Cowboy

  • Poster for Mississippi

    Guest (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Cowboy and the Bandit

    Lanky

  • Poster for The Drunkard

    Farmer Gates

  • Poster for Whispering Smith Speaks

    Bill Prouty

  • Poster for Western Frontier

    Slim

  • Poster for The Adventures of Rex and Rinty

    Kinso

  • Poster for Waterfront Lady

    Alex

  • Poster for She Couldn't Take It

    Farmer

  • Poster for Shipmates Forever

    Loafer (uncredited)

  • Poster for Moonlight on the Prairie

    Tall Saloon Cowboy

  • Poster for The Last of the Clintons

    Jed Clinton

  • Poster for The Fighting Marines

    Fake Native Chief [Ch. 12]

  • Poster for Gun Play

    Brawler (uncredited)

  • Poster for Million Dollar Haul

    Writer

1934Aged 45

  • Poster for Twisted Rails

    Tom Watson

  • Poster for Inside Information

    Rice - Thin Detective

  • Poster for Thunder Over Texas

    Dick

  • Poster for Frontier Days

    Deputy Tex Hatch

1933Aged 44

  • Poster for Face in the Sky

    Ed Burns, Carnival Patron (uncredited)

  • Poster for Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

    The General

  • Poster for Damaged Lives

    Undetermined Role

1932Aged 43

  • Poster for Partners

    Deputy Lem

1931Aged 42

1930Aged 41

  • Poster for The Bad One

    Sailor

  • Poster for Call of the West

    Trig Peters

  • Poster for Paradise Island

    Swede

  • Poster for Doughboys

    Svendenburg

  • Poster for The Virtuous Sin

    Sentry

  • Poster for Forward, March!

    (Unknown)

1929Aged 40

  • Poster for Border Romance

    Slim

  • Poster for The Virginian

    Nebrasky

1928Aged 39

  • Poster for What Price Beauty?

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come

    Tom Turner

  • Poster for Melody of Love

    The Gawk

  • Poster for Captain Swagger

    Jean

1927Aged 38

1926Aged 37

1925Aged 36

  • Poster for Ten Days

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Contraband

    George Bogardus

  • Poster for Below the Line

    'Cuckoo' Niles

1924Aged 35

1923Aged 34

1922Aged 33

  • Poster for At the Sign of the Jack'O Lantern

    The Poet

  • Poster for Step on It!

    Noisy Johnson

  • Poster for A Tailor-Made Man

    Peter

  • Poster for The Loaded Door

    Slim

  • Poster for Quincy Adams Sawyer

    Hiram Maxwell

1921Aged 32

  • Poster for Bob Hampton of Placer

    Willie McNeil

  • Poster for Lavender and Old Lace

    Joe Pendleton

  • Poster for One a Minute

    Jingo Pitts

1920Aged 31

  • Poster for Water, Water, Everywhere

    Steve Brainard

  • Poster for Mary's Ankle

    Johnny Stokes

  • Poster for The Heart of a Child

    Charley Peastone

  • Poster for Billions

    Pushkin

1919Aged 30

  • Poster for Captain Kidd, Jr.

    Constable Sam

  • Poster for The Amateur Adventuress

    Gregory Charles Sentel

  • Poster for Full of Pep

    Beanpole

  • Poster for The Outcasts of Poker Flat

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for A Petal on the Current

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for In Mizzoura

    Dave

1918Aged 29

  • Poster for Who's Your Father?

    Comedy Role

1917Aged 28

1916Aged 27

1915Aged 26

1914Aged 25

  • Poster for Snakeville's New Doctor

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Broncho Billy-Guardian

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for A Night on the Road

    Sheriff's Assistant

  • Poster for Broncho Billy and the Bad Man

    The Storekeeper

  • Poster for What Came to Bar Q

    Bartender

  • Poster for Broncho Billy and the Red Man

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for A Gamblers' Way

    The Bartender

  • Poster for Pie for Sophie

    Snicklefritz

  • Broncho Billy's Sermon

    The Sheriff

  • Poster for Broncho Billy's Leap

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Sophie Starts Something

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Sophie Pulls a Good One

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for The Good-for-Nothing

    Old Clerk

  • Poster for The Snakeville Volunteer

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Broncho Billy and the Mine Shark

    The Hotel Clerk

  • Poster for The Wooing of Sophie

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Sophie Finds a Hero

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Sophie Gets Stung

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Slippery Slim -- Diplomat

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Snakeville's New Waitress

    Slippery Slim

  • Broncho Billy Wins Out

    The School Trustee

  • Broncho Billy's Wild Ride

    (Unknown)

  • Broncho Billy, the Vagabond

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Broncho Billy, a Friend in Need

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Slippery Slim Gets Cured

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for When Slippery Slim Met the Champion

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Snakeville's Peace-Maker

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Broncho Billy Rewarded

    The Hotel Proprietor

  • Poster for Slippery Slim, The Mortgage and Sophie

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Snakeville and the Corset Demonstrator

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Slippery Slim and the Impersonator

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Sophie and the Man of Her Choice

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for A Horse on Sophie

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Snakeville's Reform Wave

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Sophie's Fatal Wedding

    Slippery Slim

  • Sophie's Sweetheart

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Snakeville's Blind Pig

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Slippery Slim Gets Square

    Slippery Slim

  • Poster for Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Office

    (Unknown)

  • Poster for Snakeville's Rising Sons

    Slippery Slim

1913Aged 24

1912Aged 23

1911Aged 22

1910Aged 21

Year unknown

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