Cy Schindell
| Cy Schindell | |
|---|---|
Schindell in Calling All Curs.
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| Born |
Seymour Schindel March 4, 1907 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | August 24, 1948 (aged 41) Hollywood, California |
| Years active | 1933-1948 |
Seymour "Cy" Schindell (March 4, 1907 – August 24, 1948) was an American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy.
Brooklyn-born Schindell was born Seymour Schindel in 1907. He was a former middleweight boxer with 19 fights from 1926–1928. He was later bitten by the acting bug, and found work as an extra at Columbia Studios, most notably appearing with comedy team the Three Stooges. A skilled stuntman, Schindell performed many pratfalls himself. His ability to deliver straight, tough dialogue ("youse mugs") made him a natural for parts as heavies. Shorts like Calling All Curs, Nutty But Nice and Fright Night gave Schindell a chance to bully the Stooges around to great effect. In Matri-Phony and Fright Night the ex-pugilist was knocked cold by the trio, only to have the Stooges (concealed behind a curtain) maneuver the unconscious Schindell like a puppet (when Fright Night was remade in 1955 as Fling in the Ring, this footage was reused). Schindell also memorably played Chizzilini, a parody of Benito Mussolini, in the short I'll Never Heil Again.
In addition to his work in Three Stooges shorts, Schindell also appeared briefly in It's a Wonderful Life as the bouncer at Nick's, and made numerous film appearances playing mainly blue collar roles such as a truck driver, a butcher and a policeman.
Schindell enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the 1920s and returned to active service for World War II. While on Guadalcanal, he developed a severe case of jungle rot, which eventually developed into terminal cancer. Knowing he was dying, Schindell worked constantly during his illness to assure his family would be financially secure after his death.
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