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 38year 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 Potels 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 185 m and gawkiness In addition to acting on several occasions Potel also wrote and directed In the 1920s he directed two silent shorts The RubberNeck 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
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