Victor Potel, a renowned American film character actor, embarked on his illustrious career in the silent era and went on to appear in an astonishing 430 films over the course of his 38-year career.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1889, Potel's acting career spanned almost the entire duration of the commercial film industry in the United States. He made his first silent film in 1910, a comedy short titled A Dog on Business, produced by Essanay Film Manufacturing Company in Chicago.
Potel continued to work extensively for Essanay, starring in dozens of films annually, including the majority of the Broncho Billy series, and adopting the recurring character of "Slippery Slim" in a staggering 80 movies. He also appeared in Universal Pictures' "Snakeville" series.
As the industry transitioned to the sound era, Potel adapted seamlessly, taking on small parts and sometimes uncredited bit roles, predominantly comedic in nature, due to his towering height of 6 feet 1 inch and endearing awkwardness.
Beyond acting, Potel demonstrated his versatility by writing and directing on several occasions. In the 1920s, he helmed two silent shorts, The Rubber-Neck in 1924 and Action Craver in 1927, and contributed the story for Saxophobia in 1927.
In the subsequent decade, Potel served as dialogue director for The Big Chance (1933) and wrote the story for Inside Information in 1934. He also provided continuity and dialogue for Million Dollar Haul in 1935, as well as crafting the screenplay for Hot Off the Press.
During the 1940s, Potel became an integral part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in a remarkable nine films written and directed by Sturges.
Potel continued to work tirelessly until his passing on March 8, 1947, with his final film, Relentless, wrapping up production on February 28 of that year.
