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.
Known For
| Birth Location | Lafayette, Indiana, USA |
|---|---|
| Born | 1889-10-12 |
| Died | 1947-03-08 |
Movies
The Egg and I
as Crowbar
1947
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
as Prof. Potelle
1947
The Glass Alibi
as Gas Attendant (as Vic Potel)
1946
Rhythm Round-Up
as Slim Jensen
1945
Flame of Barbary Coast
as Train Fireman
1945
A Medal for Benny
as Pantera Pepster Club Member (uncredited)
1945
The Great Moment
as First Dental Patient
1944
1944
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
as Newspaper Editor
1943
Wagon Wheels West
as Posse Rider (uncredited)
1943
The Good Fellows
as Branders (uncredited)
1943
The Man in the Trunk
as Deaf Floor Man (uncredited)
1942
The Palm Beach Story
as Mr. McKeewie
1942
Sullivan's Travels
as Cameraman
1941
Ride on Vaquero
as Ole
1941
The Lady from Cheyenne
as Lem
1941
Pot o' Gold
as Olaf Svenson (uncredited)
1941
The Lady Eve
as Second Steward (uncredited)
1941
Trail of the Vigilantes
as Conductor
1940
Li'l Abner
as Fantastic Brown
1940
Christmas in July
as Davenola Salesman
1940
The Villain Still Pursued Her
as Policeman (uncredited)
1940
The Great McGinty
as Cook (uncredited)
1940
Girl from God's Country
as Barber
1940
Three Faces West
as Postman
1940
Young Tom Edison
as Mr. Tompkins
1940
Slightly Honorable
as Gasoline Station Proprietor (Uncredited)
1939
Chip of the Flying U
as Station Agent
1939
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
as Man in Store
1939
Blondie Brings Up Baby
as Lars (uncredited)
1939
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
as Ranch Hand
1939
The Housekeeper's Daughter
as Suspect
1939
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Slim
1939
Second Fiddle
as Steve - Crane Operator
1939
Down the Wyoming Trail
as Slim
1939
Let Freedom Ring
as Ole Swensen (uncredited)
1939
Stand Up and Fight
as Coach Driver
1939
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
as Steve
1938
On the Great White Trail
as Lyons
1938
The Girl of the Golden West
as Lem - Stagecoach Driver
1938
Adventure's End
as Tall Sailor (uncredited)
1937
Small Town Boy
as Abner Towner
1937
Western Gold
as Jasper
1937
White Bondage
as Luke Stacey
1937
Two Gun Law
as Cassius
1937
God's Country and the Woman
as Turpentine
1937
The Captain's Kid
as Deputy Jake Hutchinson
1936
Fury
as Jorgeson (uncredited)
1936
Down to the Sea
as Andy
1936
O'Malley of the Mounted
as Gabby - the Cook
1936
Yellow Dust
as Jugger - the Bartender
1936
Three Godfathers
as 'Buck Tooth'
1936
Song of the Saddle
as Little Casino
1936
Man Hunt
as Townsman Pointing Out Shefiff's Office (uncredited)
1936
1936
Gun Play
as Brawler (uncredited)
1935
The Fighting Marines
as Fake Native Chief [Ch. 12]
1935
The Last of the Clintons
as Jed Clinton
1935
Moonlight on the Prairie
as Tall Saloon Cowboy
1935
Shipmates Forever
as Loafer (uncredited)
1935
She Couldn't Take It
as Farmer
1935
Waterfront Lady
as Alex
1935
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
as Kinso
1935
Western Frontier
as Slim
1935
Whispering Smith Speaks
as Bill Prouty
1935
The Drunkard
as Farmer Gates
1935
The Cowboy and the Bandit
as Lanky
1935
Mississippi
as Guest
1935
Ruggles of Red Gap
as Curly - Cowboy
1935
Big Boy Rides Again
as Ranch Foreman Scarface
1935
Frontier Days
as Deputy Tex Hatch
1934
Thunder Over Texas
as Dick
1934
Inside Information
as Rice - Thin Detective
1934
Twisted Rails
as Tom Watson
1934
Damaged Lives
as Undetermined Role
1933
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
as The General
1933
Face in the Sky
as Ed Burns, Carnival Patron (uncredited)
1933
Partners
as Deputy Lem
1932
Selling Shorts
as Slim Bassil
1931
The Squaw Man
as Andy
1931
King of the Wild
as Peterson
1931
Scandal Sheet
as Reporter
1931
Ten Cents a Dance
as Smith, a Sailor
1931
1930
The Virtuous Sin
as Sentry
1930
Doughboys
as Svendenburg
1930
Paradise Island
as Swede
1930
Call of the West
as Trig Peters
1930
The Bad One
as Sailor
1930
The Virginian
as Nebrasky
1929
Border Romance
as Slim
1929
Captain Swagger
as Jean
1928
Melody of Love
as The Gawk
1928
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
as Tom Turner
1928
Uneasy Payments
as Press Agent
1927
Racing Romance
as Constable
1926
Morganson's Finish
as Ole Jensen
1926
Below the Line
as 'Cuckoo' Niles
1925
1925
Reno
as Detective McRae
1923
Quincy Adams Sawyer
as Hiram Maxwell
1922
The Loaded Door
as Slim
1922
A Tailor-Made Man
as Peter
1922
Step on It!
as Noisy Johnson
1922
At the Sign of the Jack'O Lantern
as The Poet
1922
One a Minute
as Jingo Pitts
1921
Lavender and Old Lace
as Joe Pendleton
1921
Bob Hampton of Placer
as Willie McNeil
1921
Billions
as Pushkin
1920
The Heart of a Child
as Charley Peastone
1920
Water, Water, Everywhere
as Steve Brainard
1920
Full of Pep
as Beanpole
1919
Captain Kidd, Jr.
as Constable Sam
1919
Who's Your Father?
as Comedy Role
1918
1917
1917
What Darwin Missed
as Professor Alonzo Bozzle
1916
Just a Few Little Things
as Archie
1916
Versus Sledge Hammers
as The Count
1915
The Revenue Agent
as The Minister
1915
His Regeneration
as Pawn Shop Clerk
1915
1915
Broncho Billy and the Vigilante
as A Cattle Owner
1915
Slim the Brave and Sophie the Fair
as Slippery Slim
1915
Sophie's Home-Coming
as Slippery Slim
1915
When Slippery Slim Bought the Cheese
as Slippery Slim
1915
Sentimental Sophie
as Slippery Slim
1915
Broncho Billy and the Sisters
as The Minister
1915
When Slippery Slim Went for the Eggs
as Slippery Slim
1915
The Battle of Snakeville
as Slippery Slim
1915
Snakeville's Rising Sons
as Slippery Slim
1914
Slippery Slim Gets Square
as Slippery Slim
1914
Snakeville's Blind Pig
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie's Sweetheart
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie's Fatal Wedding
as Slippery Slim
1914
Snakeville's Reform Wave
as Slippery Slim
1914
A Horse on Sophie
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie and the Man of Her Choice
as Slippery Slim
1914
Slippery Slim and the Impersonator
as Slippery Slim
1914
Snakeville and the Corset Demonstrator
as Slippery Slim
1914
Slippery Slim, The Mortgage and Sophie
as Slippery Slim
1914
Broncho Billy Rewarded
as The Hotel Proprietor
1914
Snakeville's Peace-Maker
as Slippery Slim
1914
When Slippery Slim Met the Champion
as Slippery Slim
1914
Slippery Slim Gets Cured
as Slippery Slim
1914
Broncho Billy Wins Out
as The School Trustee
1914
Snakeville's New Waitress
as Slippery Slim
1914
Slippery Slim -- Diplomat
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie Gets Stung
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie Finds a Hero
as Slippery Slim
1914
The Wooing of Sophie
as Slippery Slim
1914
Broncho Billy and the Mine Shark
as The Hotel Clerk
1914
The Snakeville Volunteer
as Slippery Slim
1914
The Good-for-Nothing
as Old Clerk
1914
Sophie Pulls a Good One
as Slippery Slim
1914
Sophie Starts Something
as Slippery Slim
1914
1914
Broncho Billy's Sermon
as The Sheriff
1914
Pie for Sophie
as Snicklefritz
1914
A Gamblers' Way
as The Bartender
1914
What Came to Bar Q
as Bartender
1914
Broncho Billy and the Bad Man
as The Storekeeper
1914
A Night on the Road
as Sheriff's Assistant
1914
Snakeville's New Doctor
as Slippery Slim
1914
A Snakeville Courtship
as Slippery Slim
1913
That Pair from Thespia
as Second Actor
1913
Sophie's New Foreman
as Slippery Slim
1913
1913
Sophie's Hero
as Slippery Slim
1913
1913
Alkali Ike and the Wildman
as Slippery Slim
1913
1913
Why Broncho Billy Left Bear County
as The Druggist
1913
Broncho Billy Reforms
as A Thief
1913
Broncho Billy and the Western Girls
as Outlaw
1913
Alkali Ike and the Hypnotist
as Slippery Slim
1913
Alkali Ike's Misfortunes
as Slippery Slim
1913
Alkali Ike's Homecoming
as Slippery Slim
1913
Broncho Billy's Gratefulness
as Dr. Huff
1913
Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Kid
as Jailer
1913
Alkali Ike's Close Shave
as Slippery Slim
1912
1912
1912
An Indian Sunbeam
as A Cowboy
1912
1912
1912
1912
1912
1912
1912
1912
Broncho Billy's Adventure
as Cowboy
1911
1911
Town Hall, Tonight
as The Tall Schultz Brother
1911
Broncho Bill's Last Spree
as Slippery Slim
1911
1911
A Hungry Pair
as Skinny
1911
1911
1911
1911
Hank and Lank: They Make a Mash
as Lank
1911
1911
1911
The Count and the Cowboys
as The Count
1911
Hank and Lank: Blind Men
as Lank
1910
Hank and Lank: As Sandwich Men
as Lank
1910
Hank and Lank: Lifesavers
as Lank
1910
1910
1910
Hank and Lank: Uninvited Guests
as Lank
1910
1910
1910
Hank and Lank: They Dude Up Some
as Lank
1910
Hank and Lank: Joyriding
as Lank
1910
1910