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.
Acted in 217
1940s
- 1947
The Egg and I
Crowbar
Yankee Fakir
Contest Chairman
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Movie
- 1946
The Glass Alibi
Gas Attendant (as Vic Potel)
- 1945
Rhythm Round-Up
Slim Jensen
A Medal for Benny
Pantera Pepster Club Member (uncredited)
Strange Illusion
Mac
- 1944
Hail the Conquering Hero
Progressive Bandleader (uncredited)
The Great Moment
First Dental Patient
- 1943
Wagon Wheels West
Posse Rider (uncredited)
The Good Fellows
Branders (uncredited)
- 1942
The Man in the Trunk
Deaf Floor Man (uncredited)
- 1941
Sullivan's Travels
Cameraman
Ride on Vaquero
Ole
The Lady from Cheyenne
Lem
- 1940
Trail of the Vigilantes
Conductor
Li'l Abner
Fantastic Brown
Christmas in July
Davenola Salesman
The Great McGinty
Cook (uncredited)
Girl from God's Country
Barber
Three Faces West
Postman
Young Tom Edison
Mr. Tompkins
1930s
- 1939
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
- 1938
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Steve
On the Great White Trail
Lyons
- 1937
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
- 1936
Laughing at Trouble
Lem Parker
The Captain's Kid
Deputy Jake Hutchinson
Fury
Jorgeson (uncredited)
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)
- 1935
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)
Big Boy Rides Again
Ranch Foreman Scarface
- 1934
Inside Information
Rice - Thin Detective
Twisted Rails
Tom Watson
- 1933
Damaged Lives
Undetermined Role
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
The General
Face in the Sky
Ed Burns, Carnival Patron (uncredited)
- 1932
- 1931
The Squaw Man
Andy
King of the Wild
Peterson
Scandal Sheet
Reporter
Ten Cents a Dance
Smith, a Sailor
- 1930
Forward, March!
Movie
The Virtuous Sin
Sentry
Doughboys
Svendenburg
Paradise Island
Swede
Call of the West
Trig Peters
The Bad One
Sailor
1920s
- 1929
Border Romance
Slim
- 1928
Melody of Love
The Gawk
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
Tom Turner
What Price Beauty?
Movie
- 1926
The Lodge in the Wilderness
Goofus
The Bar-C Mystery
Movie
- 1925
Below the Line
'Cuckoo' Niles
Contraband
George Bogardus
Ten Days
Movie
- 1924
A Lost Lady
Ivy Peters
The Law Forbids
Joel Andrews
- 1923
Reno
Detective McRae
The Meanest Man in the World
Lute Boon
Modern Matrimony
Junior Rutherford
Itching Palms
The Village Dumbbell
- 1922
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
- 1921
One a Minute
Jingo Pitts
Lavender and Old Lace
Joe Pendleton
Bob Hampton of Placer
Willie McNeil
- 1920
Billions
Pushkin
The Heart of a Child
Charley Peastone
Mary's Ankle
Johnny Stokes
Water, Water, Everywhere
Steve Brainard
1910s
- 1919
In Mizzoura
Dave
A Petal on the Current
Movie
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Movie
Full of Pep
Beanpole
The Amateur Adventuress
Gregory Charles Sentel
Captain Kidd, Jr.
Constable Sam
- 1918
Who's Your Father?
Comedy Role
- 1917
Hearts and Saddles
Movie
- 1915
Versus Sledge Hammers
The Count
The Bachelor's Burglar
Movie
His Regeneration
Pawn Shop Clerk
Ingomar of the Hills
Movie
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
- 1914
Snakeville's Rising Sons
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Office
Movie
Slippery Slim Gets Square
Slippery Slim
Snakeville's Blind Pig
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
Movie
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
Movie
Pie for Sophie
Snicklefritz
A Gamblers' Way
The Bartender
Broncho Billy and the Red Man
Movie
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
Movie
Snakeville's New Doctor
Slippery Slim
- 1913
A Snakeville Courtship
Slippery Slim
That Pair from Thespia
Second Actor
Sophie's New Foreman
Slippery Slim
The Three Gamblers
Movie
Broncho Billy's Squareness
Movie
A Romance of the Hills
Movie
Sophie's Hero
Slippery Slim
Broncho Billy's First Arrest
Movie
The Last Laugh
Movie
Alkali Ike and the Wildman
Slippery Slim
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
Broncho Billy's Gratefulness
Dr. Huff
Broncho Billy and the Sheriff's Kid
Jailer
The Making of Broncho Billy
Movie
- 1912
Broncho Billy's Promise
Movie
Broncho Billy's Mexican Wife
Movie
An Indian's Friendship
Movie
The Tomboy on Bar Z
Movie
Alkali Ike Stung!
Movie
Alkali Ike's Pants
Movie
Broncho Billy for Sheriff
Movie
Alkali Ike Plays the Devil
Movie
Broncho Billy's Pal
Movie
A Story of Montana
Movie
Broncho Billy's Narrow Escape
Movie
Alkali Ike Bests Broncho Billy
Movie
Broncho Billy and the Schoolmistress
Movie
A Child of the West
Movie
- 1911
Broncho Billy's Adventure
Cowboy
Broncho Billy's Christmas Dinner
Movie
Town Hall, Tonight
The Tall Schultz Brother
The Strike at the Little Jonny Mine
Movie
Broncho Bill's Last Spree
Slippery Slim
The Corporation and the Ranch Girl
Movie
Alkali Ike's Auto
Movie
Across the Plains
Movie
- 1910
A Westerner's Way
Movie
Wrote 2
1930s
- 1935
Million Dollar Haul
Writer
- 1934
Inside Information
Story